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Grow Something, Anything!

Feb 24, 2012 ● By Richard McGinnis

For the sake of argument and simplicity, let’s create three groups of people: Group A is absolutely bonkers about growing edible and ornamental plants anywhere and everywhere there is enough of a pot or a patch of dirt; Group B is mildly to wildly curious about growing “stuff,” though not so highly motivated to do research, or perhaps even know the difference between a bean plant and a beet plant, until one or the other produces something possibly edible; Group C is perfectly happy with the produce section at the grocery store or the occasional romp at the farmers’ market.

Being something of a centrist, I am going to direct my attention to Group B. A few years ago, I attended a fundraiser for a local community agriculture project and won a couple of gorgeous, reasonably mature potted tomato plants ­—some boasting small fruit—in a silent auction. I then gave one of the plants to a friend for her metropolitan back deck. Not too long after, I asked her how the plant was doing. She remarked that she enjoyed the few tomatoes that ripened, but felt the plant was somehow defective, because all it did was grow taller and blossom more. The punch line is that she was clueless that from the blossom of a tomato, the fruit is born.

My mission is to sprout some interest in B-types. Let’s start with the basics: You have a window ledge getting enough sun for a few hours a day and something might grow there. You may not be able to harvest potatoes, but you could grow a pot of chives to garnish your store-bought potato at mealtime. I have no doubt you will feel marvelous doing just that—you will rave to your friends about your gardening and culinary accomplishments!

Seriously, many herbs are ridiculously simple and inexpensive to grow in pots on a windowsill. Pot-grown chives grow prolifically, as do mint, peppermint, lemon balm, thyme and coriander (cilantro). Pinching a bit here or there for recipes and teas will brighten your bleakest days.

If you have more than a sunny ledge, perhaps a piece of ground outside, the possibilities expand. A word of caution though: If you happen to live in an area with recent land development, or where there has been close automobile traffic or industrial influence, test your soil for toxic levels of lead and other hazards. These environmental poisons can be found in plants grown in contaminated soil. Testing doesn’t cost much and can be done through the mail. Check out Urbanext.Illinois.edu/soiltest for a list of good places to get your soil tested.

So, if you have good dirt at hand, a source of water and some sunlight, the best thing to do is to start watching that patch of ground right now, to see how the sun moves across it (which will change during the year) and to see what critters are visiting it. For example, if your neighbor’s dog and/or the squirrel mafia are molesting your plot, extra measures may be needed.

Okay, you’ve decided to take the plunge and become a gardener. As an urban, suburban and exurban gardener, I can offer a few tips for the beginner.

Love it. It may seem obvious, but don’t try to grow anything you don’t like to eat. I grew a whole row of borage one year, only to find that it made me gag to eat it. Of course, it grew flawlessly in my garden.

Use it. If you are going to grow a lot of something, make sure you have a lot of friends with the same tastes. Otherwise, learn how to preserve your harvest. Several years ago, I was begging all my friends to take zucchini off my hands; then I discovered I could make zucchini bread and muffins in large batches for the freezer.

Be creative. If you don’t have much space, try one of the co-growing techniques you can find in garden books and online. Some plants are highly symbiotic. For example, beans fix nitrogen in the soil and corn uses nitrogen in abundance. Try a garden mandala, with the tallest plants in the middle, and then work outward in concentric circles (this is a well-tested technique borrowed from the indigenous peoples of our continent). Crowding plants a bit keeps weeds at bay and can make your edibles look more ornamental. Sharing seeds with friends allows you to try more variety without wasting money or good seed stock.

Grow up. Vertical gardening is hot these days. Use trellises, arbors, fences or garden stakes to grow vining plants like cucumbers, some kinds of melons, a few tomato varieties, peas and beans. A small space can yield a great harvest.

Don’t give up. I have yet to experience a year without disappointment in some area. Mice, squirrels, non-beneficial insects, poor planning and less-than-optimal weather can get you feeling low. There are always surprises, though. For example, I discovered that my dog eats my strawberries. I thought I just couldn’t grow them well. So, I employed a small fence, et voila! Now the mice eat them.

If you have questions or comments, please send them to [email protected]. In the meantime, turn your thoughts to spring and start flipping through some seed catalogs.


Richard McGinnis, former publisher of Mindful Metropolis, rabid gardener, passionate beekeeper and fun-loving hen-tender, is a complete clash of hayseed farm boy meets stylish urbanite. His collection of well-worn nail brushes is a testament to his love of dirt.