I have to start this article by giving a good friend a shout-out…I think it’s great that he pulled so many great minds together to get this online/ recycled magazine going! Go Cubs!

Now…back to the Green Virgin and “The Garden.” That term scares me to no end! A new garden is like owning a new puppy—constant watching over, training, and care. I have, however, had success with my compost and “The Garden.” If my husband ever lets me get another dog, I promise I am going to name him/her, Garden. But please, indulge me down memory lane, again!

My in-laws gave me wooden crates. Formerly, the wooden crates had been used in their backyard as a makeshift tree house for my son. And now, the “skeletons” have become a raised garden bed for me. (Please note the “repurposing” of the crates. Who said the Green Virgin couldn’t multi-task?) So, thanks to the in-laws! And thanks to my loving and very handy husband for fixing and adding to them.

With crates in place, I began to fill them with some compost I already had (I shared my compost-creating adventures in my first article which you hopefully read!). A little short on the compost, I supplemented the rest with purchased potting soil for vegetables and herbs. My plan? Start out simple with vegetables and herbs that we use regularly: sweet basil, lemon basil, early girl tomatoes, parsley, green onions, a Spanish onion, and garlic cloves from my fridge. Oh, and I actually ventured out with carrots, too.

Here’s a tip I learned: start smaller herbs out in smaller containers—leftover potting cups work perfectly. The parsley I started in a recycled and bio-degradable mini 10 pot carton. When using one of these smaller cartons, and you start to see sprouts, just transfer and plant the whole thing in the big garden—it’s as simple as that!

Now, the carrots…that was a different story. First, the pot that I originally potted them in was blown over by the wind. I tried to recover the roots that started growing, but I am not a doctor, I am the Green Virgin! I planted them anyway, so we will see if I was able to resuscitate them. Stay tuned…

-Green Virgin