New England Gardener

It happens every April. I get the urge to scrape off the last layer of ice, rake away the rotting leaves and search for signs of life in the garden. And this year, thanks in large part to the withering economy, I’ll have plenty of company. Didn’t I see First Lady Michelle Obama digging up the White House lawn a couple of weeks ago? Home vegetable gardening is back in a big way. Unfortunately, many would-be gardeners are intimidated by the prospect, imagining they lack the mythical Green Thumb that would turn them into Martha Stewart.

Trust me, there’s no magic to gardening and I’m going to prove it.

“Just Add Water” is a garden that’s so easy to grow, all you have to add is water. (OK, Full Disclosure: You’re going to have to do some weeding too.)

I asked Johnny’s Selected Seeds (www.johnnyseeds.com) up in Winslow, Maine to create a 10′ by 10′ garden using seeds and a few seedlings that are low maintenance and likely to succeed. It’s a typical New England salad garden, filled with lettuces, carrots, tomatoes, cukes and a few other dinner time favorites.

My hope is that many of you will put on some gloves, grab a shovel and grow the “Just Add Water” garden along with me this summer. We can share successes and failures and address problems as they arise.

I’ll be growing my Just Add Water garden in my local community garden in Maine (www.yarmouthcommunitygarden.org), where I’ll provide regular updates. I’m hoping you’ll send photos of your gardens too.

Maybe not everything we plant will succeed, but plenty will. In the meantime, we’ll be spending time outdoors and saving money. Have you ever bought basil at the grocery store? Ka-ching! You’ll love growing your own and sprinkling it on top of an heirloom Brandywine tomato in August. See you in the garden!