With Spring fast approaching here at Chez Stoneford, the wonderful La Nina has graced us with a very very mild winter. We can't help the wonderful warm days that are upon us as we step out the door. I also can't help my anticipation of our summer garden fruitions.
Over the past years our ever so brown almost black thumbs have progressively gotten greener and this year, we plan to expand what we have spent the last five springs preparing for...low maintenance, care free and pretty much self sustaining gardening. A lot of trial and error was most of our leg work!
For those of you who choose to have your own home garden, you already know that nothing is better than cooking up a meal and using stuff freshly plucked from right out your back door. Hey, you put in a little leg work and your body is going to thank you for it and so is your wallet. Our family had a wonderful time together last year prepping our garden, working in it and reaping its benefits.
Last spring, we even gave Monk his very own section that he was responsible for taking care of. Yes, I know strange idea putting that kind of responsibility on a 2 year old, but, he loved it and it gave him his own sense of ownership of it. Since we follow the Square Foot Garden method, he obeyed every "rule" we set infront of him about the garden and got upset if any of his tot friends violated them. We envolved him in every aspect about it. From seed starting, tilling and picking out new veggies after the tornado that come through our neighborhood destroyed our hard work. I highly recommend getting your kids involved, hey, you might have your non-lettuce eating mini-human eating what he/she otherwise wouldn't touch, just because he/she grew it themself.
So what are we doing this year? I'll write about our adventures.
Well now is the time to start thinking about starting to grow some seeds. Those catalogs are coming out in full force and local gardening supply stores are stocking their shelves. If you choose to Square foot Garden (SFG) then start getting your boxes ready. Turn over your soils and add some hummus and compost. If you are new to trying to grow or are in the habitual mindset of picking up perishables at the grocer, start small. I recommend no more than 2 boxes. But for us we will be doing much more.
We plan on only going to the farmers market for our tried desperately but epically failed oh so loved potatoes and fruit from trees.
My newly loved Pinterst addiction is really helping with all of the planning and idea starting. This past weekend we started some of our seeds that need some time to grow before we can plant them outside. What I have found in the past, is that we just don't have the capacity or money for those fancy grow light systems. This year we are trying the outside milk jug/2 liter green houses for our seeds. You can leave them outside all the time and they get all the hardening and light they need and are protected from the elements. I'll post some pictures later.
What we started... Bell peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Carrots, Romaine, Mesculin lettuce, & Cauliflower.
We also started some flowers... Snapdragons & sunflowers.
Disclosure: SFG is not your grandma's gardening. You grow everything in 4x4 raised boxes. 16 Square feet will feed enough for and adult and child for the whole growing season. No back breaking work. It pretty much sustains itself except for watering when hot out and if you think you can't do it, just remember my 2 year old did.
What are the monetary benefits of growing your own garden?
Well last year tomatoes in our area got to be as high as $2.99 lb. and that was even at the farmer's market much less the grocer. We eat more perishables in the summer, because they are more readily available and try to blanche and freeze as much as we can to enjoy our fresh veggies throughout the year. So for a family of 4, at the grocer we would save at least on our consumption probably around $40 a month. For us that's almost a whole week's worth of groceries! Hey, saving that money affords us to get away for a mini-vacation!
$40/month x 6 months= $240 of free money! Plus we are eating better!
Over the past years our ever so brown almost black thumbs have progressively gotten greener and this year, we plan to expand what we have spent the last five springs preparing for...low maintenance, care free and pretty much self sustaining gardening. A lot of trial and error was most of our leg work!
For those of you who choose to have your own home garden, you already know that nothing is better than cooking up a meal and using stuff freshly plucked from right out your back door. Hey, you put in a little leg work and your body is going to thank you for it and so is your wallet. Our family had a wonderful time together last year prepping our garden, working in it and reaping its benefits.
Last spring, we even gave Monk his very own section that he was responsible for taking care of. Yes, I know strange idea putting that kind of responsibility on a 2 year old, but, he loved it and it gave him his own sense of ownership of it. Since we follow the Square Foot Garden method, he obeyed every "rule" we set infront of him about the garden and got upset if any of his tot friends violated them. We envolved him in every aspect about it. From seed starting, tilling and picking out new veggies after the tornado that come through our neighborhood destroyed our hard work. I highly recommend getting your kids involved, hey, you might have your non-lettuce eating mini-human eating what he/she otherwise wouldn't touch, just because he/she grew it themself.
So what are we doing this year? I'll write about our adventures.
Well now is the time to start thinking about starting to grow some seeds. Those catalogs are coming out in full force and local gardening supply stores are stocking their shelves. If you choose to Square foot Garden (SFG) then start getting your boxes ready. Turn over your soils and add some hummus and compost. If you are new to trying to grow or are in the habitual mindset of picking up perishables at the grocer, start small. I recommend no more than 2 boxes. But for us we will be doing much more.
We plan on only going to the farmers market for our tried desperately but epically failed oh so loved potatoes and fruit from trees.
My newly loved Pinterst addiction is really helping with all of the planning and idea starting. This past weekend we started some of our seeds that need some time to grow before we can plant them outside. What I have found in the past, is that we just don't have the capacity or money for those fancy grow light systems. This year we are trying the outside milk jug/2 liter green houses for our seeds. You can leave them outside all the time and they get all the hardening and light they need and are protected from the elements. I'll post some pictures later.
What we started... Bell peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Carrots, Romaine, Mesculin lettuce, & Cauliflower.
We also started some flowers... Snapdragons & sunflowers.
Disclosure: SFG is not your grandma's gardening. You grow everything in 4x4 raised boxes. 16 Square feet will feed enough for and adult and child for the whole growing season. No back breaking work. It pretty much sustains itself except for watering when hot out and if you think you can't do it, just remember my 2 year old did.
What are the monetary benefits of growing your own garden?
Well last year tomatoes in our area got to be as high as $2.99 lb. and that was even at the farmer's market much less the grocer. We eat more perishables in the summer, because they are more readily available and try to blanche and freeze as much as we can to enjoy our fresh veggies throughout the year. So for a family of 4, at the grocer we would save at least on our consumption probably around $40 a month. For us that's almost a whole week's worth of groceries! Hey, saving that money affords us to get away for a mini-vacation!
$40/month x 6 months= $240 of free money! Plus we are eating better!
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