March is a time for planning summer family activities. We plan for summer camps and vacations to help make the most of the long school break. This is also a wonderful time of the year to plan a garden. You do not need a big plot, or a fancy raised bed garden to have a successful planting season. One year, I lived in an apartment in Grand Junction and had 19 container gardens that housed tomatoes, lettuce, flowers, peas and a lot more.
3 Steps to planning
Sources – This can be an overwhelming task when planning your first garden, because there are so many sources and quality of seeds in the marketplace. I suggest finding seeds that are not treated with neonicotinoids, which have been shown to cause colony collapse disorder in domesticated honeybees. Great sources for seeds that are clean of this pesticide are www.seedsavers.org, https://www.rareseeds.com/ and https://www.botanicalinterests.com/ (a local CO seed company). Another great source is local farmers markets. Personally, I don’t have time or space to germinate tomatoes, so I buy young plants after Mother's Day at the Longmont Farmers Market.
Get your kids involved - if you are one of the millions of parents struggling with a picky eater, one solution could be to plant a garden. Studies have shown that when kids help plan, prepare, plant and care for food, they eat what they grow. They feel invested in the process and excited for the outcome. Going through seed catalogs help create an eagerness for the summer season. Walking through the seed section of your local nursery, like the Flower bin, is helpful for planning. The Longmont and Boulder Farmers Market is always bustling with summer excitement in springtime, they open Saturday, April 7. http://eartheasy.com/grow_gardening_children.htm
Planting a garden with kids teaches them math, science, patience, responsibility and overall wellness. If your school doesn’t have a garden, work with your parent organization (or contact me) to help start one!
Where to plant – This can be an easy or difficult decision. Do you have an existing plot or bed you used in years past? Or, is your space tiny and containers are the best way to go? All these questions should be answered before you choose seeds or plants. Make sure your garden is in a sunny location in your yard, and watering will be easy (if you must struggle with a hose, chances are watering will become a drag, very quickly).
Companion planting is very important. If you have ever planted cucumbers next to melon, you know your melon will taste like cucumber.
Here is a great guide: https://rochesterurbanagriculture.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/companion-planting-from-growing-organic-eating-organic-fb-page2.jpg
Great Spring Recipes:
Jodie Lindsay Popma is a mother of 2 boys and lives in Longmont. She is a Holistic Nutritionist, Nutritional Educator and School Food Advocate. To learn more about Jodie visit www.smartfoodmadesimple.com. To find out more about local school food advocacy please join St Vrain Healthy Kids on Facebook.
