Editor note: This article was the first in a series written at the beginning of the pandemic by local gardeners. Originally published April 6, 2020.

There is a lot of uncertainty right now. Growing a garden can help. Working the soil and planting seeds can give us hope. Although things don’t always turn out as expected, at least we’ll end up with something good to eat. Don’t be afraid of seeds, they just want to grow!

Gardens provide a connection to the seasons and a relationship to food that is lacking on many tables in this country. At our house, our kids have learned to anticipate the sweetness of a red, ripe June strawberry and the gluttony of July blueberries. They know that eating a raspberry off the vine, still warm from the sun, is an act of pure pleasure. They know the short (but abundant) month of asparagus in spring, and the reliability of kale as it provides salads throughout winter.

I started gardening in Everett 12 years ago because I love food. I love cooking delicious and nutritious meals, and having access to fresh ingredients right outside my kitchen ensures I have the best tasting results. 

Here are my best tips for starting a garden of your own.

• Purchase the Seattle Tilth’s Maritime Northwest Gardening Guide. This month-by-month gardening calendar explains what to plant, when to plant it, and even suggests specific varieties that thrive in our area.  This is an essential resource I use year after year. 

• Amend your soil with compost and a balanced fertilizer.  Your garden will be more drought tolerant, pest resistant and productive when the soil is healthy.  Cedar Grove makes great products. The Sno-Isle Co-op sells compost in bags or you can order from Cedar Grove directly for larger quantities. E.B Stone makes a great all purpose fertilizer that should be incorporated into your soil.

• Try growing the easiest crops first.  

  • Lettuce: My favorite is called Magenta. It has an extremely long growing season, it’s beautiful, huge and tender.  

  • Fennel (bulbing): It’s expensive so it saves money to grow it at home. It’s delicious roasted and also shaved raw in salads. My favorite variety is Preludio.  

  • Green Beans: Grow green beans. Last summer we grew over 40 pounds of beans! My all-time favorite variety is Fortex. They grow 11” long so you get lots of bean for your buck!  

Lastly, plant some perennial berries like raspberries or blueberries.  These crops will come back year after year with little effort.

When you watch your food grow from seed to sprout, sprout to plant, and plant to plate you’ll develop a relationship with it. You will be so excited to prepare and eat it. That pride might bring you a little more hope. Isn’t that what we could all use more of right now?  

Check out our other Everett gardening articles.

Brittney Rourke is always planning her next meal.  When she’s not in the kitchen or cultivating her year-round garden, you can probably find her at the YMCA working out with friends.