By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

The Ancient Pursuit Of Gardening

Gardening or home agriculture – the intentional planting and cultivation of plants for food or aesthetics – goes back thousands of years.

Whether it was merely pulling a weed that threatened a more desirable plant or giving a drink to a thirsty flower early man found attractive, gardening has been around a long, long time. We know from archeological digs that at least 10,000 years ago, man intentionally cultivated and harvested certain grains and other plants that were once available only in the wild.

The New Oxford Book of Plants reveals that in about 8000 BC in the Fertile Crescent of the Near and Middle East (present-day Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and Israel), wheat, barley, lentils, peas, bitter vetch, chick-peas and possibly faba beans, were brought into cultivation by the Neolithic people. From their point of origin, many of these crops spread throughout the world reaching Greece by 6000 BC. Evidence of their presence within that millennium has been found in the Danube Basin, the Nile Valley and the Indian subcontinent (Pakistan). Dispersal continued across Europe and the crops reached Britain and Scandinavia in 4000-2000 BC.

Egyptian tomb paintings dated to approximately 2000 BC show acacia and palm trees planted in symmetrical, ornamental rows to enhance lotus ponds; proof positive that ancient peoples went to great lengths to use plants to enrich their lives.

Fast forward to Moapa Valley 2011 and almost everywhere you look there is a home gardener trying his or her hand at raising flowers or investing time and effort taking care of a vegetable garden plot or special fruit tree.

Gardening appeals to nearly all peoples no matter their sex, age, ethnicity, background or whatever. The magic of putting a small brown seed into the soil, adding a few elements like water and perhaps a few minerals and then watching the spot erupt into an amazing colorful bloom or tasty vegetable is intoxicating.

Some people believe gardening is like therapy, others say it is just good exercise; some insist gardening is a combination of both. It helps them slow down, get outside and smell the roses, as it were. There are endless motivators that stir people to grow their own food, not the least of which is the desire to know where their food has been and what it has come in contact with before it’s eaten.

In the last two weeks, more than 80 people were sickened in 18 states, 15 of whom died, after eating cantaloupes contaminated with listeria that were grown at a Colorado farm. Serious illnesses linked to contaminated food are becoming more and more common, in part because of the twisted road food often takes from farm to fork. Last week a major California grower recalled some 90 cartons of two-pound bags of lettuce because of possible listeria contamination.

This is the first installment of a regular column the Progress is starting to help local residents (on both sides of I-15) garden and grow their own produce.

While its primary focus will be on vegetable gardening, most, if not all the techniques, ideas and suggestions we will discuss and describe will help any gardener grow just about anything.

We’ll rely heavily on the infinite knowledge of the internet, the many gardening texts available, the vast knowledge and experience of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) experts such as Dr. Angela O’Callaghan and M.L. Robinson in Las Vegas, the many Master Gardeners affiliated with UNCE as well as local expert gardeners. Our hope is that it will be a learning experience that will enrich your gardening knowhow and your desire to learn (and grow) more.

Month to month we hope to help residents prepare their garden beds and do all the things necessary to be a successful gardener. For the novice and expert alike, we’ll talk about amending the soil, composting, irrigation and more.

This will be a place to ask questions about your soil, your plants, your vegetables, your trees and your problems. It will also eventually be a place where you can share your successes.

Suggestions and comments about the column are encouraged and always welcome. Contact me via email at mouse@mvdsl.com