This summer, Paul and I tried growing a few vegetables and herbs in containers on our porch, and for first-time growers, we managed to do an acceptable job. We ate about 12 remarkably sweet tomatoes [pictured at left], some bell and cayenne peppers, strawberries, and raspberries, and never wanted for herbs. We did some bare-bones growing, not using any pesticides, of course, but also not really feeding the plants, which we're realizing now would've made some of the other things we planted--eggplant and zucchini, for instance--actually produce. So before we plant for the fall, we're doing some serious studying.
My friend Donn Cooper is a genius gardener. He's so good at it, in fact, that he now manages the garden at Greyfeld Inn on beautiful Cumberland Island, Georgia. Recently, I asked Donn if he had any composting tips to share with us and our readers. Now, Donn is always a very thoughtful person (see this article I linked to last week), whether he's baking biscuits, discussing books, or playing pool--but he's an exceptionally talented educator, as you can see in this wealth of information he's been so kind to share. If you are in the deep South's temperature zone, have sandy soil, or are just interested in what the heck compost is for, read on--and feel free to add your own two cents.
