Back in November we went to a garden center for a fun couple’s activity.

Now that spring is here (well for most of the country), let’s go to the garden center with a new purpose…

Let’s get something to grow at home that we can eat. It’s fun, it gets you doing something together and it’s good for you in so many ways.

Remember, when it comes to food ”the closer to the earth, the better it is for you”.

Even people who claim they’re not vegetable eaters should give this a go!  You know the ones, they say when ordering a meal ”and don’t put anything green on my plate”. Guess what? There are so many different kinds and colors of food you can grow from a small plot or pot you’re bound to find something new and colorful that you’ve never seen or tried before.

And it’s fun to grow something for your own table. Even a non-vegetable eater will feel some sense of accomplishment and pride over home-grown salad and may begin to enjoy some fresh food that’s really good for them.

Here’s what to do: plan a ”Couple’s Activity” with your partner and go to a quality garden center.

Singles: you are always included in all couple’s activities. Remember the couples that you see at all these fun ”Couple’s Activities” were singling one time. And (there is more), what kind of people do you think you could meet at a garden center getting fresh yummy produce to grow? That’s right! People who get out, people diverse enough that they can or will learn to grow fresh yummy food. People who care about their bodies, their environment, their health, and these types of people are also nurturing. Sounds like great people to get to know doesn’t it?

So back to the garden center, like I said, Go to a quality garden center that has a good variety and a knowledgeable staff.

We like Armstrong Nursery, they always treat us well and they’re very knowledgeable. Ask one of the staff to show you the vegetable section or the edible section. You will be amazed at just how many different kinds of lettuce there are. Be sure to get a variety pack, and ask and look for some that say, ”strong flavor” or ”bitter flavor”. Just to try them.

I like all kinds of lettuce but the easiest for me to harvest are the ones that you can clip the outside leaves off a couple times a week and still leave it in the ground to continue growing.

Even if you live in a small condo or apartment, lettuce will do great in small pots with 3, 4, or 5 heads of lettuce, they can be placed on a windowsill or porch.

It’s so much fun to be planning dinner and to grab a plate or bowl (not breakable!), some scissors,  and to go outside and cut the outside leaves off of the heads of lettuce to bring into the kitchen for a quick rinse and to make a fresh salad.

Just imagine how good that would be with some homegrown tomatoes.

Try the salad without dressing. Then try with oil and vinegar. If you have to put on some creamy dressing, do yourself a favor before you pour it on. Grab a leaf of lettuce from your bowl and eat it. Notice the flavor and texture. Keep eating lettuce leaves with no dressing – yes use your fingers, until you have read all the ingredients in the dressing. If you’re lucky you’re a slow reader of ingredients and you will have eaton your entire salad without dressing.

Remember, this is a couple’s activity. It’s fun to go to the garden center together, plant together, harvest together, prepare the delicious fruit of your labor together and eat together. Talk about the different tastes. Close your eyes and ask your partner to put a different lettuce leaf in your mouth so you can notice the different flavors. Eyes shut, notice the flavor, even if one lettuce is too bitter for you at least you are learning to taste your food from the garden that you and your partner prepared together.

Have fun with this with no expectations – this is what I mean. If you end up being the one that does the planting, that’s okay. If your partner helps but still doesn’t want to eat what you have grown, that’s okay. If you’re the one who has to do the watering, that’s okay. At whatever level it’s a ”Couple’s Activity”, that’s okay. Remember there’s lots to do in growing your own vegetables.

Picking up the baby plants, planting, watering, pampering, harvesting, preparing, eating.
So if the ”Couples” part of the activity was only in the picking it out and bringing it home, that’s okay.

Remember everything is okay when you are okay with everything.

P.S. The beautiful flowers on a pansy are edible and look so pretty on a home-grown salad. If I had to describe what a pansy tastes like…

I would say……….. they taste pretty.