As we are becoming a more health conscious society everyone wants to know what is really in their food, and what does "organic" really means. One way to be certain of what is in your food is to grow it yourself. Amber Harmon tried vegetable gardening and met challenge after challenge in Central Florida; from soil that lacks the nutrients to grow, to weeds, bugs and other pests. Growing a traditional vegetable garden takes daily care and attention.
Determined to find a better way, she left an established 15-year career in Information Technology Project Management to peruse a passion for health and organic vegetable education for everyone in the community. Amber collaborated with local companies and developed a low-maintenance gardening system that reduces gardening challenges with an elevated, self-watering, no weeding gardening system for your home or business. This system reduces and in some cases eliminates the daily issues associated with traditional gardening. The garden is 3' by 6' and fits nicely inside a screened in pool or any backyard. The garden has an attractive design and comes in white or natural wood stain to match any outdoor decor. She will deliver the garden to your home and set it up with starter plants and seeds that you choose from a list of seasonal vegetables.
Then for families and business owners that just do not have the time or experience to take care of a vegetable garden, even with a low-maintenance system, she added the Standard Garden Service to her business model. The Garden Service is every other week. Amber will not only guarantee the health of your vegetables, but she will also education your family and children on how to grow and harvest vegetables. Just remember, "Children that grow their vegetables, eat their vegetables". The vegetable selection in the garden is refreshed for each season and this is all included in the Standard Service. This ensures year-round variety so your family will not get tired of a certain vegetable. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy a bountiful harvest of organic, non-GMO vegetables.
Some of the benefits of having your own organic vegetable garden are that you know exactly what organic means. Amber only uses organic, non-GMO and heirloom seeds. She also uses organic soil and fertilizer. This is coupled with the gardening philosophy that putting the right plant in the place and focusing on the health of the plant prevents most of the pest issues faced in a traditional in ground garden. When the garden is yours, you will know and see everything that goes into the vegetable garden and you can trust that it is organically grown.
When vegetables are grown with nutrient rich organic soil and picked fresh from the garden, they provide the highest level of nutrition for your family. When you grow your own vegetables, you never wonder how long they sat on a grocery shelf or what treatments they had for transportation. These vegetables go straight from the garden to the table.
As the holidays approach and you are driving by the Laureate Park Community Gardens thinking about how much your family could benefit from fresh vegetables if you only had the time; remember there is another option, having your own vegetable garden along with a garden service.
Amber Harmon is not only a Master Gardener; she has a 15-year career in technology with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and an Executive MBA from UCF. Amber has left her career in technology behind to pursue her passion for educating communities on health and the benefits of organic vegetables.
The spark began at home when trying to convince her small children to eat their vegetables. Amber would always present vegetable options and dress them up with cheese and butter. The familiarity and repetition did help some to her children eat vegetables. The tables turned when she started growing her own vegetables with her children. The way their eyes got big when they saw the growth in the garden. Touching and harvesting the vegetables themselves and taking them inside to clean them. Then something magical happened when those same vegetables appeared at the table, her children could not wait to eat them. The struggle was over and Amber became determined to help share this experience with the community in a low-maintenance vegetable garden for homes and businesses, that fits into everyone's busy schedule. Thus, the birth of, "My Nona's Garden."
