Fruit & Vegetable Gardening

Growing your own vegetables, culinary herbs, and fruit brings a very special satisfaction to gardening. There are, of course, substantial savings to be made in turning a small investment on seed or plants into a regular supply of food for the table, whether you grow only a selection of choice seasonal crops, such as asparagus, or strive for selfsufficiency. For those concerned about additives in commercially produced food, there is the security of knowing exactly how your produce has been grown. The exceptional pleasure of kitchen gardening lies, however, in the subtlety and freshness of f lavor of crops gathered straight from your garden—a f lavor that has not been diminished by long transportation, storage, or special packaging. The decorative qualities of edible crops, whether grown in a dedicated plot or among conventional ornamental plants, are too little appreciated. Colorful blossom smothers fruit trees in spring, handsome foliage such as the ferny fronds of carrots or crinkly leaves of lettuces adorn the summer garden, and evergreen herbs and overwintering vegetables are enhanced by frost. Tree and soft fruits trained along walls and fences or over archways can be very attractive as well as productive.