Although most vegetable patches aren't grown on such a grand scale, Martha and her team of gardeners do have some good advice for back yard vegetable gardeners to follow.
I received my copy of Martha Stewart Living's March edition yesterday, and the magazine's focus is gardening. Usually when I receive a gardening magazine in the mail I look immediately for pieces that focus on vegetable gardening. I am usually disappointed...vegetable gardening doesn't seem to be as "sexy" as some of the other topics gardening writers get excited about.
Turn to page 188 of March’s Martha Stewart Living, and you’ll probably drool your way through a brief yet visually stunning article about Martha’s 90 by 150 foot vegetable garden at her Bedford home, Cantitoe Corners.
I know what you’re thinking. “What does Martha’s vegetable garden have to do with me?” I agree, to an extent. Many of the articles showcasing Martha’s home life depict rooms in the home, and now, the garden, that are on such a grand scale that their standards are simply unattainable to regular folks. However, there are a few good pieces of advice provided in this particular article that apply to all back yard vegetable gardeners (and community gardeners, too).
- Martha uses companion planting as an organic method to lure pests away from certain vegetable plants, and to repel others.
- A careful record is kept of the location of each crop in the vegetable garden, enabling the gardeners to rotate the crops from year to year. If this seems too daunting, photograph your garden to create a pictorial record.
- Martha’s soil is heavily amended with compost. There is no excuse not to compost!
Try not to get discouraged when you read about fancy, larger-than-life vegetable gardens. Instead, create your own personal vegetable patch, and take some of the advice offered by those fortunate enough to hire a staff to help them out!
