Yummy Edibles
Are you one of the mushrooming number of Americans who plans to grow some of their own food this year? According to the Garden Media Group, who tracks and predicts annual trends in home gardening, one of the hottest trends in 2009 will be Grow-It-Yourself (GIY). It seems that more and more people plan to grow some of their own fruit, veggies, herbs and even edible flowers.
Garden centers and nurseries had already noticed a peak in interest in veggie plant starts in 2008 and apparently that trend will continue to rise. A broader selection of edibles to choose from will benefit everyone interested in growing edibles, whether you start them from seed or take the easy way out (like me) and buy plant starts.
The other good news about the GIY trend is that you can get involved even if you don’t have a huge plot of land available to devote to a traditional vegetable garden. Many vegetable varieties can be grown quite easily in pots. Wholesale grower Ball Horticultural Company has even launched a line of vegetables geared towards growing in containers called ‘Patio Produce’. If you’re interested in more information about growing edibles in containers, be sure to check out McGee & Stuckey’s Bountiful Container for everything you’ll need to know to get started.
Need more convincing that GIY is going to take off in 2009? According to a recent post on Garden Rant, even the Obama’s are planning to get involved in the GIY movement. Plans are being made to plant a vegetable garden on the grounds of the White House. That fact alone will boost the GIY movement through the roof.
As for me, I plan to add blueberries and purple beans to my containers this year. I’d love to hear from you about what edibles you’re planning to grow this year.
Photo courtesy of williammoss.org
Gardening is a growing industry, regardless of labels … and considering the expanding waist size, coupled with the decreasing income, of many Americans the ‘revelation’ that gardening is good for the body and the budget cannot come soon enough. I am heartened by the increasing number of people expected to take on gardens this year (see my related post Seeds to Sow), and thrilled with the Obama’s creation of a White House organic vegetable and fruit garden.
I plan to add the edible pod pea Snowflake, and Purple Queen-Bush and Sequoia-Bush beans to my regular complement of Carouby de Maussane snow peas, Pencil Pod yellow bush beans, Henderson lima beans, and Romano pole beans. The new varieties of beans should help add some interesting color to the garden.