By Roger Naylor
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
– Audrey Hepburn
Walk into your backyard on a cool summer morning and pull a few ripe tomatoes off the vine. Pick a handful of snap peas. Dig up a bunch of plump radishes. Pinch off some basil, with droplets of dew clinging to the tender leaves. Lunch may still be a couple of hours away but you’re already connected to it. With Castle Hot Springs’ gardening guide, achieve this satisfaction in your own backyard.
Backyard gardening changes your relationship with food as you get to witness its entire journey. When you grow your own food, you’ll savor it more. All your senses are engaged, even before it reaches the table. The aroma of fertile soil, the sight of the vivid colors, the tactile touch of the plants—are all tantalizing preludes to fresh flavors soon to come. Growing food in a garden puts you as close to nature as you can get.
A garden is a place of health and happiness. Working in the garden means you’re spending time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine. Gardening is low impact but does require a certain amount of strength and stretching, providing multiple health benefits. It saves you money, is good for the planet, and can be a tremendous stress reliever. What may be most puzzling is why more people aren’t doing it.
“Planting a backyard garden is great for the local community and the world as a whole,” says David Bullock, Farm Operations Manager at Castle Hot Springs. “Plus, it brings friends and family together.”
The farm at Castle Hot Springs includes orchards, greenhouses, and expansive well-tended gardens that are harvested all year-round. The Farm Tours remain one of the most popular activities offered by the resort. There is an eagerness to reconnect to the land. People want to learn about the numerous benefits of growing their own food. It becomes even more of a passion once they taste the distinct and vibrant flavors later that day in the restaurant. Nothing can compare with that kind of freshness.
Where to Start
Starting a garden in your own backyard can be surprisingly simple. Here is your gardening guide to create a sanctuary of health and happiness.
“It doesn’t take a lot to get started, so make it easy on yourself and only do what you love,” says Bullock. “Start small and grow into what you enjoy producing, whether that is roses for cut flowers or watermelons for your kids’ soccer games. Just go out there and have fun!”
Once you are ready to start, pick a spot for your garden that receives at least six hours of sunlight. Make sure you have access to water. If you have limited space you may want to try gardening in pots and containers on your patio. And the most important part of your gardening guide, pay attention to your soil. This will be the foundation of everything that you do.
You can improve your soil by adding compost and organic matter. When the soil is healthy, it is alive with microorganisms like earthworms, fungi and bacteria. This releases essential nutrients and creates more oxygen to feed plant roots. As the plants thrive there will be no need for fertilizers and pesticides.
“Long term soil health will produce healthy plants, which in turn reduce the number of inputs and overall maintenance and waste of the farm,” says Bullock. “Regenerative farming techniques are what we use at Castle Hot Springs. We do this by keeping our worms and other microbiology in the soil happy.”
Deciding what to grow depends on what you want to enjoy on your plate. Of course not every crop grows in every environment, so do a little research beforehand to help with your planning.
“For a beginner gardener I would say radishes and lettuce are a great starting point, because they mature quickly and require little space or maintenance,” says Bullock. “Microgreens are another great introduction to home gardening. And microgreen production requires little space, light, and time.”
Although they are small, microgreens—essentially the seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs—are rich in flavor and packed with nutrients. They often contain larger amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than their more mature counterparts. Resembling leafy confetti, microgreens add a welcome splash of color to many dishes.
Bullock also recommends planting flowers amidst your vegetables and herbs. The blooms will attract insects, which are very important to a regenerative ecosystem.