This blog posting was actually inspired by another post from fellow ActiveRain member Brandon Jordan, titled Suburbans farming.  His posting was timely for me, as I was just having a conversation the day before with my husband and neighbor, about putting in a vegetable garden in our backyard.

The conversation came up yesterday because we were griping about how the astronomical gas prices are affecting the price of everything - including food.  It just kills me to be at the mercy of the petroleum industry, and to have it so deeply affect our lives in so many ways.

Well, I can't change the petroleum industry.  All I can change is my own behavior.  And that is what I am doing, by deciding to grow an organic vegetable garden in my back yard.

It actually works out well, as our backyard is not landscaped, and won't be this year.  We are focusing on our frontyard this year - which is looking spectacular, by the way!  So, the backyard is free game for anything!  One problem though - our dog.

I did plant a tomato alongside the house a few weeks ago, which the dog promptly destroyed.  I thought she would leave it alone, but alas, she did not.  So, instead, we are either going to a) build raised vegetable boxes, or b) fence off the garden area.  Either requires a significant amount of work, though the fence idea would be more inexpensive.

The next step we are going to take is to plant a peach tree in the back yard.  We had been talking about this, and now there is no reason to wait.  Of course, we won't get peaches for a few years, but better late than never!

Next, once either the ground is prepared or the veggie boxes are ready, we are going to plant corn, green beans, tomatoes, watermelon, red peppers, lettuce, and probably a few other vegetables.  The nice thing is that we did put in a sprinkler system last year, so watering it will just be a matter of setting the timer.  Yay!  Less work for me [my husband].

And with weekly maintenance, we should have some great tasting vegetables in a few months, which we can then trade with our neighbor, who has already put in a veggie box and will have different veggies that we aren't planting.

The icing on the cake?  My kids are going to get to experience growing a garden, harvesting, and eating fresh vegetables that they will have helped to grow.  I already have a couple of budding gardeners, who I am very proud of.

Tiffany D. Wilson has lived in the South Bay of Los Angeles County for almost 10 years.  She and her family enjoy the safety and rich family features that the beach communities of the South Bay have to offer, including a close and neighborly community.  Also, having experienced an out-of-country move to California over 10 years ago, she is perfectly positioned to assist foreign buyers in their search for real estate in the South Bay and additional surrounding communities of Los Angeles and Orange County.  She can be reached directly at 310-503-0557.