With winter nearly over and spring a couple od weeks away we can start moving forward with are planning and practices. In the olden days we used plant our peas in the ground when the weather was warming and the soil was workable. That was always around St Patrick's Day.  Now with the weather changing and seasons difficult to predict I start them inside and harden them off for a week before planting outside. In late March we can still do things in to prepare for spring. Check you gardens pH if nothing else. Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium would be nice but... it is up to you. The proper pH will allow your plants to take up the nutrients it needs easier and more efficiently. Check your tools. Fix any broken handles, sand any rough surfaces and make sure they are strong. Start your seeds for spring planting. You can start your lettuce spinach and cole crops indoors now. Prune the dead branches of your berry plants to allow air flow to your bushes. But remember that you shouldn't clean your garden too early. Allow the ground nesting pollinators more time to hibernate. A good rule of thumb is not to touch the garden until there are dandelions or other food sources available. Without pollinators we won't have any vegetables, fruit or seeds. When you clean the garde5n. don't dig out the roots from the previous year. They are adding organic matter, leaving trails for water and air to flow into the soil. Plan ahead. Plan where you want to plant by size, height and harvest. The last thing you need to do is call me. I will help you foodscape landscape and create a beautiful functional space. 

With winter nearly over and spring a couple od weeks away we can start moving forward with are planning and practices. In the olden days we used plant our peas in the ground when the weather was warming and the soil was workable. That was always around St Patrick's Day.  Now with the weather changing and seasons difficult to predict I start them inside and harden them off for a week before planting outside. In late March we can still do things in to prepare for spring. Check you gardens pH if nothing else. Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium would be nice but... it is up to you. The proper pH will allow your plants to take up the nutrients it needs easier and more efficiently. Check your tools. Fix any broken handles, sand any rough surfaces and make sure they are strong. Start your seeds for spring planting. You can start your lettuce spinach and cole crops indoors now. Prune the dead branches of your berry plants to allow air flow to your bushes. But remember that you shouldn't clean your garden too early. Allow the ground nesting pollinators more time to hibernate. A good rule of thumb is not to touch the garden until there are dandelions or other food sources available. Without pollinators we won't have any vegetables, fruit or seeds. When you clean the garde5n. don't dig out the roots from the previous year. They are adding organic matter, leaving trails for water and air to flow into the soil. Plan ahead. Plan where you want to plant by size, height and harvest. The last thing you need to do is call me. I will help you foodscape landscape and create a beautiful functional space. 

In the beginning of March I cannot help but think about gardening.  The leaves and stems are still in the garden creating a comfortable environment for the still sleeping pollinators. My seeds have been ordered and arrived. Some of the smaller ones like tobacco have been planted already to get ready for the warmer weather and the soil temperatures to increase. Throughout the winter I have been reading about food recalls on everything from cucumbers to cat food. I saw that there have been firings at the Department of Agriculture, the EPA and many more. The immigrants who harvest out crops are afraid to come to work. This will increase food prices astronomically, the inspectors won't be there to make sure it is disease free, and grants to protect the environment will not be there to help preserve the land. It is a rough time to want to eat healthy foods at a reasonable cost. Did you know in the 1940's 45% of the homes had a vegetable garden? Now that number is 0.2%. I don't remember a time when I didn't have vegetables or fruit growing in the yard. It is peaceful, interesting, healthy, provides exercise, fresh air and also gives healthier and tastier food.  I have an idea that just might work to help in this area. If everyone in a neighborhood started a garden and planted extra to share it would almost be like bringing the farm to your neighborhood. It maybe idealistic but something needs to happen to change the current dynamic of food production. If you have a group of friends or community group that is a start. I know there are community gardens that are well used but this might be easier for the ones not inclined to travel to the garden. There are so many easy ways to grow vegetables without driving yourself crazy with all of the time it takes. You can plant in a few buckets and still produce massive amounts of food. You just need to know how. You can even use foodscaping. This will incorporate food and fruits into your landscaping. Simple and easy methods exist all you have know  is how to start. Think about it! It will bring people together more than a wave as you walk out the door in the morning and a wave when you return at night. It is well worth the effort in the long run. 

Lately I have been thinking, maybe I shouldn’t think too much, but there is a great need to bring our food system back home. If you follow the news or even if you don’t you probably have heard about the Boars Head recalling 7 million pounds of meat sold throughout the country. Weir Farms in Ohio recalled millions of pounds of cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, zucchini, squash and other vegetables that are sold by Walmart, Aldi, Stop N’ Save in 20 states including New York and Connecticut. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a list of 736 food recalls right now. This is ridiculous!

Holy Cow! If you have been following the weather it is really hot! It has been dry here on Long Island but rain and floods in other places.  We really need to make some changes in how we do things. We need to create a local food system and part of that is people planting home gardens and reducing their carbon footprint. During World War 2 they had victory gardens to help in the war effort. We are in dire need of people to fight our current war, climate change. Climate change is a war we must win. It is important for each of us to create more environmentally friendly and sustainable yards with vegetables and native plants to battle the environmental disaster we are going through.  

Here is a brief introduction to why I wrote my book, Gardening My Way! A Beginners Guide to What I Know - And What You Need to Know. Gardening My Way!: A Beginners Guide to What I Know - And What You Need to Know: Zimmerman, Brian: 9798324566845: Amazon.com: Books We need to create a new way of looking at our yards.  It should be used for a better and higher purpose.  The idea that we should have cookie cutter yards with large tracts of grass is outdated and wasteful. Americans use too much water, fertilizer and pesticides to maintain the green throughout the season.  I advocate for using our properties to bring back pollinators and grow our own food. Look at the amount of food recalls lately. Cucumber, lettuce and peppers have all been on the list in multiple states to be recalled.  Read the blog and order the book.