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Cook what you grow.

(StatePoint) Cooking from the
garden is not like cooking from
the store. There's nothing more
tasty, nutritious and satisfying
than fresh, homemade
meals made from the fruits,
vegetables and herbs you grew
yourself.
Experts say that even with
modest amounts of time and
space, you can grow an organic
garden plot that feeds your
family all year long.
"The simplest methods of
gardening work best," says Barbara
Damrosch, organic gardening expert
and co-author of the new book,
The Four Season Farm Gardener's
Cookbook, which serves as both
a garden guide and a healthful
cookbook. "There is very little you
can't accomplish in the garden if you
trust the systems that are already in
place."
Damrosch and co-author Eliot
Coleman contend that organic
vegetable gardening is not only
healthful for you and your family, but is
also good for the planet and can make
a serious dent in your food expenses.
They are offering these great tips to
anyone looking to grow and cook their
own food:

• When choosing which plants
to grow, consider how much
space you have. Salad crops,
for example, give you the most
variety in a garden of limited size.
Consider prioritizing crops whose
flavor is most notably lacking in
supermarket varieties, such as
tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers
and melons.
• It helps to get to know different

More gardening tips can be found
at www.fourseasonfarm.com .

plants on a family basis. Family
groupings are very important in
planning how to rotate the crops in
your garden from year to year, and
much of the techniques that work
for one vegetable apply equally
well to its cousins.
• Don't let weeds get ahead of you.
Once they've gained the upper
hand, getting rid of them can seem
almost impossible. The ideal time
to control weeds is when they are
tiny, right after they first appear.
Take the extra time to plant in
straight lines, which can help with
weed control.
• Veteran gardeners tend to
be supportive resources to
newcomers. Let friends with
green thumbs share their
enthusiasm and expertise with
you. Or get involved in an organic
community garden, where there
is no shortage of experienced
gardeners to consult.

Pass up the modern habit of
eating any crop, any time of year by
letting your garden feed you. Fruits
and vegetables that come from
halfway around the world were often
harvested far too early and can have a
disappointing, bland taste.
By planning meals from your
garden, you'll become a more creative,
improvisational cook. ❑

24 OPEN DOOR Magazine • May 2013

Make Your Garden
Environmentally Friendly

(StatePoint) If you want to feel truly good about
what you grow, consider upgrading your garden
to be more planet-friendly.
Grow the vegetables, herbs and flowers that
you would normally purchase for your dinner and
floral arrangements. Local is more sustainable
because it reduces the carbon footprint associated
with transport. And you can't get more local than
your own backyard!
Keep in mind that pollination is crucial for
agricultural production and the health of the
ecosystem. Unfortunately, many pollinating
insects are highly susceptible to environmental
changes and have, in recent years, suffered major
population decline.
You can help local pollinators thrive by planting
a variety of native species of varying colors and
shapes and reducing your use of pesticides.
No garden is truly complete without regular
visits from birds. Encourage flying visitors by
installing a feeder and bird bath.
According to a study published in the Wilson
Journal of Ornithology, billions of birds die
annually worldwide from collisions with windows.
So if you're going to send out the mass invite to
these beautiful creatures, don't forget to make it
hazard-free for their arrival.
Without affecting the appearance of your
home, you can make your windows safer for
birds by applying static-cling decals. For example,
WindowAlert creates decals that look like frosted
glass to people, but brilliantly reflect UV light for
birds. To create a
complete visual
barrier, consider
filling in the
gaps between
decals with UV
Liquid dots which
are invisible to
humans, but
visible to birds.
Protecting chickadees and other
birds from window collisions is
This spring,
one way to make your garden
make your garden
more earth-friendly.
the envy of the
neighborhood for
more than just its beauty. With a few easy tweaks,
you can reduce your family's waste and create a
safe haven for birds and pollinators. ❑