Dollars from dirt: Economy spurs home garden boom

[XemaSab]

With the recession in full swing, many Americans are returning to their roots — literally — cultivating vegetables in their backyards to squeeze every penny out of their food budget.

Industry surveys show double-digit growth in the number of home gardeners this year and mail-order companies report such a tremendous demand that some have run out of seeds for basic vegetables such as onions, tomatoes and peppers.

"People's home grocery budget got absolutely shredded and now we've seen just this dramatic increase in the demand for our vegetable seeds. We're selling out," said George Ball, CEO of Burpee Seeds, the largest mail-order seed company in the U.S. "I've never seen anything like it."

Gardening advocates, who have long struggled to get America grubby, have dubbed the newly planted tracts "recession gardens" and hope to shape the interest into a movement similar to the victory gardens of World War II.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/15/national/a101445D59.DTL&type=homeandgarden&tsp=1

[bbinacan]

1. Reminds me of the 70s

My mom and grandma did a lot of canning. So much more tasty than what you get in cans at the grocer.

[tsuki]

2. This past year, I set my new record, 204 cans. We have been

eating good.

[bbinacan]

3. So much better tasting

isn't it?

[Purveyor]

4. I was shocked yesterday when I went to Menards (Home Depot like) to purchase tomato seeds.

They carry the Burpee brand and of the three types of tomoto I like to grow (Celebrity, Sweet 100's "Big Mama" Roma), they were out of them all.

Only a few selections of tomato seed left of types I'm not familiar with.

Never have I seen a shortage of tomato seed at the store and wonder if other seeds may become a problem as planting season takes off in earnest.

I'm heading out tomorrow in search of all my anticipated needs for the garden.

[morningglory]

5. I have a hay bale garden. I needed to rake up the leaf litter around the back door

that is trampled down black and damp, and dump it into the garden. On the day potusbo sign the stim bill, I went to the locally-owned old hardware store and bought a sturdy Made-in-the-USA rake. With a sharpie I wrote Barak Obama Rake 02-17-09 on it. Also wrote "support our troops", 'freedom aint free' 'Peace' 'love one another' etc. It is my Obama victory garden rake. My Plymouth barred rock hens started laying on 03/03/09. They free range about the place. The yolks are red-orange and delicious. Citrus trees are budding out. Figs are too.

[trof]

6. Boy, do I miss 'yard eggs'.

My late mother-in-law was raised a farm girl and, many years later, kept chickens on her 20 acre plot. The eggs were delicious with yolks as you describe.

Grocery store eggs taste like styrofoam and the yolks are pale, pale pastel yellow.
yuk

[trof]

7. I'm just starting container gardening.

I'm using the cheapest containers I could find, styrofoam coolers.
About $1.80 apiece.

[Javaman]

8. Good for you! It's amazing what you can use. good luck. :) nt

[Javaman]

9. Just put in squash, cucumbers and peppers yesterday...

potatoes go in tomorrow.

we are also growing; tomatoes, turnips, beets, onions, kale, lettuce, and a host of herbs. Plus, blackberrys, grapes, figs and lemons.

I saw this time coming 5 years ago, we started planning ahead.

since seeds are in such short supply, you might want to learn how to save your own for next year. Here's a link:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/save-your-seeds-how-to-directions.html#

Good luck all!