It was volunteering in her children’s Montessori school garden that gave rise to her new series Wild Tales & Garden Thrills, stories bursting with the real-life experiences of young gardeners. Children see the world from a totally different perspective than adults and Venetta knows their adventures will surely inspire a new generation to get outside,
and get digging.
As the new year begins, January is filled with new ideas, hopes and of course, resolutions. Weight loss and better living habits always make the list, but we gardeners harbor different goals. Especially as the seed catalogs begin arriving in our mailboxes, their pages adorned with gorgeous images of leafy lettuce abundance, brilliantly-colored carrots and the ever coveted perfectly-formed ruby red tomatoes. Perusing the abundance will makes us dream of greener pastures, lush fruits and vegetables and those glorious sunny days.
Okay. Let’s be honest. At the moment, as your home is enveloped in snow, you’ll settle for anything green. My suggestion? Start that herb garden you’ve always dreamed of! Herbs don’t ask for much more than a well-drained container of potting soil, sunshine through the window panes, and a dash of water every morning. Hey, they don’t even need real sunshine. Grow lights will suffice to keep you green through the long winter months. And fresh herbs not only fill the air with aromatic bliss, they are one of the secrets to fine cooking. Come spring, you can steep a few sprigs of rosemary in 2 cups of water, add it to a gallon of lemonade and you will delight in a wholly unique spin on an old favorite. Even your kids will enjoy this creative twist!
For those who tire of growing herbs, get creative and try your hand at any number of fruits and vegetables, as most will thrive in containers. All they need is dirt, water, food, and light. Plants you wouldn’t normally think of as indoor plants will thrive in and around your home. Take carrots and beets. These root vegetables will flourish in a deep container (long enough to accommodate a healthy carrot length), soft soil for the roots to plunge freely, and a general fertilizer. Can you fit a trellis on your patio? Sweet peas are easy to grow, and will only ask that you give them somewhere to climb. They also enjoy a nip in the air, but won’t tolerate freezing temperatures.
Tomatoes are another good choice and can even grow upside down! (Special container required.) However, these fruits are susceptible to the cold and need warmth to prosper. Same goes for their cousins: peppers and eggplant. And who would have guessed that you can grow potatoes indoors? On your patio, to be exact. They’ll need a bit more investment than a container environment, but with a little effort, you can produce over one hundred potatoes in a planter that measures 4 square feet. Yes, you read that right. Find details here.
While you’re nurturing your container plants, enjoy a piece of warm cranberry-orange bread. These gorgeous berries are in season right now and are most delicious when consumed in this sweet moist bread topped with warm butter. “Think spring” and you, too, will make it through this winter.
