Gardening has been a challenge since we left the city. We realized very quickly how little we actually knew about gardening. In the city we used wooden boxes and had our soil delivered. There was no need to amend the soil and there were no weeds. It was fairly simple. Now it is complicated and very labor intensive work. This season began with double digging new beds. I am very proud to say that I double dug one bed almost entirely on my own. The beds seem healthy and the plants seems to love the soil and compost we have used. This process cost us very little, even the stones surrounding the beds were dug out of our property and our creek. We spent a little on soil amendments.
We are still so far away from our goal, but I have made a choice to not focus on that. After reading Hannah Coulter it was very easy to view Our Place with patience. Eric is the right man for the right place, just as Hannah describes her husband Nathan in the book. He is slowly doing the work that needs done and his work does not stand out as fancy or elaborate. It is simply the work that needs done and it fits Our Place because he fits Our Place. Of course, the goal is to become more self sufficient each year...to grow more, preserve more, and raise more animals. That will come, in time.
A few notes to look back on next year...
1. Less plants with better spacing...especially with tomatoes and beans.
2. Grow parsley and dill. How silly to harvest 100 cucumbers, but have to buy dill to pickle them.
3. Grow Copra onions...nothing else. I miss my 100 storage onions from the last two seasons. We have a very small harvest this year.
4. GARLIC
5. Tomato stakes, not cages.
As for this year, the cucumbers have been extremely successful. I have 15 pints of pickles canned with plenty more to harvest. Cucumber salsa for dinner tomorrow and then I'll probably start making relish. I am making pesto to freeze this week, the basil has done well this year as well. Green beans, enough for a meal or two a week...no where near enough to can. I would love to try and grow enough to can next year. The asparagus bed is in, which was a crazy amount of hard work digging and refilling that trench. I sure hope it comes back up next year! Chard...easy and healthy. Carrots are looking super. Peppers...I'm about ready to give up. We stink at growing peppers. Maybe pots next year? And then there are the tomatoes. They are huge, almost too big. They love the compost filled, double dug bed. They are slowly starting to turn red. I really hope they make some progress this week because I really don't like fried green tomatoes very well.
We need to gather up some energy for fall planting now.
We are still so far away from our goal, but I have made a choice to not focus on that. After reading Hannah Coulter it was very easy to view Our Place with patience. Eric is the right man for the right place, just as Hannah describes her husband Nathan in the book. He is slowly doing the work that needs done and his work does not stand out as fancy or elaborate. It is simply the work that needs done and it fits Our Place because he fits Our Place. Of course, the goal is to become more self sufficient each year...to grow more, preserve more, and raise more animals. That will come, in time.
A few notes to look back on next year...
1. Less plants with better spacing...especially with tomatoes and beans.
2. Grow parsley and dill. How silly to harvest 100 cucumbers, but have to buy dill to pickle them.
3. Grow Copra onions...nothing else. I miss my 100 storage onions from the last two seasons. We have a very small harvest this year.
4. GARLIC
5. Tomato stakes, not cages.
As for this year, the cucumbers have been extremely successful. I have 15 pints of pickles canned with plenty more to harvest. Cucumber salsa for dinner tomorrow and then I'll probably start making relish. I am making pesto to freeze this week, the basil has done well this year as well. Green beans, enough for a meal or two a week...no where near enough to can. I would love to try and grow enough to can next year. The asparagus bed is in, which was a crazy amount of hard work digging and refilling that trench. I sure hope it comes back up next year! Chard...easy and healthy. Carrots are looking super. Peppers...I'm about ready to give up. We stink at growing peppers. Maybe pots next year? And then there are the tomatoes. They are huge, almost too big. They love the compost filled, double dug bed. They are slowly starting to turn red. I really hope they make some progress this week because I really don't like fried green tomatoes very well.
We need to gather up some energy for fall planting now.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You are my hero.
Debby said...
6:32 PM
I say why all the hard work, just plant a composte garden. Your's is doing quite well!
Debby said...
9:35 AM