Jackson Free Press

I grew up swearing I would never step foot in a garden again. My stepdaddy's hobby was growing stuff, and he would produce way more watermelons, tomatoes, potatoes and what not than any of us could eat. Which was great: I loved his yield.

But he tried to bounce me out of bed at the crack of dawn to go out and hoe his big hobby ground under the hot Mississippi sun. I put down the hoe when I was 14.

Now, like many urbanites, I love the idea of gardening and growing my own food. I'm not great at it, but I swear I'm going to be at some point. Not to mention, I really, really want one of those spinning composters from Fair Trade Handicrafts (2807 Old Canton Road, 601-987-0002) like my friend Amy has on her roof in New York City. Some day.

Meantime, I'll enjoy reading about other people growing their own food, canning it, drying their herbs. A really fun book, and blog, is by Spring Warren (hippie parents, perhaps?). "The Quarter-Acre Farm: How I Kept the Patio, Lost the Lawn, and Fed My Family for a Year" (Seal Press, 2011, $17.95) is another in the hip back-to-the-farm genre books filled with personal stories, fun writing, gardening tips and lots of recipes.

I plan to get Todd (who actually cooks and not just reads cookbooks) to make the Pasta con Zucca as soon as I can get to the farmers market to buy some squash.

Who knows: Maybe I'll garden and cook a bit next year? Or not.

Live and garden vicariously on Spring Warren's blog at http://thequarteracrefarm.com.