It is the time of year again when millions of people slap on their sunscreen and get busy getting their fingernails dirty in mother earth. I have read that this year more people are expected to be working outside planting vegetable gardens. Apparently the recession has inspired people to purchase seeds and plants so that they can grow their own food instead of buying fruits and veggies at local markets. I personally find this phenomena interesting. Having your own garden - especially a large one - is far from being cheap or easy in my opinion. You have to have the garden plowed (relatively expensive if you can't do it yourself) and purchase a whole host of items such as fertilizer, large amounts of water, pesticides, and support materials (tomatoes stakes/baskets, items to string up beans/peas, etc.) in addition to the seeds or plants. Oh and don't forget all of the hard labor you will be putting into planting and harvesting the crops. To me gardening is something that is to be done for pleasure and exercise. And for some people, such as Southern Belles like myself, it is one of your traditional duties. It really isn't about saving a buck...it is about de-stressing and getting a little sunshine. And if you get a few good fruits and veggies in the process, all the better! But if you can manage to save money - more power to ya! Please just let me know your secret - it is my experience that gardens are far from being cheap and require a great deal of work.

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