The Easter Parade

It's a gorgeous sunny Easter Sunday, and I want to get some vegetables started in the backyard garden. I just heard about a great stock of lettuce seedlings at a nearby store, so I jumped in the car and ran down to 440 Farms, a fruit and vegetable market nearby on Route 440 in Jersey City. Friends had told me about the nice fresh fruits and vegetables you can find there, and about the fish they have on Fridays. (More on that in a later post.)

I parked in the gravel lot and headed toward the large plastic greenhouse. Near the entrance were flats of violas, sunny yellow alongside deep purple, a dazzling Easter display. Farther in I found the Easter flower pots filled with tulips and hyacinths and other seasonal blooms. Plastic markers in each pot shouted Happy Easter!

But inside, in the heart of the greenhouse, I hit pay dirt. There I surveyed the vegetables, row upon row of bright green seedlings, beautifully arranged to make a sea of greens, a feast for the eyes, some light, some dark, some with a purple cast, others almost yellow. I scanned the rows and found what I wanted to get my garden started—lettuce, beets, arugula, onions, broccoli raab, and Swiss chard. These would give me an early start. I can follow up later and direct sow more vegetables so I can have fresh produce throughout the season. The triple packs of good big seedlings were $1.89, not a bad price considering there were 6 to 10 plants in each pack.

The plants are in the ground and the Easter Parade is now marching through my backyard. I can almost taste the fresh greens and vegetables that I'll start to harvest in late May.

By the way, I looked over the other plants at 440 Farms and found some great azaleas, white or salmon. At $12.50 for a nice big plant, I couldn't resist. I got one to put in a shady corner at the entrance to the garden.

The season is just getting started and there's still loads of time to get that backyard vegetable garden going. Michelle Obama is gardening at the White House and you can do the same at your place—eat healthy, save money, and go green(s). Start small, just get started. And remember that 440 Farms is your partner in this endeavor. By the way, the vegetable seedlings are local, Jersey born and bred.

440 Farms Inc.
Route 440 and Clarke Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07304
201 451-6207