The rains are pouring down outside and yet I sit and dream about playing in the soil. Knowing that spring is just around the corner, I am giddy with excitement. I can’t wait to smell the earth freshly tilled as we mix in the compost in the garden, or to feel the crumbly soil against my fingertips as I plant seedling in the ground in anticipation of tasty summer treats.

     Did I always feel this way? Hum…moment of honesty. I can remember shelling butter beans all summer. It was one way out of having to pick the long rows in my daddy’s garden. But he would bring them in five-gallon buckets at a time. Boy could he pick that garden! You’d almost get the butter beans shelled and then he’d come in with peas. Your fingers would just ache. Then he’d come in with green beans to snap, and tomatoes to peel and can. It was a family affair, my mom, grandma, sister, and I would shell, shell, and shell.

     I’m never gardening when I grow up…I’ll just go to the supermarket…but years later here I am dreaming of picking and shelling those things with eager anticipation, even though I’ll admit my fingers still get a little sore from shelling! You’ll find me sitting on the front porch swing shelling away the afternoon.

     The first year we were back on our little farm I told my husband, "Let’s just plant a few things." "It’s too much work for a big garden." Then each year, I say, "Let’s plant a few more of these." Or "We didn’t can enough tomatoes last year." I can just hear my daddy laughing. He had succeeded in making gardener out of me all those years ago! Of course he had a little help, my mom, my grandma, and my grandpas all had a lot to do with it too! Gardening was a family affair at our home. Maybe it was just my Granddaddy’s spirit since this is the old home place, saying, "Go plant the garden!" I had watched him tend his tomatoes many a day, growing one you could make a "one slice" tomato sandwich out of for a quick summer snack!

     There’s nothing quite like red rosy tomatoes, yellow squash, onions, and green zucchini stir-fried in a hot skillet after a long day’s work. You can pick all the ingredients up at your local supermarket…but the taste is still not the same as the luscious bounty from your own home garden or that of a local neighbor willing to share.

     One of my favorite home garden treats is fresh broccoli. The difference in the taste is immeasurable! They are the cooler weather plants that need to be in the soil now to get a harvest before our hot summer Georgia weather sets in. I grabbed a flat in the garden department yesterday to plant as soon as the rain lets up. I had started some seeds on my own, but they were taking too long, and I was afraid we wouldn’t get to taste the flavor of this delicious vegetable if I waited too much longer. Most of the other plants have to wait until after the last frost.

      The flavor of the fresh vegetables is so much stronger. The time it takes from getting from field to supermarket, along with over used soil in huge corporate farming takes the taste from the massed produced produce. Produce is often picked a little early to help it in the transport process, thus reducing the flavor and nutritional value of the food.

     So are you dreaming of tilling in the soil this spring too. You can start with a small garden bed and then add to it as you become hooked with the delicious flavor of your home grown food. There are many ideas out there for the small food gardener. You can make raised beds, or take a small corner of your yard for some square foot gardening. There are many "Self Help" gardening books on the market to help you get started, as well as numerous gardening sites on the internet for reference.

     Another good way to break into the food gardening hobby is to partner with another more experienced gardener. Their tried and true expertise in your growing zone, soil type, and favorite plants can nurture you along the way as you get started. The fancier, hip term, for this today is "garden coaches". Some people charge a fee, others just love to share the joy of gardening with another. Some people like to share a garden, just to have a partner help with the "CHORES" of gardening…weeding, picking, and processing the food for the table. It’s a lot easier when you have some one to talk to as you work, along with plenty of vegetables to share. Although, some people just enjoy peace and solitude in the garden.

     Your local county extension office can also be a valuable resource to you as a gardener. Gardening classes, canning classes, and soil tests to see what your soil needs to assure growing great vegetables are just some of the resources they can provide.

     So are you ready to jump into growing your own vegetables? Look at your space, pick a sunny location with a water source nearby. Make your plan…either by building your own raised bed or by getting a neighbor with a tiller to till up the spot for you. Investigate things like soaker-hoses to help conserve water use, and mulch to help keep the water to the plants as well as to cut down on weeds. Remember, you want to wait until after your area’s predicted last frost to plant. And boy is it hard to wait! You can talk to a gardener friend and find out when they are planting, consult the farmer’s almanac, listen to the weatherman, or just plant on "Good Friday", because it usually runs about the same time.

      If you’ve never had your own garden before, start small with a few plants from the local garden department. Make sure to have a couple of tomato plants in the mix, a bell pepper plant or two, and maybe some fresh onions. If you feel real adventurous and love okra…then plant a row. It loves the red clay and hot sunshine here in Harris County. A few squash plants are easy to start from seeds too. Start small and add to it a little more the next year not to be over whelmed.

      With high food prices at the supermarket, and poorer nutrition value of the foods it only makes sense to have at least a small family garden to provide some of the produce for your family. You also know that it is safe to eat and free from contaminates. You know whether or not you used chemicals or pesticides on your own produce. And your family can learn valuable lessons in responsibility helping care for the garden.

        Remember start small…you don’t want to be leaving bags of zucchini on your neighbors porches at night because you had so much fun planting the little seeds and seeing them sprout! Of course in these economic times, they might be appreciative!