Creating Your Own Vegetable Garden

Image: Simon HowdenGardening was made chic again last year when the first family decided to plant the an edible garden at the White House . Something that had been missing since the days of the Roosevelt’s. In addition to educating the country on healthy food, which you can get from your own backyard, the White House garden feeds the Obama's family meals as well as provides for the formal dinners hosted at Pennsylvania Avenue. Everything from cilantro to kale was planted and while keeping the garden healthy and thriving has been a challenge, they are not giving up and more space was set aside for this year's garden.

In NYC it is a luxury to have space to garden. If you do have limited space and a roof spot or balcony, a vertical garden, which can foster tomatoes and cucumbers, might be the way to go. Check out these sites for tips and a quick video on how to start your vertical garden. If you live in a place that affords you to have a garden in your back yard, we count you as lucky! Gardening can be about trial and error so take some time to research what might do best in your area. Pravassa reader Valerie has some great tips to get you started:

• Visit your local nursery - You'll find local gardeners who know what grows in your area and can give you many great tips. Also, they tend to sell plant types that are grown locally.
• Know your planting zone -  Get online to find the best planting dates and weather conditions.
• Look into organic pest management - Nature is full of solutions! Ladybugs eat aphids and marigolds help keep pests away. There is a lot you can do without ever touching a chemical pesticide.
• Compost  -  Learn to mulch your leaves and grass and kitchen veggie scraps. This is environmentally friend and best of all, costs nothing! 
• Use the garden all year round - If you plan the planting properly, you'll be able to pick your spring veggies in time to plan the summer ones! Also, you can freeze excess items like tomatoes and use them for soups or sauces in the winter.

So pick a small place to experiment and have fun! Depending on your climate, you might be able to grow anything from onions to jalapeños! Don't be shy, send us photos from your garden and we'll share them with our readers. -L.S.