Reap What We Sow

You might think that I am some creepy tree hugging hippie but, I can assure you, that is just not the case. I am just a regular Joe that has an idea. The concept is simple. To, as the blog is so named, re-propagate the earth with fruits, nuts and vegetables that will thrive in their respective zones. (Do not plant tomatoes in Antarctica) I got the idea from a TV program about Urban Gorilla Landscaping. It sounds funny but the idea was about running around the city planting flowers and such in places where there was dirt but nothing growing. Sounds fun right? I thought so too. Anyway, that is where I got my idea.

See, every year I prep my back yard gardens and plant lots of fun things. It is also helpful to my wallet as my wife is a vegetarian. So far we have picked lots of juicy beautiful grapes, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, onions, carrots, bell peppers, hot peppers. Our apple trees are trying their best to make some fruit. All that and it is just from two small 8' by 8' beds and random spots around the inside of my fence. It is truly amazing what you can get out of a small area.

My dream now is to take that idea a lot further. My neighborhood has a commons area where the HOA pays someone to bushhog the grassy area. Problem is, no one uses it aside from a few children running from house to house to visit their friends. I am going to ask my local HOA for permission to scratch up a small area of the unused commons area and start a community garden. A community garden is a great way to bring everyone together and you get to eat whatever grows! I challenge you to go out to your own HOA and see if there is a place that you too can start a community garden. Maybe even a small grove of fruit trees. At the very least plant some wild flowers and have something pretty to look at!

I recommend only heirloom seeds, that is, pure strains that can self duplicate. Hybrid seeds have what are called terminator genes.That means when you plant seed from a hybrid plant it will only produce one or the other of the parent plants that produced the hybrid.

So, if you feel so inclined, find some seeds and a happy spot and plant our tasty future!

Also, starting a community garden takes money. If you and your neighbors can throw the funds together to get a garden started that is great! However, some people, including myself, do not have enough money to start a proper garden of a community size. Therefore, if you feel like you really want to help start a community garden but you do not have time or maybe you do not live in a place you can plant anything, please feel free to donate and help other gardens get started. It does not matter how much you give as anything is extremely helpful! Thank you for your time and God bless.