April is National Garden Month, so get out there and get grubby! It’s an excellent way to get some Vitamin D, and fresh produce. Larger plantings or vines may also shade your home from the brutal sun of summer.

If you don’t have a yard, consider container gardening or applying for a plot in a community garden. Either way, you may want to take advantage of the city’s annual rain barrel sale so that you can water your plants with no-cost chlorine-free water. You can also feed your plants for free with compost available during normal recycling center hours (T&R 4–7:30PM and S 9–4PM) thanks to the city’s compost program and the local businesses and homeowners who contribute their food waste.

If you are lucky enough to have a yard, consider seeking Backyard Wildlife Habitat certification from the NWF. You should also have you soil tested for lead, especially if you plant to grow any root vegetables, herbs or leafy greens for the table. UMass Amherst offers a low-cost “standard test” which will warn you of any problems with lead, as well as provide information about basic plant nutrient levels.

To learn more about the stuff you’ll playing in for the next few months check out Dirt! The trailer is below, and if you missed the recent showing at the Boston Public Library, it will be playing on WGBH soon during Independent Lens. It is currently scheduled for April 20^th at 10PM, but will certainly be repeated a few times afterward.