Editor's Note: This is part 2 of our weekly gardening series, in which Ian will share tips and his experiences throughout the growing season. 
During World War I, Victory Gardens were built in private front and back yards and in public parks in response to a strained food supply as a result of the war effort. The gardens were considered to be a patriotic and civil commitment to society, and extensive public awareness brought gardening into the daily lives of millions of Americans. Eleanor Roosevelt championed Victory Gardens during World War II - the Department of Agriculture estimates that 20 million Victory Gardens existed at the time - and recently Michelle Obama planted a Kitchen Garden at the White House to raise awareness for healthy food. The garden changes quickly and spring is an especially exciting time as the vision in my head materializes. Last Saturday’s first harvest turned into a thorough reorganization of plants to make room for warmer-weather crops. In the morning, I drove to the garden store intending only to buy basil and mint but I came back with two cherry tomatoes and two mountain tomatoes, dill, purple sage, thyme, lavender and cilantro. My change in plans resulted in a partial early harvest: I thinned several of the lettuce and arugula rows (they were seeded on 3/17/2012) to make space in between for inter-planting with my new herbs. I’ll be able to cut the remaining lettuce until the weather turns hot. In a recession and a time of war, it is important to draw on the examples from earlier generations about control of our own food supply. Additionally, it reduces reliance on corporate food operations and the fossil fuels required to transport food to the table. Whether you take part in a local community garden or are a backyard gardener like myself, it is rewarding for me to fill an entire paper shopping bag with radishes and lettuce. I brought a homegrown salad into the office on Tuesday and people didn’t believe that I’d grown produce in my free time outside of work, not to mention in the city! It only took a few generations to lose Victory Gardening but modern examples show us that self-sustained food production takes minimal time and effort for extraordinary results. Have a gardening tip? Leave a comment below - I'd love to hear it!
During World War I, Victory Gardens were built in private front and back yards and in public parks in response to a strained food supply as a result of the war effort. The gardens were considered to be a patriotic and civil commitment to society, and extensive public awareness brought gardening into the daily lives of millions of Americans. Eleanor Roosevelt championed Victory Gardens during World War II - the Department of Agriculture estimates that 20 million Victory Gardens existed at the time - and recently Michelle Obama planted a Kitchen Garden at the White House to raise awareness for healthy food. The garden changes quickly and spring is an especially exciting time as the vision in my head materializes. Last Saturday’s first harvest turned into a thorough reorganization of plants to make room for warmer-weather crops. In the morning, I drove to the garden store intending only to buy basil and mint but I came back with two cherry tomatoes and two mountain tomatoes, dill, purple sage, thyme, lavender and cilantro. My change in plans resulted in a partial early harvest: I thinned several of the lettuce and arugula rows (they were seeded on 3/17/2012) to make space in between for inter-planting with my new herbs. I’ll be able to cut the remaining lettuce until the weather turns hot. In a recession and a time of war, it is important to draw on the examples from earlier generations about control of our own food supply. Additionally, it reduces reliance on corporate food operations and the fossil fuels required to transport food to the table. Whether you take part in a local community garden or are a backyard gardener like myself, it is rewarding for me to fill an entire paper shopping bag with radishes and lettuce. I brought a homegrown salad into the office on Tuesday and people didn’t believe that I’d grown produce in my free time outside of work, not to mention in the city! It only took a few generations to lose Victory Gardening but modern examples show us that self-sustained food production takes minimal time and effort for extraordinary results. Have a gardening tip? Leave a comment below - I'd love to hear it!
