Last year, I decided to give up on vegetable gardening and just plant flowers for a season. Instead, I ordered from a local farm's CSA, or community supported agriculture, that delivered produce once a week.
It was fun, and it was different, but it was also expensive.
At the time, I had a steady flow of money coming to my Paypal account from some freelance work, and I was buying produce from that. But this source has dried up recently. No workie, no money.
There's another reason why I chose not to continue with the CSA. I felt that I was paying top dollar for non-organic produce. And if I have the choice, I choose organic these days.
I decided to go back to growing at home this season. I missed the ability to walk out into the garden, pluck some tomatoes and cucumbers and lettuce, and make a fresh salad.
I've planted the usual suspects. Tomatoes (Roma, Sweet 100 cherry, Sun Gold, Better Bonnie, and Brandywine), one zucchini, two varieties of cucumber, sugar snap peas, lots of peppers.
Last year, I planted these two hollyhocks, and this year they've gotten so big! I should get some blooms this summer! I'm hoping they don't block too much sunlight. I like to mix flowers in with my veggies.
I've also added in plenty of herbs. Thai basil, sweet basil, parsley, cilantro, rosemary.
I'm sure I don't have to point out how expensive grocery shopping has gotten in recent years. Prices keep going up, and I find myself visiting multiple stores over the week just to get the best deals. I used to be a once-a-month Aldi shopper, but now I've bumped that up to twice a month. When I find a deal, I buy it and throw it in the freezer for future use.
I will still support local farms, but I plan on doing that at the Saturday morning Farmer's Markets instead.
I probably spent around $50 on plants, seeds, and organic soil. I re-use all my pots and stakes, so that costs nothing. If all goes well, I will have a full summer of pickled peppers, cuke salads, peas with pasta, and ratatouille to add to our weekly menu.
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