How does your garden grow?

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OFFICIALLY AUTUMN 2024 UPDATE!

It's September in the Inland NW and the garden is still bursting with Tomatoes, Eggplant, Cantaloupes, Watermelons, Butternut Squash, Zucchini's and Cucumbers with the warm Autumn temperatures we've been gifted by Mother Nature. 


Tomatoes continue to ripen and long-term storage is a daily routine. I freeze most of my tomatoes at this point in the season. This makes quick work for sauces over the coming months. 


Peppers, eggplant, zucchini and butternut squash, melons, basil, carrots, cucumbers, and leeks are abundant and on the daily fresh sheet. 


Each year brings new challenges; but each year continues to bring fresh, beautiful and nutritious food to our table for which we are grateful. Hard work, diligence and the ability to adapt, provide us with a harvest from late April to October. 

THE BENEFITS OF HOMEGROWN!

As for homegrown vs store-bought, there is no comparison. Our homegrown vegetables are more flavorful, free of chemicals and pesticides, have much lower risks of contamination, and we eat foods that are in season (getting creative with recipes and storage). When the vegetables are prepared just hours after they have been pulled out of the ground, the nutrient values are at their peak and they TASTE SO GOOD! We eat a lot of vegetables and rarely do we need have an over abundance that we can't utilize. But then, we have great neighbors that are happy to oblige. Freezing and canning can also extend the life of your bounty well in to the Winter months. 


Outdoor gardening can provide many health benefits:

  • Spending time in the outdoors can reduce stress, improve mood
  • Increase strength and range of motion
  • Sunshine and Vitamin D
  • Food security--direct access to healthy harvests that you can prepare for your family. 
  • Reduces food waste--whether I make homemade soup stock or drop scraps into the compost bin--nothing goes to waste. 
  • A sense of accomplishment with growing your own food!


If you don't have the time or space to grow your own garden, seek out local growers that use sustainable gardening practices, visit and participate in community gardens, or head to the weekly public markets during the growing season.