So this year for Audrey's birthday she asked if she could plant a garden. How can you say "No" to a birthday request like that? She has always loved gardens. Her Grandma Wendy plants a garden every year and we have eaten the most wonderful vegetables as a result. Wendy grows carrots and potatoes and beans and even has scarecrows to keep the deer away. There is nothing like a carrot pulled fresh from the ground.
Audrey has also helped her Aunt Sandra plant wonderful gardens. I was always amazed how Sandra knew just when the time was right to plant and grow and cook all the marvelous food out of what use to be a box of dirt! Then months ago we were visiting my cousin Emily and Audrey saw the vegetables, berries and chocolate mint she had growing in her garden and made another plea for a garden at our house.
The pressure was on! Like I said she has seen some amazing gardens and tasted the wonderful food that comes from them and I was stressed. I didn't really know where to begin. When should we plant, what should we plant, how many seeds go where, how much sun do I need, how much water..... yikes!
After her birthday we had the seeds ready to go but I was still apprehensive (I know I was over thinking it!). Then I came across this amazing site all about home farming. Check it out HERE! It went through everything step by step. After a few last minute tips from Emily we went for it.
Easter weekend we prepared the soil and planted green onions, radishes, lettuce, beans and carrots. A few weeks later we planted some herbs. I was just hoping that at least one seed would sprout so Audrey wouldn't be disappointed.
Audrey can see the garden from her bedroom window and she would check every morning. About a week later we were SO excited when the radishes started to sprout. Now everyone in the family is in on the fun. We all peek out the window or go in the back and check out what is happening at least once a day.
First sprouts - radishes
Next came the beans
When we moved into the house we had a small orange tree with just one orange. We decided to plant a lemon tree and hoped that this year we might get to eat some fruit. It worked! We have made a few glasses of orange juice and have been cooking with our lemons. I love the smell of the flowers on the orange tree and also the smell of the lemons when they are first picked.
The Garden today!
It's not very big and we may only get one meal from it but it's been so much fun! Now we know what we are doing and we can keep trying different things. It's been a good lesson for me -
Learn something new!
It doesn't have to be perfect and it's totally worth the effort!
5 comments:
I love it! Tim wanted a garden here but we never got around to it. My mom loves her garden too. The kids are getting so old!
Your garden looks great. Now; you can plant another row of everything between the rows that are up. Since you have a year round growing season you will always have new things to eat when the the previous ones are all eaten. That works great for things like radishes and lettuce. Grandma wendy
Fun!! Can't wait to taste the garden feast!!!!!!
you were definitely over thinking it ; )
if you plant it, it will grow. i can't wait to get our trees planted. i don't think we'll have a garden this year but hopefully next.
your oranges and lemons are totally making me jealous... i LOVE lemons on just about anything. it would be so nice to walk out into the back yard and grab one whenever you wanted.
can't wait to see how it grows. and every year you plant you figure out the little tricks and what you would do different the next year.
looks GREAT Auder!
that is awesome.
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