You don't need lots of land to grow vegetables
BY JAN RIGGENBACH Daily Herald Correspondent

Forget spading up a new plot for vegetables. Instead, tuck a few vegetables right into flower borders. Eggplants, peppers and Swiss chard are as handsome as any flower. A variety of lettuces makes a charming border.

Choose disease-resistant varieties. Grow vegetables that don't get sick; it's a lot easier than spraying those that do. You can find information on disease resistance on seed packets, in mail-order catalogs, garden books, at your county's Cooperative Extension office or from experienced gardeners.

Choose a sunny spot. All vegetables need sunlight to succeed. If your yard is shady, try planting vegetables in containers in a sunny spot on the porch or deck.

Add compost and a slow-release organic fertilizer to the soil before you plant; then relax. Your plants will need no further fertilizer to get them through the season.

Plant your vegetables within easy reach of the garden hose. When dry weather comes, watering won't be a chore.

Control weeds with mulch. As soon as your plants are up and growing, spread a layer of grass clippings or other mulch on the bare ground around them. (Avoid clippings from lawns that have been treated with herbicide in the last month.)

Pick small. By harvesting beans, cucumbers, squash and many other vege-tables before they become giants, you'll be rewarded not only with gourmet quality but also with increased production.

Stay calm when you see insects. The majority of insects are good guys. Most of the bad guys are easy to deter with safe, easy controls such as spraying with plain water or a store-bought or home-made solution with soap or hot peppers.

At the end of the season, remove spent plants. Fall cleanup goes a long way in controlling future problems with diseases and insects.

Put plant wastes in a compost pile and return them to the soil in spring.