April 5, 2013

Health & Sports, Manly Skills, Outdoors, Self-Reliance

7 Reasons to Become a Gentleman Gardener


Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from John Porter.


Manly Horticulturalists in History




Of course, the one horticultural hero celebrated in both song and story is Johnny Appleseed. No, he’s not just a legend of frontier America; he really did exist. Despite living as a pauper, John Chapman (his real name) became a legend during his own lifetime. He traveled westward ahead of the expansion of the growing United States, introducing apples to much of the frontier of Ohio and Illinois. This itinerant farmer wasn’t planting apples so that people could get all their fruits and veggies, however. Back in those days, apples weren’t for eating – they were for cider; as in hard cider and applejack. He also sold trees to pioneers, who were required to plant fruit trees as a symbol of their ties to the land given to them by the government. In The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World, Michael Pollan writes: “Really, what Johnny Appleseed was doing and the reason he was welcome in every cabin in Ohio and Indiana was he was bringing the gift of alcohol to the frontier. He was our American Dionysus.”

7 Reasons You Should Be Gardening 

Now, at this point you might be asking, “Why do your examples of a bunch of dead, manly gardeners mean that I should be gardening?” I would have to say that you’re right – it doesn’t mean a thing. But, there are plenty of reasons you should be gardening. I’ll go over a few of them right now:


Reason #1: You know what you are eating. 

There are an increasing number of people who focus on eating organically or naturally produced food. That’s well and good, but just because it says organic doesn’t mean that it’s any healthier. Organic food produced on a large scale can still have issues. Just look at the food biosecurity issues with tainted produce over the last several years. Plus, the rules for “certified organic” might not be as stringent as you think.


Reason #2: You can save money on food.

There’s a reason that after the economic collapse in 2008, home food gardening increased by over 30% by some estimates. Growing your own fruits and veggies can not only put more green in your fridge and your diet, it can also put more green in your wallet. It is much more economical to grow a hundred heads of lettuce from a seed packet that costs $2 than it is to buy one head of lettuce for $2. Some gardeners might argue that home-grown food really isn’t cheaper, but you have to resist the urge to buy all of the latest gizmos, fancy equipment, expensive tools, and overpriced fertilizer. You can maintain your garden without breaking the bank by being thrifty and wise. It gets even cheaper when you use recycled materials, make your own compost, and bargain shop.

Reason #3: It can attract/impress a mate.





Reason #5: Gardening is great exercise.


Reason #6: Gardening works as therapy/meditation.


Reason #7: Gardening will reconnect you to nature.

No, we are not talking Kumbaya and sharing circles here. We are talking actually getting out of the house/office/parent’s basement and experiencing the great outdoors. Really getting down in the dirt. It used to be that humans functioned with the natural seasonal cycles, especially when it came to food. Since we have access to fresh produce the whole year at the grocery store, we’ve lost some connection to the seasons and the natural flow of the earth.

How Do I Start Gardening?


Well, the simple answer is: plant something! Even if it is in a pot in your apartment window, get growing. Visit a local garden center or retailer and see what is available in your area. You can also check online for mail-order garden companies. If you are completely confused or need help, contact your local extension agent. These folks (myself included) are paid to connect you with the information you need and often offer workshops for beginning gardeners. If you feel a little more confident in your gardening skill, the extension service also offers the Master Gardener program, which is an intensive training and volunteer service program. If you are unsure where to find your extension agent, contact your nearest land-grant university or go to www.extension.org. There, you can find lots of information, a connection to your state’s extension service, and even a box where you can type in a question to be answered by an extension expert. Who knows, maybe one day your horticultural skills will be the stuff of legend and stories of your garden will be told in history books.


John Porter is a West Virginia University Extension agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Charleston, WV. He is a native of Wayne County, WV, where he grew up on his family farm. He currently resides in Kanawha City, where he is transforming his home’s small landscape into an edible homestead.



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