The Myths For many, vegetable gardening conjures images of long, straight rows of potatoes, beans, and cabbages scorching under the July sun. Countless hours are spent labouring in the fields weeding, tilling, staking, plowing, planting, and toiling. When everything matures at once, countless more hours are spent picking, preserving, plowing, planting, and toiling. It sounds exhausting! I think it’s human nature to think that, because we get something out of growing edibles, it has to be a chore. It doesn’t have to be. Gardening is as fun or as onerous as we make it, we just need a bit of confidence so we can step out our door and start being creative. You don’t need a field, a plow, or oxen to grow your own food. All you need is a pot, a few seeds, a pinch of sunlight and a dash of enthusiasm.
The Facts Home-grown veggies have far more vitamins and nutrients than imported veggies, which often have to be harvested before they’re ripe in order to be shipped. It’s also the best way to ensure that easily contaminated foods, like sprouts, are safe to eat. Growing your own food is also cheaper over the course of the summer than buying, especially if you learn some of the many ways you can preserve your harvest. Lastly, it’s a great way to get your kids involved in the garden. Children are fascinated with life and they will be amazed at how that tomato develops and ripens from a small flower.
The Trend Innovation is about walking towards the future instead of standing in the past. Innovative gardeners across Canada are looking past how edibles have traditionally been grown and embracing the creative ways that they can be grown. They are changing the rules by bringing their vegetables from the country to the city, from rolling fields to cozy patios, and from labour intensive to inspiring. Megan Bertagnolli and her husband Dave are newly married and, like many young people, they have the busy schedules of budding careers. However, even with very little time and a modest west facing deck, they are at the quiet spearhead of the edible container gardening movement. I chatted with Megan about why she takes the time to grow edibles. She replied that she grows for numerous reasons. “I like having them (fresh herbs) close to hand for when we need them. They also taste much better than a grocery store, and I can grow things in my garden that I can’t find in the grocery store.” One patio at a time, people like Megan are changing the face of gardening in Canada. Not feeling bound by tradition, she’s reinventing as she goes. She blends ornamentals, like ‘Million Bells’, in hanging baskets with strawberry plants and plants dahlias and violas next to her herbs and tomatoes. When I asked her what she would tell people who were just starting to plant edibles in containers, Megan’s advice was refreshingly down to earth. “I would tell them to talk to someone in a greenhouse so you know what kind of exposure you need. It’s fun to experiment, but pick things that are fool-proof to start out. Pick plants that you want to eat and that you enjoy. If you put too much pressure on yourself you won’t keep it up, so make sure to have fun.”
Rob Sproule and his family own and operate Salisbury Greenhouses in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Rob is a published author of several gardening books including: "Gardening with Colour; Creative Design Ideas for Canadian Gardens". HOME & GARDEN MAGAZINE
SPRING 2012
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