Spring is officially here! Although from the weather outside, you'd think it was still winter. (Got to love weather in Northern Nevada!) Over the last couple of weeks, I've been working on getting my gardens ready for planting in the next month or two. I love having a garden! I grew up in a house that had a large garden out in back. If I remember correctly, it was about 25' x 50' and we had rows of corn, green beans, numerous squash, berries, and potatoes. I remember having to weed it as a kid and how my brother and I hated picking the rows of green beans (but then loving to eat them once it was done). It was such a great memory for me as a kid and I hope that my kids will have the same memories as well.
For about 10 years, while we lived down in Las Vegas, we didn't have a garden. I really would have loved one, but with a very tiny west facing backyard in Las Vegas heat (110 degrees on avg.), crummy soil, and dogs who liked to eat all our plants, it just wasn't happening. I was so thrilled when we moved back up to Sparks that our new house had a pre-existing garden with room to expand if we wanted.
The first year with our garden, we expanded from a 13' x 8' (approx.) little garden to a 23' x 11' (approx.) garden. My youngest was about 3 months old when it came time to start planting, so with a lot of help from from my dad and husband, they helped make the expansion possible. I forgot how well zucchini and squash do and ended up planting 9 plants. Plus 9 roma tomato plants. They took over the garden that first year and we gave a TON away. I really wish I knew how to can then. Luckily I was able to freeze quite a bit with a Foodsaver. It was nice to have all through winter (and beyond)! My oldest sure loved that year in the garden! She was constantly digging and of course eating everything she could. Here are a few pictures from before and after the first expansion:
For about 10 years, while we lived down in Las Vegas, we didn't have a garden. I really would have loved one, but with a very tiny west facing backyard in Las Vegas heat (110 degrees on avg.), crummy soil, and dogs who liked to eat all our plants, it just wasn't happening. I was so thrilled when we moved back up to Sparks that our new house had a pre-existing garden with room to expand if we wanted.
The first year with our garden, we expanded from a 13' x 8' (approx.) little garden to a 23' x 11' (approx.) garden. My youngest was about 3 months old when it came time to start planting, so with a lot of help from from my dad and husband, they helped make the expansion possible. I forgot how well zucchini and squash do and ended up planting 9 plants. Plus 9 roma tomato plants. They took over the garden that first year and we gave a TON away. I really wish I knew how to can then. Luckily I was able to freeze quite a bit with a Foodsaver. It was nice to have all through winter (and beyond)! My oldest sure loved that year in the garden! She was constantly digging and of course eating everything she could. Here are a few pictures from before and after the first expansion:
So it was about this time that I started learning more about GMOs (2012). I always knew I wanted an organic garden, especially with the kids and dogs eating straight from it. I also started learning more about heirloom plants vs. hybrids. For those of you who don't already garden or know the difference - heirlooms are plants that have been breed for generations and take on the characteristics of both parent plants. They carry these traits down from generation to generation. They are also open-pollinated, meaning they are pollinated by the wind or by bees. Most of them are considered to be at least 50 years old or more, although this is subjective. Hybrids are a cross from two different types of a plant (i.e. two varieties of tomatoes) and are bred for certain characteristics. They are named for their generations (i.e. F1 for first generation, F2 for second generation, etc.) and they are breed through human manipulation. The hybrid plants may not continue to produce the same traits that they were bred for over time and instead revert back to what one of the parent plants traits were. Some subsequent generations may also be sterile (will sprout, but will not produce fruit). GMO seeds should also not be confused with hybrids. Hybrids are made through traditional breeding methods while GMOs are made in a lab by inserting DNA from other species into the seeds which couldn't happen naturally in nature. There are some pros and cons to both heirloom and hybrid. Heirlooms can be a little trickier to plant, especially if you are used to hybrids. They can be a little less hardy and more susceptible to pests than their hybrid counterparts. Heirlooms typically taste much better than hybrids though.
For the 2013 planting season, I went with almost all heirloom varieties. We also expanded again. I kept the original expanded garden and added an additional garden to the side of the house where it was all open still. I also added a few container gardens on the patio. This was definitely another experimental year for growing. I like to rotate where my crops are grown and also do companion planting. By doing this it helps keep the soil from being stripped of nutrients and also can help with pest control. I also started making my own compost the year before, so this was added into the soil as well for extra nutrients. I learned my lesson from the year before and didn't plant as many zucchini and squash or tomatoes. However, this created problems of its own. In the original garden, we had an infestation of squash bugs, as I call them. I think they are actually stink bugs and they can take over a plant and practically kill it. So I only got a few zucchini and squash this last year, but it was much nicer than the previous year. The tomatoes were moved to containers on the patio. Unfortunately there was no other flowering plants close by and therefor no bees to pollinate either. I ended up having to hand pollinate the tomatoes all season and ended up with only a few. Luckily some friends and family had more than plenty they were willing to part with and I was able to learn to can and make marinara and tomato sauce for the first time. Here are a few pictures from this last years gardens:
For the 2013 planting season, I went with almost all heirloom varieties. We also expanded again. I kept the original expanded garden and added an additional garden to the side of the house where it was all open still. I also added a few container gardens on the patio. This was definitely another experimental year for growing. I like to rotate where my crops are grown and also do companion planting. By doing this it helps keep the soil from being stripped of nutrients and also can help with pest control. I also started making my own compost the year before, so this was added into the soil as well for extra nutrients. I learned my lesson from the year before and didn't plant as many zucchini and squash or tomatoes. However, this created problems of its own. In the original garden, we had an infestation of squash bugs, as I call them. I think they are actually stink bugs and they can take over a plant and practically kill it. So I only got a few zucchini and squash this last year, but it was much nicer than the previous year. The tomatoes were moved to containers on the patio. Unfortunately there was no other flowering plants close by and therefor no bees to pollinate either. I ended up having to hand pollinate the tomatoes all season and ended up with only a few. Luckily some friends and family had more than plenty they were willing to part with and I was able to learn to can and make marinara and tomato sauce for the first time. Here are a few pictures from this last years gardens:
This year will probably be another experimental year as well to see what will work best in the containers and the other gardens. I'm also planning another small expansion, although this one is much less labor intensive as the others were. Since the pumpkins and squash took over the last years garden, they are being moved to some empty spots around the yard so they have plenty of room to grow. I'll be adding a few new flowers and other bee-friendly plants to the container areas in hopes the bees will frequent the area a little more and do some pollinating. Here's a little preview of this year's garden:
I love that my girls love to help with the garden! They love to dig in the dirt (what kids don't?), plant the seeds and cover them, play with worms, watch the plants grow, and of course eat everything straight from the garden. Last year we wouldn't even make it out of the garden before all of the strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries were eaten. They are constantly snacking on cilantro, basil, onions, lettuce, and other herbs too. Funny how when I bring the veggies in the house, they suddenly don't taste as good to them. Guess they like them as fresh as possible!
We are planting another almost all heirloom and/or organic seed garden. I love getting my seeds from Seed Savers. They have a pretty extensive catalog and the shipping has always been really good. There are plenty of other heirloom seed companies out there as well. If there are things from Seed Savers that I can't find, I'll go to some of the local nurseries that sell organic/heirloom seeds/seedlings as well.
We are planting another almost all heirloom and/or organic seed garden. I love getting my seeds from Seed Savers. They have a pretty extensive catalog and the shipping has always been really good. There are plenty of other heirloom seed companies out there as well. If there are things from Seed Savers that I can't find, I'll go to some of the local nurseries that sell organic/heirloom seeds/seedlings as well.
Here are a few fun facts about gardening that I love.
- Gardening can relieve stress. The simple act of digging in the earth and trimming plants can help your mind decompress .
- Gardening is good for your mental health. Studies have shown that gardening can help improve depression symptoms.
- Gardening is exercise. (In case you didn't already know this.) It gets you out into the fresh air and sunshine too! And it's an exercise that you're more likely to stick with.
- Gardening is good for brain health. Some studies have shown that the physical acts associated with gardening can help lower your risk of developing dementia.
- Gardening is nutritious. When you grow your own food, you know exactly where your food is coming from, what is (or isn't) getting sprayed on it, and it is the most nutrient dense food you can get because it is so fresh. And an added bonus, because it's so fresh, it will taste much better too!
- Gardening can improve your satisfaction with life. Who wouldn't be when surrounded by yummy fruit & veggies, flowers, sunshine, and wildlife?
- Gardening can lower your risk for osteoporosis. All that physical activity is good for your bones too!
- Gardening can lower your risk for diabetes. Again, another great side effect of physical activity.
- Gardening can help you get better sleep. By relieving anxiety and stress, you can get better sleep.
- Gardening can help save the bees! By doing your part and planting organic, you can help feed the bees.
If you don't already garden and you'd like to start, but are afraid to... don't be! It really doesn't take much effort or space. I don't have much of a green thumb (just ask my house plants), so if I can do it, anybody can. All you need is the right mix of soil & compost, water, and sun. Thank goodness for our sprinkler system! My houseplants might actually survive if I could remember to water them more consistently. If you have good soil, regular watering, and the right amount of sun, nature will take care of the rest. You also don't need a lot of space for a garden. We are fortunate that we have enough space in our yard for such large gardens, but if you don't, container gardens are great! There are so many things that can be grown in containers either outside on a patio or even inside (especially during the winter). And one of the best parts about gardening is that it's pretty cheap to get started. A packet of seeds costs between $1-$5 with about 25-100 seeds (depending on the type of plant) and each full sized plant can give you many pounds of free food. And you can't go wrong with free food!
Here are a few links if you'd like to learn more about gardening or stop by your local nursery and ask how to get started:
Seed Savers - http://www.seedsavers.org/
Organic Gardening - http://www.organicgardening.com/
List of Heirloom Seed Companies - http://www.off-grid.info/food-independence/heirloom-seed-suppliers.html
Mother Earth News - http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/our-favorite-heirloom-seed-companies.aspx#axzz2xQZdgT9q
Here are a few links if you'd like to learn more about gardening or stop by your local nursery and ask how to get started:
Seed Savers - http://www.seedsavers.org/
Organic Gardening - http://www.organicgardening.com/
List of Heirloom Seed Companies - http://www.off-grid.info/food-independence/heirloom-seed-suppliers.html
Mother Earth News - http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/our-favorite-heirloom-seed-companies.aspx#axzz2xQZdgT9q
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