The Rural Voice, 2004-08, Page 12r'
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.30
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Durham 369-3082
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Mt. Forest 323-3591
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• FARM DRAINAGE
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519-338-3484
"We install
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8 THE RURAL VOICE
Jeffrey Carter
Ode to the garden
Jeffrey
Carter is a
freelance
journalist
based in
Dresden,
Ontario.
My family gardens and I tend to
take the lead in this effort. I just love
turning that first bit of soil in the
spring to put in the potatoes and
peas.
There's even something to be said
for the weeding that follows.
Vegetable gardens, however, have
become something of a rarity, even in
rural Ontario. The reasons are
obvious.
Why go to the expense and effort of
planting potatoes and other crops
when they're practically giving them
away in the grocery stores? Then
there's the question of availability
and convenience. Most produce can
be purchased the year round. There's
no need to eat in -season.
There are, however, even more
reasons on the pro -gardening side of
things, I think.
Our vegetable and small -fruit
garden is about 22 feet deep and 60
wide, not counting the herbs we plant
among the flower beds. This year
we're growing potatoes, carrots,
parsnips, red beets, tomatoes,
tomatilloes, garlic, green and yellow
beans. pole beans, peas, cabbages,
cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, Swiss
chard, kale, spinach, radishes, leeks,
onions, chives, sweet peppers, hot
peppers, green and yellow zucchini,
egg plants, rhubarb, strawberries,
black raspberries, gooseberries, and
wine grapes.
(You may be wondering how we fit
all this in that wee bit of ground. I
like to use wide rows for things like
garlic, peas, beans, and lettuce. In
addition, if you plan ahead, crops like
peas can be removed to make room
for tomatoes and other plants that
require more room as the season
progresses.)
While there will be a few failures,
there's still plenty of variety. I
personally like to eat in -season. The
taste of a fresh strawberry, for
instance, is far more satisfying when
you've had to wait 11 months for it.
As well, there are certain taste
experiences available in a garden that
you just won't find in the grocery
stores. Fresh -picked peas are a prime
example.
Gardens also save money. For six
months of the year, we buy very few
fruits and vegetables and many crops
can be stored, frozen, or preserved to
be consumed when there's snow on
the ground. I don't think I've
purchased store garlic for about 10
years.
There are health benefits to
gardening, as well.
The need for exercise classes
diminishes when you spend a half
hour in the garden each day, digging,
weeding, or harvesting. Close contact
with healthy soil has been shown to
boost your immunity against disease.
It may also be argued that food
grown in biologically -active soil is
more nutritionally dense than what's
sometimes found on grocery store
shelves.
There are environmental benefits.
Gardens provide diversity to your
backyard and a home for things like
toads. They also reduce our reliance
on imported produce transported for
thousands miles.
Finally, there are spiritual benefits.
A garden is real and when you walk,
barefooted, upon the living soil,
what's important in life comes into
focus. There's just something about
growing things, and the insect and
animal life they attract, that provides
nourishment beyond physical needs.0
The Rural Voice
office will be closed for
staff holidays from
July 29 to August 9.
We apologize for any
inconvenience