Blueberries from my backyard berry patch Getting dirty has a whole lot of benefits. When the military relocated my family to the South East, I was excited to grow a whole plethora of fruits and vegetables that don't thrive in the Northwest. Citrus trees, anyone?  I was also thrilled that after years of living in base housing or renting, we were able to purchase a home with lots of room for gardening. I was not raised by gardeners, but have always had the urge to grow things. My base-housing porches often hosted a variety of tomatoes and strawberries in planters and I've been known to sneak broccoli and cabbage into my landscaping. Just saying. With the space to grow our own food, it's been an adventure in trial and error. Some plants die. I have no idea why. One day they are fine. The next they are yellow, limp, or squashed flat to the ground by the mysterious character "Not Me." The kids love helping plant new seeds and sprouts. They don't en...