You Can’t Eat a Rose

All right, technically, you can; plenty of gourmet bakers doll their delicacies up with tiny little candied rose petals. But for all practical purposes, roses are not a staple food.
Why am I writing this? After all, this is rose blog, not a site about food-storage.
Well, the other day, as I was feeding my roses, I looked over at one of my cucumber plants that was whithering from the heat. I had a thought–the same thought which prompted the title of this post: What if someday my family found themselves in need of groceries; would I wish I’d been just as focused on the garden food as I am with the roses garden?

I think most of us can guess what started me thinking on that possibility.

We’ve all been hearing about the coming famine. Grain prices have been going through the barn roof. If you are at all preparedness minded, then you know how important it is to have a good supply of storable food. But how many of us do? Or can even afford to?

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of funding even a year’s worth of pantry supplies for your family, then there’s a secret I would like to share with you—it’s called:

The Family Garden
Yes, I know, it sounds like an unrealistic, quick fix. And even if you thought you should have one, how would you do it? Besides, wouldn’t it just be easier to buy a bunch of food, rather than grow your own?

These are questions that most beginning “survivalists” ponder; i.e. is the time and effort involved even going to pay off?

Well, yes and no. No, the time and effort involved won’t be worth it if you go about it without a plan. But with a little research, and some advance planning, you can absolutely make a go of it.

Okay. But why would I want to? I mean, really, what are the chances that the food supply is going to dry up tomorrow?

To bottom-line this entire debate, I submit two words for you:

“The times”…as in, the times we live in.

Maybe a better choice of words would be “The Headlines”.

Consider this:

1. Customers are turned away from Costco after trying to buy more than the one bag limit of rice
2. Wheat triples in price
3. Bank customers, trying to withdraw funds, line TWO CITY BLOCKS in Los Angeles, after hearing that their bank has folded.

If you have one eye and an ear, then you know the world is spiraling out of control. With rising gas prices and escalating grain prices, you can’t guarantee that the food will arrive, even if it stays affordable. You need a family garden. So what’s the first step? How should one proceed in this venture?

Ask God

Yes, the One who made it all is the only One who can give you the perfect game plan.

I and my family have decided to plant all of the corn we can. Globs, buckets, handfuls. Everywhere.

I do mean everywhere. By the roses, among the roses, around the trees, throughout the yard, in spare tires. Seriously. And I mean very seriously. A famine is coming, and you need to be ready.

But Where Do I start?

Ask the Father.And start with what you have. Your needs and abilites, your situation, your future, and more might make your plan different from mine. Only He knows exactly what will befall you and your family. He impressed on my heart to grow corn. If you fear you “just can’t grow anything”, a bag of dry beans costs under a dollar, and you can grow them just about anywhere. That should build your confidence. Garden seeds, at the dollar store, cost practically nothing, and can be started with minimal effort. If all you have time for is scattering some seeds on your lawn, then at least start there. That may be all you need to blast the lie of “gardening’s for farmers”. Phooey.

JUST DO IT.

Find seeds inside your food at hand. We grew a substantial pepper garden from the ripe seeds of a store bought bell pepper. Just pick one up at the market (big, ripe and red) and cut off the stem and topmost portion. There in the bell cap, you’ll find enough seeds to grow several hundred bell peppers).

It tastes better.

It’s a very satisfying feeling to have handfuls of homegrown peppers for cooking, salads, and hand eating. It’s a culninary and horticultural satisfaction matched only by plucking your own bowl of fresh garden greens right before supper—knowing you grew them.. And in case you haven’t yet tried one, let me tell you how good homegrown tomatoes are—the first time I tried one, I was shocked. It tasted so, well…fresh.

Once you grow your own produce, you’ll never go back to store-bought.

WHY YOU MUST HAVE A FAMILY GARDEN

Two years ago, my little child was crying for something to drink. It had been a long, hot car ride, and everyone was tired. And scuffling around to put up our purchases. Little Scrump (my youngest) was suddenly wailing, and pulling on my shirt. She screamed, in anguished tones, “I tirsty, mama!” In a flash, I saw pathetically what it will be like for those who are not prepared. Nothing will be worse than seeing your family suffer in a famine.