Reality Check

So does this mean you’ll be tilling the back 40 and investing in pricey equipment? Heck, no. All you really need is a shovel, a rake, a bucket, and water. Gene and Jan Harlow both grew up as backyard gardeners and even they started small.

“Test your interest, and then add on as your needs grow,” says Gene. The couple’s first garden at their Laurel, Mississippi, home measured 7 x 16 feet and included eight tomatoes, an assortment of peppers, and herbs for cooking. Now their backyard serves as the nucleus for the much-expanded garden that this family of five cooks from today.