Yes, I have considered growing food as I haven't planted a vegie or food garden since the early 80's. However, my passion is ornamentals and my thoughts are to continue to do what I do enjoy in spite of the current events. As a single gal I find there's enough fresh garden goods available, yet, there is the lingering feeling that times are rapidly changing and I may or should change my mind set for food production. Nonetheless, I want to maintain the desire that life is good and all is well. One day at a time here, while the clock ticks and we should be thinking of sustaining our sustenance. Times are a changing and it doesn't look all that promising.

The lumber for my raised beds will be delivered on monday. There will only be 2 4x10' beds but they should provide the two of us with enough fresh veggies through the growing season to considerably cut down the cost of our grocery bill. Unfortunately, getting them set up is going to cost way more than the offset in food costs because I don't have almost 3 yards of compost.

Here's hoping that the quality makes up for it, and next year my costs will be almost nothing.

Yes: My understanding is that you can't beat the prices of factory farms with home grown. Organic does cost more to buy, but by the time you figure all your own costs I wonder if you are really coming out ahead. Maybe it is different now with the higher oil prices.

Probably still the main advantages of store-bought are comparatively abundant and regular supply and with home-grown control over pesticides used and varieties planted.

As long as the seed houses being taken over by syndicates continue to offer seed of alternative cultivars.

I'm putting my perennial bed to fallow this year, covered with 18 inches of leaves. I've chosen to spend 4 hours a week at a local CSA (community supported agriculture) earning a family share of organic produce.

I'm gradually replacing the sunniest parts of my gardens with varmit-resistant vegetables like horse radish, marionberry, asparagus, rhubarb, garlic and other things in the onion family. Swiss Chard. Will try squash of various types too.

Follow your heart on it this. You may inspire someone else to plant a victory garden. When times get better you can always go back to ornamentals.

Best Regards,

Jim

I wouldn't feel guilty about gardening. It's still politically correct to buy a Big Mac. I can do what I want in my own backyard. Drive down the road for tasty fast food. OMG if I want to plant a seed and grow it does it have to come from some hip organic seed catalogues.

Working hard at an ornamental garden now may be rewarding down the road... when times get better I'll be able to enjoy it.

I'm probably not the only one who has some recyclable materials I can work with to create a nice vegetable garden inexpensively, (raised beds etc) and almost-free water, still leaving enough space for ornamentals. My question is if I plant a happy meal toy will it grow into a Big Mac tree?

How is it politically correct to buy a Big Mac?

Wouldn't a Happy Meal toy produce another Happy Meal?

And how is it that one of these came into your possession?

Drought. Serious drought = less store available produce. California just announced they are turning OFF water to farms. Oregon's rainfall is below average for years. The world's economies are globally failing. There is solid evidence that our wonderful life of abundance is about to end.

We bought our house as a 24/7 sanctuary for 1:1 elder care, usually rehab or hospice. So the beauty is tied into making the grounds paradise to enthrall our patient. Most of our pts can no longer track well enough to read or watch TV so we have 28 bird stations around the house, lots of birds to see out every window. Not quite done with everything so no pt yet. Had my own 24/7 caregiving biz since July 1973.

Since the land was originally a swamp and has (used to have) in the winter (when it used to rain normally) a very high water table, standing lake, we planted 300 water-loving-slurping trees. When grown, the world's largest trees. This winter's ice snow and cold took out about 35 trees.

I've been a member of a forum for over 10 years that has discussed survival in depth. I know how important it is to have a good supply of viable seeds and years of experience growing one's own food, but did not get property until 2005 and have concentrated on beauty for our business. I guess I was hoping against reality that it would be years before everything collapsed and I'd have to switch gears to survival mode.

99% of me yearns to just plant fresh ornamentals in the bare spots and keep plugging away to manifest my aesthetic ideal of lagoon utopia. But my 1% brain is screaming at me to look at the facts and get busy in a more practical way.

It just sucks watching the world unravel. I appreciate all your comments. Wondering what percentage of the population is starting to feel a sense of urgency.

You can also plant edible fruit- and nut-producing trees and shrubs that look good enough to double as ornamentals.

At least for me, this is much like the ages old time/money mental gymnastics 'thang'. I guess everybody picks their priorities differently but a little bit of roughage in my belly and the inconsequential big picture savings associated with it could never trump the peace and joy I get from my yard/garden of water features and ornamentals. I've spent some serious time and money over the last 6 years of construction but that pales rather significantly to the time and money I would have otherwise spent chasing that same kind of satisfaction in the "outside world".

But hey, that's just me ......;-)

Food for the Soul.

It's gonna take a while for any new ornamentals to mature and take up space. It's kind of fun to plant and watch plants grow. Veggies are beautiful and look great tucked in bare spots.

I like them best tucked into my mouth. In time that may become a bare spot.

As I've been buying seeds, etc., at the nurseries, the employees tell me that their vegetable garden business has been going gangbusters. Raintree (Morton-based mail order nursery for fruits and berries) told me the same.

Yes, I'm planting my first vegetable garden this year. (Before, I only did herbs and the occasional sad tomato plant that got no TLC.) Right now, I've built 4 4X8 beds, a 4X4 for strawberries, and two areas for blueberries and raspberries are in process.

laurell, if you know somebody with a pickup truck, you can get your fill in bulk for WAYYY cheaper than by the bag. I just brought home two yards of Cedar Grove Vegetable Garden mix for @$23/yard.

My answer doesn't count, because most of my garden is already devoted to herbs and vegetables. :) I guess I've been in a survivalist mentality for years!

I've had an 8x8 vege plot for several years now because I love tomatoes, snow peas, and I always try to grow Chinese long beans. I'd probably experiment more if I had more area, as the rest of my 1/4 acre is already full of ornamentals... You just can't beat the taste of fresh grown produce.

Squirrel Stew!!!

I'm turning my woodland creek ravine from a blackberry- the non native- infested jungle to a gentle garden walk. While Googling ''woodland garden'', I have been intrigued by the difference tween British and nonbritish takes on the subject.

The British sites often look at a woodland garden as a food source than an ornamental site. They list many plants- trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, vines that are edible. This got me thinking about other kinds of woodland food especially the protein ones. Those nasty invasive Eastern Grey squirrels would be an excellent protein source. Many of us have deep freezes. How many skinned squirrels could fit in there? No need to go out and buy meat. Give them their own feeders, fatten'em up and trap'em, kill'em, skin'em. Squirrel stew, shish kebabs for the BBQ , lots of options!

I'm gonna Google rabbit recipes now and adapt them.

It's easier and tastier to get protein at Safeway's meat counter. If I gotta skin meat I'd rather go tofu. I work hard for a living and I want the truth. I'll never get the truth but I get honest food from Walmart. Their produce after a couple of years I've tried from them has is so appalling I think it all boils now to trailor trash. What good has Walmart done?

They've made lots of money.

I'm remembering that my brother used to hunt squirrels (among other things) when we were kids back east. The only rule my parents had was that he had to eat what he shot. He learned to use the electric frying pan and I recall squirrel being very tasted fried up by my little brother. I always liked it better than rabbit. Happy hunting...also squirrels unlike rabbits had no dangerous diseases...at least not in that time and place. jwww

I'm not giving up any of my ornamental garden space to veggies or fruits. DH has had a plot along the driveway that is pretty much our only full sun where he grows some tomatoes and peppers.

With a couple of permanent farm stand stores nearby and so many farmer's markets produce does not make up a big portion of our food budget.

Just read an article on squirrel being promoted in Britain as "gourmet" meat. They are trying to get rid of their imported invasive Eastern grey squirrels too.

I'll donate my squirrels to anyone who wants to come and get them! Bon Appetite! lol

I am growing many types of fruiting bushes, vines and trees along with herbs and edible flowers, and also a vegi garden. Growing edibles doesn't mean you have to give up beauty! and yes I still grow non edibles just because I like the way they look, no reason not to mix it up a bit!

There are at least a few books and quite a few articles on using edible plants as/with ornamentals, I was just looking at one in a recent gardening magazine the other day.

I don't care what the economy is doing, home grown food tastes wonderful. There's nothing like sitting on your patio and finding a bright red cherry tomato just ready to pop into your mouth! Or enjoying the scarlet runner bean flowers then feeding the beans to your family. We have a dedicated veggie garden that is safe from deer. In the veggie garden we have flowers and a sitting area. I love raw peas, radish, parsley and it's wonderful to enjoy them, "just picked". I would like to integrate the gardens more so that there is food and ornamentals all over, but we have hungry deer that compete with me for them. I am still eating fresh carrots, parsnips and beets from my garden. They have kept well in the garden all winter, despite the cold weather. I dug the last of the carrots yesterday.

We have the majority of the garden given over to my heirloom rose collection and perennials, but there are herbs, fruit trees, and veggies scattered all over. There's a dedicated veggie garden, too, where we've always grown our tomatoes, asparagus, squash, lettuces, potatoes and berries. This year, though, we're expanding our selections. I'm adding brussels sprouts, more dark, leafy greens, different legumes, two new berries, a quince and a second fig tree. Our favorite sign of spring is the new crop of sorrel that makes up a delicious soup and still has enough sour leaves left for the neighborhood kids to munch on.

With the economy suffering, seeds being sterilized and so many foods being chemically altered, we've been thinking about adding some chickens to provide fresh eggs that will supplement the organic beef and pork we buy in quantity.

(Wow, I'm reading these words and stunned by how quickly we've shifted into providing our own organic and natural food. This sounds almost like a farm and it's just a shy quarter-acre in the 'burbs.)

If I can't eat it, I don't grow it. Or at least don't care much about it. I'm working to grow as much as I can for my family and friends this year. Oh, and of course preserve as much as possible.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

We grow pretty well all our own produce and freeze what can be frozen over the winter months. Probably don't save much but it sure tastes better and we know there are no chemicals/sprays etc. to contaminate anything.

I think part of getting through tough times has to include some feeding-of-the-soul through beauty, just for the sake of beauty. Goodness knows we have to focus so much on practicality; sometimes it's okay just to enjoy the beauty of a perfect rose, lovingly cultivated (and I make rose petal jelly from it).

I agree with dottyinduncan about runner beans; they are beautiful to look at and delicious picked right off the vine!

Thanks cherylco for the tip on Cedar Grove, that is just what I have been searching for. We just bought a 1/4 acre in Whatcom and every nook i can get sun in is going vegetable garden etc.

Below is a link to an article on topic that I thought would contribute to this conversation.

Remember this is the mainstream whitewash version of food supply woes.

Here is a link that might be useful: MSM on Food situation

If you want easy protien raise a few chickens. Pastured chickens eat about 40% of their food off the ground and give you 3-4.5 dressed roasters after just 6 weeks. And they will leave a bonanza of wonderful manure for your garden. One of the best combos I've seen is rows of bramble fruits (Maionberry, Raspberry, etc.) sown in between with white clover, and grazed by a chicken tractor that fits in between. The chickens eat all the bugs and fallen fruit while fertilizing the berries. The berries, clover and bugs suppliment the chickens. Thus the two systems help each other to bigger yields.

Not ''deer'' Dotty, but walking venison waiting for their turn in the freezer. If they are starving looking, some hay and a mineral block will help them through the hard times. Wait till fall though and hunting season. But as a landowner, you can legally take care of any pests that come on to your property.

Tempting as it may seem, I'm keeping my shotgun for the coyotes- one pooped on the veranda the other night. After 2 yrs without a big dog, our household consensus is it's time for a new hound. It will be a rescue dog for us, maybe 2.

... Don

Can one shoot a deer legally now and kill it because it's eating your garden?

Giardinierven,
Just because you own property dose not mean you can shoot DEER! out of season and without TAGS!!! better check the law before you start shooting anything on your property because you could end up in jail and / or face a huge fine. I don't want to sound rude or anything but you really could get into a lot of trouble this way.

We aren't allowed to shoot in the Municipality. Canadian, eh. Tonight there were 4 beauties in our pasture. Sigh. I love venison. I have to admit to using a pellet gun to try to kill squirrels. No success yet. And I am not planning to eat them. We used to have chickens and they were marvellous for cleaning up all the bugs. Then the mink and raccoons killed the chickens. Dogs killed our sheep. I'm quite discouraged about animals on our little farm. I'm hoping that we can deer fence with strong enough, high enough fence that will keep the dogs out and perhaps we can get a few rent-a-sheep to keep things tidy. Isn't gardening great though? It is quite an inexpensive hobby that it very healthy and has wonderful benefits. Beauty and good taste.

Llamas will keep your grass neatly mowed and will put up quite a fight for dogs. They may even keep deer away. And they provide wool and fertilizer.

$.02

I believe I've read that burros/donkeys act the same way.

It is so sad and maddening that people let their dogs run. They never believe their dog would attack livestock. Wildlife often gets blamed for the kills too.

I do not know how to cook many veggies. I do cook and eat many more than my mother fed me growing up but I still look at many items at the farmer's market and have no idea what to do with them.

There's nothing like fresh grown veggies with a selection of varieties that make the taste buds sing. My kids love veggies and have for years. I guess it's just getting the best and the freshest. I am glad that the economy is helping more people to think about growing more veggies.

I teach a little gardening class. It is driven by what the participants want to learn more about. This year they can't get enough about edible gardening so we are spending a lot of time on it.