Trisha Shirey - Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southwest

THE TIMBER PRESS GUIDE TO VEGETABLE GARDENING

in the

SOUTHWEST

TRISHA SHIREY

Timber Press

Portland London

To my Mom and Dad, who gave me the skills, the opportunity, and the desire to garden.

Copyright 2015 by Trisha Shirey.
All rights reserved.

Chapter opening illustrations and illustrations on by Julianna Johnson and Ryan Ricketts. All other illustrations Julia Sadler.

Published in 2015 by Timber Press, Inc.

Book design by Kate Giambrone and Julianna Johnson
Cover design by Bree Goodrow

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Shirey, Trisha.

The Timber Press guide to vegetable gardening in the Southwest/Trisha Shirey.First edition.

pages cm

Guide to vegetable gardening in the Southwest

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-60469-679-0

1. Vegetable gardeningSouthwestern States. 2. VegetablesSouthwestern States. I. Title. II. Title: Guide to vegetable gardening in the Southwest.

SB321.5.A165S55 2015

Some of my earliest and fondest memories are from time spent helping out in our family garden when I was young. My mother would can, pickle, and freeze our harvests and we would eat from the garden throughout the year. Our pantry shelves were lined with colorful jars of pickled beets and peaches, green beans, and tomatoes. My mother cooked three meals a day for our family of eight, and every meal was made from scratchno frozen dinners or take-outand most of the ingredients came from the garden. My siblings and I were very involved with the preparation and cleanup with every meal. As I grew up, the idea of growing and cooking my own food was never dauntingmy parents did it, their parents did it before them, and so on.

When asked why I bother with keeping a garden, I usually think of Weezer from the wonderful Steel Magnolias (beautifully played by Shirley MacLaine). She grew tomatoes and forced them on her friends because she didnt much like them herself. When they asked her why, she replied, Because Im an old southern woman and were supposed to wear funny looking hats and ugly clothes and grow vegetables in the dirt. I dont know why! I dont make the rules. Funny hats? Check. Ugly clothes? Check. Like Weezer, it just seems like I am supposed to do this. Fortunately, I like tomatoes and certainly dont have any friends that would turn down my surplus bounty.

You dont always have to find your dinner at the grocery store; you can pick from whatever is ready for harvesting in your garden. Whats more, you wont have to ask any questions about whether its organic or nutritious and flavorfulyoull have nurtured the plant from its beginnings as a tiny seed or transplant. You control the conditions. My garden has even turned me into a more adventurous cookwhen youre eating kale three or more days of the week, youll want to have more than a few recipes to rely on.

Unfortunately, many Americans have missed out on the experience of growing up with a food garden. Something that seems so natural to me is still mysterious and complex to so many of my friends. Theyre often intrigued and excited by the idea of growing their own food, but dont know where to begin. Still, from First Lady Michelle Obamas organic garden at the White House to the exploding trend of food-filled back yards and patios across the nation, more people than ever are now getting into gardening. Seed companies and garden centers are reporting that sales of herb and vegetable seeds and plants are increasing every year.

What could be fresher than produce picked right before it goes on your table? Nutrients and flavor are not lost during transportation and your food hasnt been shipped across the country, contributing to pollution and global warming. Youll learn to appreciate the variety of food thats available each season. I might not have fresh tomatoes in late winter or lettuce in midsummer, but there are so many wonderful seasonal alternatives. You can say goodbye to those transported out-of-season offerings that you find at the grocery store. You can also stop worrying about food contamination, as youll know exactly what you used on your own garden. Growing crops organically in healthy soil can result in produce with higher levels of vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, antioxidants, and other nutrients. A study by the University of Florida and Washington State found that organic foods contain, on average, about 25 percent higher levels of 11 nutrients than their traditional counterparts. And your investment will go so much furtheryou can cut your food bills and eat healthier. The National Gardening Association found that a family that invested $70 in a garden could harvest about $600 worth of vegetables.

Youll find that there are physical rewards of gardening also. Vigorous garden work can help to increase bone density and reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Exercising the mind and body with the planning and care of a garden can reduce stress and the risk of dementia. Studies have shown that gardeners have reduced levels of blood sugar and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Many gardeners find weeding, pruning, watering, and other gardening chores meditative and a great way to unwind from a hectic day. There is pleasure to be taken in watching things grow; youll develop a connection to natural cycles and feel more self-reliant and empowered. Your children will learn that vegetables dont always have to come from a bag in the freezer and they might be more likely to eat them when they have helped to grow and harvest them. You just might instill a love of gardening that will last a lifetime!

As long as you have at least six hours of sunlight, good air circulation, and access to water, you can grow a great variety of herbs and vegetables in a garden bed or containers. Even in shady locations, parsley, chives, mint, and lettuce can thrive. And a yard isnt always necessary; determined renters and apartment dwellers can always find space to grow their favorite edibles, whether in containers or in community gardens. Sure there will be a few failures along the way, but thats how we learn. I still plant tomatoes that fail to produce a single fruit as a result of unseasonably warm spring temperatures or green beans that succumb to powdery mildew or cucumbers that wont bloom. It happens to all of usgardening is a gamble. But at least we can compost our failures to build healthy soil for the next season!

Thank you to my dear friend Lucinda Hutson, whose garden and home have been sources of inspiration for many years. Lucinda recommended me for this project and I thank her for the opportunity to fulfill a lifetime dream of writing a gardening book. We really must get together, drink tequila, and write songs again soon!

The guidance and assistance of Michael Dempsey and Juree Sondker at Timber Press have been much appreciated. They have been very patient in helping me produce my first (and hopefully not last) book and make it something to be proud of.

When I first considered a career in horticulture I was intimidated by the heavy use of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicidesone teacher told me that Id never make a living in the industry unless I learned to work with these chemicals. But having known only organic gardening for all of my life, I saw no reason to stop for my education. Its a decision Ive never regretted. Ive been fortunate to have many garden mentors throughout my lifetime of gardening: Miss Lillian Peek, John Dromgoole, Malcolm Beck, and Howard Garrett have all been valuable sources of knowledge and experience along the way. The Austin Organic Gardeners and Rodale Press have also been instrumental in my learning more about organic techniques.