On a recent trip to Lowe’s Hardware Store, I came across a book entitled Your Farm in the City: An Urban Dweller’s Guide to Growing Food and Raising Animals by Lisa Taylor.  An instant lightbulb went on that screamed PROJECT!

You see, when I was younger, I remember eating fresh cherry tomatoes, eggplant, strawberries and squash right from my Dad’s garden.  I never lived on a farm but my Dad knew how to plant and harvest crops in our own backyard in Torrance.  He had a beautiful garden that he was very proud of and would tend to it every weekend.  There was a variety of vegetables and fruit and it would be my job to pick the ripe ones and take them to Mom for cooking and/or storing for future use.  One year, we had so many tomatoes that even after giving away Ziploc bags full, we still had tons in the freezer.  I’m pretty sure we didn’t have to buy tomatoes for a few months.

As Dad got older and his health declined, I saw less and less of his bountiful garden.  Today, where vines of bitter melon once climbed, there sits an empty chain link fence.  Instead of strawberry plants and emerald green squash, there lies dried up weeds.  It’s a sad state.  However, I know the potential of that land and I’m determined to bring it back to life.  If not to produce fresh fruit and veggies (or at least beautify my parents’ backyard), then to give my Dad his garden back.

Here’s where that book comes in handy.  While I have a general idea of what may work in the garden based upon past vegetation, that land has not been cultivated in years so i’ll be starting from scratch.  In Lisa Taylor’s book, she provides detailed information on soil types, plants, various growing methods, insects that are beneficial to a garden, keeping your garden pesticide free, backyard composting, and even raising chickens, bees and livestock.  How awesome would that be to go to your backyard in the morning and pick up your own eggs???

Now, I know some of you are thinking, “I live in a dorm sized apartment and I don’t even have an assigned parking spot!  How am I supposed to grow my own veggies?”  Folks, even THAT is addressed in this book!  That’s the beauty of it!  We live in the city, we live at the beach, we live in apartment complexes.  This book is written with you urbanites in mind.  Even if you started with a potted herb garden, that would still save you some cash when a recipe calls for fresh thyme, rosemary or basil.  Better yet, you would know exactly where your herbs came from!

I’ll continue to update you on the progress of Dad’s garden. In the meantime, check out the book.  Let me know what you think.  If it inspires you to develop your own “Farm in the City”, keep us posted on how your garden grows.

Here’s a video of the author, Lisa Taylor, talking about her new book.

06.19.2011 Rest Day