We didn't know anything about gardening. We spontaneously cleared a space in my parents yard in the beginning of May, threw the seeds in and watered it. A month later we put up a fence when rabbits started attacking. We got about 5 salads worth of lettuce, a few handfuls of cilantro, 10 smoothies worth of kale, tons of cucumbers, and about 30 surprise jalapenos in the middle of September.
By the way I say "we" but really Tommy did everything. I maybe went down there three or four times...
This year is different though. I finally have our dream garden space, I've been reading a lot about gardening (and preserving), I'm making a plan, and I'm hopeful and confident we'll have a successful harvest this year.
The first major part of my planning was ordering the seeds.
As much as I want to max out all the space we have, I also know that I need to make my first real garden manageable. So I narrowed it down based on:
1. What We Eat Often
Although we eat peas, squash, and asparagus on occasion, we don't eat them often enough to want a large amount of them.
2. What Grows Well In Our Zone
Jalapenos, kale, zucchini, and cucumbers are a few of our favorite foods that are all fairly low maintenance and high yield crops in Michigan.
3. What We Have Space For
My main garden area is about 25 feet by 35 feet. I also have two 5x10 foot spaces on the side of the pole barn I can use. I don't think I'll fill all the available space this year - thankfully we are blessed with lots of room!
What we're planting:
- Carrots
- Jalapenos
- Onions
- Celery
- Cucumbers (two types)
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Bell Peppers
- Zucchini
- Spinach
- Tomatoes (three types)
- Cilantro
- and a few other herbs and sunflowers
What we're not planting (but I plan to buy locally from stands & the Farmer's Market):
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Beets
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Corn
- Potatoes
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Apples
- other herbs
I'm excited, nervous, and really just anxious to get out of the cold house in be outside! Once my seeds are in, I'll post Part II - which will include my quantities of each crop, planting schedule, layout, and a few more things I'm still researching.
What else should I include in my first-time garden plans?
Good for you! I had a garden plan, but it also involved a large summer CSA share, so now I need to re-think what I had started out with. Now I need to include a lot more greens and herbs, which I typically get a lot of from the CSA. Back to the drawing board I guess! Can't wait to follow your garden plans, and see how it all turns out!
ReplyDeleteWe plant a garden every year. I always help my husband with the planting, but then I've always lost interest. :/ Once the vegetables are ready, I always help pick them, and of course I always cook them and help store them. But the tending of the garden I've always left to my husband. This year I plan to be better!! Last year my poor husband had so much going on that the garden took a backseat, and we lost a lot of our crop due to that. I wish I had stepped in and helped him, but for whatever reason I didn't. This year I WILL get out there and help him take care of that thing. And I plan to teach my 2 year old how to help, too. (:
ReplyDeleteoh my two side kicks (3 and 18 months) will be "helping" me for sure :)
DeleteLooks like a great list. Have you thought about fruit trees? I'm not sure what will grow in your area but every year we try to plant one of two fruit trees. They're fairly inexpensive and once they're planted they are pretty low maintenance. And they'll produce for years.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great plan! Don't give up though if something doesn't grow too well for you the first time. I often plant newer vegetables a few years in a row until I can get a "hang of them." When growing many different vegetables, I would get a bit overwhelmed with the care of each one. But some years I would scale back and reintroduce something so I could give it more time and attention.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you've got lots of space for growing!! :)
We did a garden for the first time last year and one thing we learned that we are doing different this year is bees. We need them to pollinate...that may be why your peppers didn't show up! I know that's why we didn't get our squash. Try to find a local bee seller. In addition to having them pollinate for you, the next year you'll have honey and/or beeswax! :)
ReplyDeleteAnother thing you will want to check is the growing time for all your veggies. We planted everything at the same time, but learned later we should've planted broccoli way earlier.
It's all a learning process for sure! Keep a journal too to learn from yourself each year :)
Mulch- that would be my advice as mama with only young children. Keeps the weeds down the moisture in. Makes the weeds that do come up easier to pull. I used a thick layer of news paper covered with dirt last year. This year I plan to do a thinner layer covered with straw. I'd watch the "Back to Eden" documentary which you can watch for free on-line. I don't agree with all their Biblical doctrine, but a LOT of food for though. And PRAY- pray every step of the way that God will bless your efforts, and commit to share with others even if the harvest isn't as big as you were expecting. That's what I have learned.
ReplyDeleteBTW- ran across your blog from your breastfeeding post on intoxicatedonlife
Blessings!c