Alas, I live in an apartment and have instead tended a potted herb and pepper garden. It's been great to have rosemary, mint and thyme available at my fingertips, but it's not the same. I've tried and failed the last two years to convince my sister to plant a garden in her very large backyard in Buda - there's something about me not being there to take care of it that seems to be the deal killer.
I may have found the answer yesterday at the Earth Day market. Resolution Gardens will help you build a 4x8 garden in your backyard and then even have gardening consultants you can hire by the hour to help you take care of it. Let the bargaining (or begging) begin anew!
If you are more of a diy-er, you might be interested in checking out Square Foot Gardening, which gives you step-by-step instructions on how to create an easy backyard garden without having to no heavy digging and little weeding.
I heard about this idea the first time at a volunteer and donor appreciation lunch for the Capital Area Food Bank and it's sheer genius. There are a number of schools in Austin that are using the square foot gardening technique to help kids learn about gardens and supply their schools with fresh produce. I love it.
Do you have a small area in your backyard you could tend? Or maybe you're like me and have a spot on the patio for a few plants. Wouldn't it be lovely to pick a tomato fresh off the vine?
