Tips from a seasoned kitchen gardener

GOSHEN — For Goshen resident Diane Lindsay gardening isn’t just a hobby: it’s a lifestyle.
From beautiful flowers, to herbs and veggies, Lindsay has molded her home garden into her own functional oasis full of lavender, peppermint, oregano, rhubarb, fresh tomatoes, arugula, spinach, scallions and more produce she harvests for daily, year-round use.
In anticipation for this year’s Kitchen Garden Tour, coming up July 29, Lindsay is giving readers a few gardening tips:
Walk the walk“You have to walk in your garden every single day. Because if you are not in the habit things will get away from you: a disease, a pest,” Lindsay said. “You have to go into the garden every day and look and touch and check it out.”
She does a daily lap to pull weeds, dandelions and inspect anything else that may pose a threat to her well-manicured herbs and veggies.
Keep it kosherLindsay grows organically, and avoids unnecessary chemicals or pesticides. She even uses a push mower to avoid gasoline contaminants.
Aside from some Epsom salts to keep her tomatoes thriving, Lindsay pulls weeds by hand keeps her garden green using her own composted materials
Turn a profitLindsay focuses on a growing a few different “genres” of produce. She grows veggies and flowers from seeds or sprouts that were gifted to her.
She also plants produce that is hard to find locally, but perhaps most importantly, she plots produce that is cost-effective.
She spent a couple of dollars on her jalapenos last year—and still has some left over, pickled in her fridge.
“They say beans, sweet potatoes, and hot peppers are really good things for home gardens because you get a lot of bang for your buck,” Lindsay said. “I would also say scallions are a really good one, too.”
Deer-proofThe Village of Goshen is plagued with deer—and Lindsay’s yard is full of tracks, but her hard work remains un-munched. In order to keep deer out of the garden, she recommends a two-pronged attack to keep deer at bay, such as a double-fencing or a fence and strategically placed pots and planters.
“I have one fence, but I have all kinds of stuff around it … beds that they are not going to jump into,” Lindsay said. “This is a big thing—they will not jump if they cannot land safely!”
See Lindsay’s garden and many more during Dirt’s Kitchen Garden Tour.
Tickets: www.kitchengardentours.com.