The Green Suburbanite

This week I decided to do some gardening to make myself more green. Simple things though since I am limited to growing things on my balcony. I’ve planted some oregano, basil, parsley, and chives for herbs so far, and lettuce and mesculun (a sort of spring mix). The one I’m most excited about are the nasturtium (edible flowers) as I have never actually eaten flowers before. When the time comes I will also be planting tomatoes and peppers as I do each year. One concern of mine in this gardening adventure is that first I have nearly zero experience growing the afore mentioned goodies, and second is that I am rather terrible at remembering to water plants of any sort. Perhaps I should be wishing for a rainy summer…or better I should probably just write myself reminder notes. So what is so green about gardening? Well, for starters, home gardening is entirely sustainable, and healthy. As the number of people who grow their own food, or some of their own food rises, the need for more land and water for mass agriculture will decrease, as well as the carbon emissions caused by the need to transport food long distances. Seeing as there is a shortage of water and a growing shortage of agriculturally-friendly land, growing a few choice items at home makes a big difference. As an added bonus, it’s cheaper to grow your own food than to buy a bunch of organic produce, or produce in general. Well, let’s hope that all goes well with my mini garden. I have to say I am truly excited to test the end products, especially the fresh herbs. I hear there is great satisfaction in growing one’s own food and I look forward to the experience.