Thies will help build and maintain yours
By John Tredrea, Special Writer
Some things are wonderful. Some are beautiful. Some are both — like a garden. Especially your garden.
West Amwell’s Jacob Thies, descended from a long line of Garden State farmers, is helping folks start their own organic gardens.
"What we do is build productive, manageable gardens in families’ backyards," Mr. Thies said.
"Each garden is handcrafted to suit the family’s needs. All materials are local, all seeds and seedlings are organic and started ourselves. No power tools are used in any of the processes."
The colors and textures of a garden can make it beautiful. Among its attributes are its abilities to save you money, make you healthier and ease pressure on the ecosystem.
"With your own organic garden, you can cut costs, make fewer trips to the supermarket and not have to eat vegetables grown halfway across the country," Mr. Thies said.
"Unless you walk to the market, you’re likely burning fossil fuels in the vehicle you use to get there, as do the vehicles that bring vegetables "halfway across the country."
So you decide to go this route and get a garden. Then what?
"We can maintain the gardens we start for people, or give them the skills to do it themselves," Mr. Thies said. "We can accommodate anybody and any parcel of land, from a front porch garden to a full walk-in garden."
Hillcrest Urban Gardening offers several basic packages.
"A 4-by-4-foot garden has basic herbs and vegetables," Mr. Thies said. "We offer 4-by-8 foot and 4-by-12 foot packages as well."
What can you grow?
"Fifty different herbs and vegetables that do well in the soils in this area," he said. "Leafy greens like kale and chard, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, herbs . . ."
To find out more, go to www.hillcresturbangardening.com.

