I’ve been hearing and reading a lot about Victory gardens these days. Times are tough and it makes a lot of sense to grow your own vegetables, fruits and herbs. According to Wickipedia:
“Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil "morale booster" — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. Making victory gardens became a part of daily life on the home front.”
The reasons people are growing Victory gardens may have changed slightly, but the sense of empowerment remains the same. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I love to garden, but growing produce has never been my strong suit so I tend to stick with flowers. I do okay with herbs, but blossom-end rot tends to get my tomatoes and critters take off with my bell peppers as soon they ripen.
This year I’m thinking of giving it another try. I plan to start small with some tomatoes and a few herbs. Homegrown tomatoes taste drastically different from those in the grocery store and I know I’ll save a bundle if I grow my own rosemary, chives and basil.
How about you? Are you planning to grow any fruits and veggies this year? Have you grown your own produce before? And, lastly, is there a variety of tomato you recommend that is impervious to bottom-end rot?