In the begining.......

Hello garden enthusiasts, my name is Kyle and I am starting at square one in becoming a home gardener.
My goal is to create a garden that will:
1. Provide my family with nourishing wholesome food
2. Create an area in my yard that will integrate native plants with edible plants and vegetables
2. Provide an outlet of serenity and peacefulness
4. Contribute to Earth's sustainability by reducing our carbon footprint and promote a "green-living" environment
5. Create an area of rich native biodiversity
6. Promote others to start a life of sustainability and true food for their bodies.

So I am starting my journey to accomplish these tasks. I have purchased my first home in St. Louis County and have a large yard to accomplish my goals. You may ask what has inspired me to build a garden? Well I am a teacher (Biology Teacher) and after teaching the importance of vegetables and fruits for the body, I feel that it is important for me to lead in example for my students. For my class, I taught the dangers of what proccessed foods can do to the body (take note that I had a McDonald's breakfast that morning) and I thought to myself why I don't follow my own teachings? I am not an effective teacher if I don't show to my students the importance of healthy living and eating. So here I am taking the steps to accomplish my goal. But I just don't want to just create a garden, I also want to contribute to Earth's sustainability. After taking an Ecology course this fall semester, I have learned the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and protecting biodiversity. So I have also taken the challenge of creating a garden that will contribute to reducing my family's carbon footprint and promote biodiversity by planting native plants.

This is a lot right? Well this is why I am blogging, because it is an excellent resource for getting ideas and talking with others that have same goals. I also hope to inspire others to lead a healthier life both physically and environmentally! So lets get to work and get dirty!