1. Susan Lowman-Thomas April 2010

2. Why bother?  Eat better  Be healthier  Save money  Increase home’s worth  Kill boredom  Learn and teach  Grow spiritually  Help the earth  Have fun!

3. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm Taste? Texture? Color?

4. Here’s to your health! More produce eaten Vitamin content = highest straight from garden Preschool kids who ate homegrown produce = grew up >twice as likely to eat more produce Stop worrying about food safety Get your exercise!

5. Here’s to your health! 90% of all fungicides & 30% of all insecticides are potentially cancer-causing agents Want these in YOUR body?

6. Frugality Rocks! Save on groceries Preserve food Save seeds Reduce waste No gym fee Sell crops

7. Frugality Rocks! Veggies in bags Blinds for labels Garden cloches (bell jars) out of bottles Toilet paper roll or newspaper pots Toilet paper seed tape Curtain row-covers

8. Frugality Rocks! Upside-down planters: Make your own! Tomatoes, strawberries Pop bottles Buckets Shopping bags Lots of how-to’s on web

9. How about your Curb Appeal? Ground coverContainersScreening

10. Lifetime Learning Lots to study! Different sensory stimulation Brain needs new challenges to stay healthy Brain activity related to immunity

11. The spirit of a place Relax De-stress Center your mind Get fresh air & sunshine Meditate Connect with nature Pray

12. Greening up

13. Where it all starts: SOIL ! Is dirt the new Prozac? Is soil the BORING part of gardening? You feed the soil: the soil feeds the plants. Typical yard soil = 90% mineral residue & 10% decayed organic material A 5% increase in organic material quadruples soil's ability to store water Earthworms & other insects aerate the soil

14. I’ve got WORMS ! Vermicomposting = turning food waste into potting soil with the help of worms. What do I need? An aerated container Bedding such as shredded newspaper Moisture and proper temperature Small amount of soil Redworms (Eisenia fetida)

15. Micro-organisms recycle leaves & other plant parts They need an even mix of brown stuff and green stuff They also need air and water AirBrown Water Green

16. Take It Easy ! Lasagna gardening On top of grass Newspaper, cardboard, weed mat “Soil” Seed / start More “soil”

17. Square Foot Gardening Layout Boxes Aisles Soil Grid Care Select Plant Water Harvest

18. One Way…

19. And Another

20. Love Those Tomatoes! Concrete reinforcing wire Fencing with plastic around it Cage with bubble wrap Teepee from pruning Single stake, spiral Trellis (wood, metal, twine) Crates Pots

21. Love Those Tomatoes! (2) Red mulch (20% more!) Newspaper or tin can (cutworms) Milk jugs

22. Succession & Double Planting Sowing each week… Sow in different spots Pair plants that ripen at different times Pair plants with short and deep roots Pair short plants with tall

23. Watering Smart

24. Weeds: Get Outta Here! Ability of Crops to Suppress Weeds Good SquashMelons BeansPotatoes, Irish PumpkinsPotatoes, Sweet Peas, southernTomatoes Cucumbers Corn, sweet Poor LettuceBroccoli CarrotsCabbage PeppersRadishes Greens Onions Peas, Garden

25. Weeds: Get Outta Here! (2) Smother crops Mulches Mechanical Chemical

26. How about going up? Plants like vertical Higher yields Fewer pests Less disease

27. Can I grow all year? Covered raised beds Cold frames Containers

28. Got Questions?