My First Vegetable Garden

April 04, 2012

It’s that time of year, the time of year when I can’t wait to get my hands dirty. Having mud on my knees (and a smudge on my face) is my idea of a great time. I’m talking about planting a garden. Now, I’m used to working with flowers in the garden, but the realm of the vegetable garden is new to me. This is most likely due to the small number of vegetables that I am actually willing to eat. However, this year I decided to try growing some of my own veggies. 

So far, I have put in lettuce, spinach, and carrots. I’m thinking about adding peas, potatoes, and leeks. I know I want to put in some tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, and peppers. There are so many different varieties available that it’s difficult to decide which ones to plant. There’s also figuring out the correct time of year to plant each vegetable. Not to mention deciding on the best site for the garden. One that gets full sun is very important since most vegetables won’t thrive in shade. The type of soil is also an important element. Finding out whether you have acidic or alkaline soil is another important task. There's so much to decide and so much information to sift through. 

I am finding a wealth of information in the gardening section at the library. Here you can find the answers to many common (and not so common) gardening questions. Planting times, days until harvest, soil, light, and water requirements are normally found in the general gardening books. So why not try something new this year and grow some of your own vegetables? You’ll find all the information you need to get started in the gardening section at your local MCPL branch.

-Heather C.
Lee's Summit Branch