DC's My Organic Garden: Local service builds and maintains customized organic gardens

March 18, 7:25 AMDenver Sustainable Restaurants ExaminerWill Sullivan

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Josh Wenz maintains an organic garden in NW D.C. (Roshani Kathari)

It’s official, the Victory Garden is back. Spawned at the height of WWII to reduce pressure on the food supply, the Victory Gardens spawned a generation of American gardeners, and even led to the creation of a popular television series.

Our challenging times have once again spawned an interest in home-grown food. According to the USA today, seed sales are up 80 percent over a year prior, and first-time gardeners are scouring the Internet for tips on planting new spring beds. Even the Obamas are joining the movement, pledging just recently to plant a vegetable garden on White House grounds.

If, like many people, you’re nearly certain you could kill a fake houseplant, but still want the ultimate experience in local food, a helpful new service is here to guide those of us cursed with the black thumb toward find gardening bliss in our very own backyards.

My Organic Garden, a two-year old company in the D.C. metro area, provides “full-service organic gardens, custom designed, planted and maintained for you all season long.”

According to a representative with My Organic Garden, customers can expect “a local farmer to come to your home, set up your very own organic garden, allow you to choose the vegetables you wish to grow and even harvest the veggies weekly for you.”

As of now, that farmer is 35-year-old Josh Wenz, a lifelong gardener who in 2007 started My Organic Garden as an experiment in biointensive gardening – maximizing soil health with minimal space – in urban and suburban backyards around D.C.

Moving quickly from a handful of clients in 2005, to now more than 30, Joshua estimates the company’s services can shave anywhere from 3-5 years off of the average time it takes an amateur gardener to grow a successful, season-long garden (April – October).

“For those who want to eat local,” Wendz said, “this is as local as you’re going to get. And there is something to be said for actually seeing your food, what it looks like when it comes out of the ground.”

The cost for a personalized and fully serviced garden varies, but on average, a basic package from My Organic Garden will provide four meals a week for a family of four at approximately $35-40 per week – see below for a list of available vegetables and herbs.

My Organic Garden provides a full host of services, including building the initial garden, soil preparation, plant support and irrigation (go here for a full list).

If you’re interested in starting your own organic garden, be sure to contact My Organic Garden Before March 31 to ensure that you experience the full growing season.

For more information, contact Wendy - Wendy@myorganicgardendc.com - to discuss your proposed garden area and the best package for you.

Vegetable List

March

• Lettuce (Leaf and Romaine) (may be able to do May)
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard (may be able to do May)
• Mustard Greens
• Collard Greens
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Bok Choy
• Peas (sugar snap)
• Turnips
• Beets
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Kohlrabi
• Potatoes

May

• Green Onions
• Onions
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
  • Beefsteak
  • Slicing
  • Paste (Roma)
  • Cherry
• Tomatillos
• Peppers
  •  Bell
  •  Hot
  • Sweet (non-bell)
• Eggplant
• Cucumbers
• Okra
• Green Beans
• Zucchini/Summer Squash
• Spaghetti Squash
• Winter Squash
• Melons (if space permits)
• Pumpkins (if space permits)

Fall

• Brussels Sprouts
• Kale