Found this statement the other day in the Dallas Observer October 07, 2009
A January 2009 survey paid for by Monsanto and published by the National Garden Association found that 31 percent of all U.S. households—36 million in all—participated in some form of food gardening in 2008. The study revealed that 7 million more households will raise garden food in 2009—a jump of 19 percent, more than twice the rate of increase for the previous year.
I think we're on the right page. ^_^
Dave's has been soooo helpful to me as someone who has gardened in the past but has moved to a new area and is starting over from scratch!
Gosh, and I've noticed that our local PBS station doesn't carry Victory Garden anymore. I sent a note in with my pledge that I would even watch reruns of Crockett's (sp?) Victory Garden. None of the HGTV variations have a true veg gardening show on that I can find, either. Someone has really dropped to ball on that oportunity!
I read an article in one of the magazines I get that the seed companies are reporting rising sales throughout 2009.
rentman, it appears we are on a crowded page!
I loved Crockett's Victory Garden.
I think the internet is the greatest gardening tool ever with the endless sites and videos for regional gardening. When I was just starting out, I'd watch Crockett faithfully and it made a world of difference that he was in the NE and I was in the SE. I had lots of failures due to inappropriate plants and planting schedules. I worry that many newbies will get turned off by early failures but now there's so much help on the web.
It's wonderful that so many newbies are getting involved.
He got me really hooked on veg gardening. Believe me, I was a total newbie. My parents thought veg gardening was for the birds. All I had first hand was from watching my grandmother root roses and from helping my great grandfather with his fishing worm/compost pit. And then anything I could learn from 4-H friends.
I think there could be a way to run a subtitle at the bottom of the screen from the local station explaining that there are regional differences and maybe a page on the local website to cover regional info. I so enjoyed watching him dig out that parking lot and turning it into a wonderful garden! How cool was that! Maybe they could show Crockett's and then a more regional Victory Garden (low budget is always more fun IMHO) as part of a block of shows. Of course they could get that guy with the beard back. He was goofy but fun! I think that Crockett or Bob Thompson would be more for inspiration. I used to look forward every year to the contest for the best home garden. Wasn't that the golden trowel award or something like that? I was only in junior high and high school and I just drooled over those gardens!
You are right, twiggybuds, the internet is really the best tool ever. I just think that PBS (I choose them because they were the ones who got me hooked on veg gardening) is really missing the boat with all of these new gardeners out there. To me Dave's is outstanding source, but we can have more. More is good right? Maybe Dave's should have a show???????
OK, rant over. Thank you for indulging me =)!
And welcome to all the newbies! Garden on!
