Gardening is a soul-satisfying activity, but it can
also be a fantastic way to be creative and to find
inspiration as you feel the warm earth and watch
the tender plant shoots reach for the sun's warmth.

Container gardening is a fast-growing trend and if
you find yourself short on time, land, or money, then
this is the notch that will fit you just fine. One idea
for a great looking, very versatile, and fun planter is
to grow a "salad basket." A cherry tomato plant is
the center point of your basket. Any planter or box
that offers drainage can be used. After your tomato
plant, then fill the planter with lettuce, kale, swiss
chard, tender green onions, and parsley. If you enjoy
other greens in your salad, then include these. The
best part of your "salad basket" is that as you snip
and enjoy the harvest, it just encourages your plants
to produce more. You will always have the freshest
salad ingredients available right at your finger tips.
The colors are summer beautiful, and the taste - well,
warmed by the sun, and grown in the gentle summer
breezes, watered by the soft rains of nature, and with
a little extra watering, and weeding from you, you
have a basket made in the heart of any salad lover.

A lot of people enjoy using herbs in their cooking and
even in baking. If you take a planter and fill it with rows
of your favorite herbs, then you are ready to try any
new dish that comes along. The center point of your
planter should be dill since it grows to a height that
will not overpower your other plants. It will then produce
fine, feathery dill to use in potato salad, and serve with
chicken. If you surround your dill plant with rosemary,
oregano, sage, basil, and even mint, you have a great
assortment of fresh herbs, and in cooking, this is far
better than any dried herb you might have around the
house. You can use other herbs and in the fall, when
many go to seed, the colors, fragrance, and usefulness
just keeps on giving. When autumn comes, you can
plant some of the herbs in windowsill planters and
you can continue enjoying their wonder during the
winter months.

Children and gardens just seem to go together. If
you have an old red wagon that has lost its usefulness,
you can make holes in the bottom for drainage and
fill with quick to harvest items that will just delight any
budding gardener. From a few strawberry plants, to
cucumbers or tomatoes, ask your local nursery what
grows quickly in your climate and then plant a few seeds
in rich potting soil right in the 'ol red wagon. Your child
can experience watching a simple seed produce that
first shoot and then flower into a plant with all kinds of
healthy goodies to pick when ripe. Not only will your
child begin to enjoy healthy snacks from his/her own
little wagon of plants, but they can share with family and
even proudly produce that bowl of strawberries for
Sunday breakfast. You and you child will enjoy the
experience and well, the great taste of the produce,
and beauty of the wagon is just extra.

Gardening is not only for those with a lot of land. It can
be enjoyed if you only have a patio, porch, or balcony.
Even if none of these are available for you, then a bright
sunny window with planters filled with "goodies" will
bring pleasure and beauty into any home.

However you enjoy gardening, the most important point is
that it is fun and it can be shared.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur
May, 2008