Now That Planting Time is Upon Us ....

Here it is Earth Day, when we remember what a fragile, yet bountiful planet we live on. It is also planting time, when we gardeners over sow, over plant, and over commit ourselves to future weed control. Ah, Spring !

For the purposes of this blog entry - please think down the road for a month or two, or all summer through to the first frost. What are you going to do with all the extra vegetables you get from your garden this year? We all have our usual outlets for what we aren't going to eat, can or freeze for ourselves. We give the extras to neighbors and coworkers, until they begin to turn away from us when they see us approach with yet another bag of tomatoes and zucchini. So, what after that?

How about you bring the extra extra abundance from your garden to your local senior center or food pantry or soup kitchen? Many people don't garden for any variety of reasons and they truly appreciate the taste of fresh picked, vine ripened, vegetables and spices. Call ahead to be sure if they accept fresh food and when you should bring it over.

And, if you tend to only reap exactly what you planned on, how about planting just one more. Plant just one more plant, or just one more row - if you garden in the yard. Plant just one more square foot - if you garden in a tight space. Plant just one more pot - if you garden on your patio or balcony. Then, give the produce from that 'just one more' to the senior center or food pantry or soup kitchen?

As we have fun with our gardening and we get our personal satisfaction from every pod and leaf and ear we pull from our gardens, we can also spread our extras just a bit further with very little extra effort. A little here, a little there, and pretty soon you are talking about a great resource our collective back yards, patios and balconies really are.

Enjoy Earth Day. Enjoy the Springtime. Enjoy your garden.