The Ultimate in Local Sourcing: Growing Your Own!

Please don't run away! It's not that difficult, and nearly everyone (yard or not) can grow at least a few herbs. Hear me out. Gardening doesn't have to be burdensome.

Nothing tastes as fresh as just-snipped oregano, sage, and fennel frond in a homemade Italian tomato sauce. Or some basil and tomato to make a caprese (along with some fresh mozzarella).

A traditional "yard garden" requires a flat, sunny space with well-drained soil. I have a large backyard, and this describes exactly nowhere in it. I plan to install a raised-bed garden, but first a) a loathed mesquite tree must be removed and b) I have to enlist the cooperation of my non-gardener husband. So I garden the next best way-in containers.

My current herb crop includes oregano, sage, parsley (flat and curly leaf), rosemary, basil, thyme, and mint. I planted my fall harvest of peppers (both sweet and hot) and tomatoes a few weeks ago, and today, butternut squash and cucumbers went into the ground. I also have a lemon tree, a lime bush, two olive trees, and a fig tree (unfortunately these last two have yet to produce any fruit).

Yes, keeping a garden going in Texas in sweltering August is a challenge. Water every morning before the heat has kicked in. (Local watering restrictions do not apply when you hand-water.) Having said that, I have had years where everything burned up after days and days of 100+ degree weather.

San Antonio sits in gardening zone 8b (as defined by the USDA), which means we have a nearly nine month growing season (last freeze: March 1-10; first freeze: November 21-30). You can plant spring crops, harvest them, then plant another crop to harvest in the fall. Some herbs will last over the winter, if you cover them during a freeze.

I highly recommend the book "Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening" by Greg Grant. He tells you which vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees grow well in Texas (squash, green beans) and which don't (cherries, English peas).

My friend Lynn also gardens. Her current kick is growing vegetables from kitchen scraps; she has celery and garlic, among other things. (Her Pinterest page has hints and photos. Click twice on the photo for instructions.)

Some of her other hints:

• If you start seeing white spots on your squash leaves, it's powdery mildew; you need to treat them right away or you'll lose the plants. You can buy a fungicide or use some home remedies such as spraying with watered down milk or baking soda.
• If the summer is too hot for your peppers to make, just ignore the plants and they will yield when it cools down a bit.

My favorite nursery is Hill Country African Violets and Nursery (about 12 miles north of Loop 1604 on IH10; exit Boerne Stage Rd, exit number 543). In season, two of their twelve greenhouses contain seedlings for herbs and vegetables. Their selection is much better than Lowe's or Home Depot, and their prices are great. (I bought four four-inch herb pots, and two six-packs of vegetable seedlings for $12.) They carry a full range of gardening supplies.

I encourage you to purchase a few pots and try your hand at oregano or squash or peppers. With just a little attention, you'll reap tasty rewards.