One of great things about living in a large European city like London or Paris is the plentiful access to stores and markets within walking distance. It’s no wonder that Parisians buy groceries on a daily basis, instead of weekly or even monthly like many Americans.
Although living in the suburbs of Chicago has its perks, one thing I miss about living in the city is being able to walk to the local market or bakery. But instead of complaining about my lack of access, my husband and I created our own “market” in the backyard.
Our first garden was modestly small, with just a few pepper and tomato plants. Yet, year after year, we’ve become more and more ambitious, even planting from seeds instead of seedlings or small plants.
For the last few summers, we’ve had to go no further than our backyard for crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, snappy beans, carrots, lettuces, basil/cilantro, and more. My son even planted corn this year, which was an adventure all its own. The garden vegetables are not only convenient, but they are super fresh. And, it’s very exciting to watch the garden flourish throughout the summer and know that the harvest is a result of patience and hard work.
We may not be able to do all of our grocery shopping from our backyard, but the daily offerings our garden provides gives a whole new meaning to living the farm-to-table life.
