My experiment with a vegetable patch in my subdivision backyard.

April 14, 2011

My experiment with a vegetable patch in my subdivision backyard.

It all started last year when I grew my first batch of vegetables.  It was definitely a learning experience!

I think the most important thing that I learned was that the spacing for the specific plants is crucial.  We laughed as the squash plants crawled out of the gardens through the grass, into the rose gardens… Towards the end I stopped moving them each time the lawn had to be mowed.

My tomato plants grew so full and abundant that the aisle space that I had given them had disappeared and the beans grew so thick that it was almost impossible for me to harvest them for the tangle..

What I did learn is that it is one of the most rewarding things that I have ever experienced…

Right from the black dirt created from my compost, to the planting, to watching them grow, to the harvesting and bringing the colourful basket to the kitchen where I would begin to prepare my daily feast for the people I love the most.

During the summer months we eat most of our meals outdoors.  We have a table that seats up to 20, permanently set up for the people that drop by….

Last summer I did not water my grass once… It just seems like such a waste of water to me.  I thought of the time spent weeding the grass (we don’t use fertilizer or pesticides), cutting the grass and its edges… and for what?  So I decided… time to get rid of the grass… I remember hearing my kids “ where will we eat”.. I laughed… don’t worry there is always room for a table..

And so the experiment begins…

How much food can I grow on my humble subdivision lot, how much do I need to grow to feed the family, can I grow enough surplus to can for the cold winter season… and on top of all that can I hold down a full time job and take care of the family.  I am excited and am ready to take it on.

I decide that I will design the 9 more gardens about four feet by eight  with raised beds to avoid breaking more ground.  This is on top of all the gardens that are already seasoned; a  30 x 12 herb and vegetable garden  that is over 10 years old, 32 feet of raised planters on the deck, a 25 x 5 foot garden along the compost area and about 40 planter pots that I will use for the herbs.  Of course I will keep the perennial gardens that are already in place… how I love my flowers...

Updates to the gardens will follow.   Seeding next; my family room is full!

Carol