Probably a stupid question, but .....

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Charles

I used to grow vegetables. I quit. You know why? Because it was too expensive - water, fertilizer, amendments, seeds, insecticide. And it took a lot of time. I think I grew $20 potatoes.

I came to the same conclusion, to include a flash of brilliance that when my stuff was ready for picking, that every farmer had a stand by the roadside to sell the same stuff for a lot less than it cost me to grow it.

Still, some enjoy the act of gardening, more a hobby than a necessity, and to those folks I say...if ya got any extra beefsteaks...

[Katiana]

I am partial to homegrown tomatoes. Also, I like to can them. I hate the canned tomatoes in the stores, those hard, one inch cubes! I could probably buy some at a farmer's market, but as Mike said, there's something about the act of gardening itself. We don't usually grow corn anymore b/c it is easy to pick it up at a farmstand.

[COflower]

Colorado State University Extension Home Page has a wealth of information from fruit and vegetable gardening, xeriscaping, preparing foods at high altitudes, etc... Also depending on what city or town you move in, the local gardening centers and some of the local governments offer classes on how best to deal with our soils, growing season and such.

I do recommend getting to know the gardening centers in your area. Not those at Home Depot and Lowes, those that have their only purpose as providing plants and seeds. Most of the good ones have been around a good 30 years and can give you some of the best advice on how to deal with local conditions if you are serious about gardening here.

[jiffin4java]

I am doing it more for the act of it rather than cheap veggies. We're pretty sure my son is suffering from mild Asperger's/adhd and it's really important for me to find common interests for us to do together to help keep things positive. Otherwise I feel like I'm constantly disciplining and he feels like he's constantly in trouble. So that's my motivation...to keep a strong healthy relationship with my son...and eat some yummy veggies inthe process. The one thing he always talks about is gramma's garden in MI and eating the cherry tomatoes right off the plant. He loved it and really misses it. Me too! Thanks for all your responses!!