Backyard gardens, it might be time to start

Spring is just around the corner and in these tight economic times why not have your own garden. This Pioneer Press article discusses how backyard gardening is currently on the rise, and I presume will continue to grow as well.

A couple of weeks ago, local gardening editor Mary Lahr Schier thought she'd start sprouting vegetable seeds indoors to get a jump-start on the Minnesota growing season. But when she went to Menards to buy the grow light she needed, the store was sold out. An employee told her more folks seem to be starting vegetables from seeds.

A National Gardening Association survey, conducted in January, backs up that prediction: 43 million U.S. households plan to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs and berries this year, a 19 percent increase from 2008. Perhaps even more telling, 21 percent of those households are planning to start — not continue — a food garden in 2009.

If you own a house or rent your apartment, it might be a good time to start researching and looking how you can grow your own food locally. If you are really interested, most cities have community gardens were you can grab some soil for low costs. I know what my Spring project will be.