It’s garden time and my husband came home with his collection of plants to start our spring/summer garden. I looked at the receipt and thought we could have purchased a lot of produce at the grocery store. But, nothing compares to the happiness he gets from his garden. Plus you can’t beat the freshness of homegrown vegetables.
It is our garden in the sense that it is in our backyard. And our money is spent to buy the plants and fertilizer. But my husband is in charge. This past winter my husband did a winter garden. It was his first time. He planted onions, green onions, bok choy, brussel sprouts, and broccoli. The bok choy was great. He shared it with others. Something my husband doesn’t seem to do is plant the seeds a few weeks apart. He had so much bok choy at the same time, a lot of it was thrown out.
The brussel sprouts looked great until the long stem of sprouts stopped growing, We have seen them growing in a field and ours never came close to that. The broccoli was the wrong kind. Instead of big clumps, they were long and thin. They won’t be in our garden ever again.
Now that it is spring, he has planted his second spring garden in this backyard. He made a mistake this year in planting our zucchini in a different area. They were by our roses. He treated the rose bushes for aphids and realized he may have poisoned the zucchinis. So he pulled them out, including the zucchini that was about ready for picking. He ended up buying three new plants so our crop will be delayed about a month. The radishes were planted in separate plantings so that he didn’t have them all ready at the same time, like last year.
Prepare your garden area
If you have never had a garden before you will need to find a sunny spot in your yard. Before you plant your seedlings, you need to prepare the soil. My husband used a small rototiller to break up the ground. Our compost pile or steer manure is mixed in with the soil. He digs out areas for the water to travel through because he likes to water his plants at the root level not from above. The excess dirt is used to make mounds for the seedlings and plants to be planted in. To reduce the number of weeds, he lays down a black weed barrier as shown in the picture to the left.
His rows are not evenly spaced. You need to consider what is being planted. A row of radishes next to a row of onions will not need much space between them. But a row of zucchini and a row of tomato plants should be farther apart. You may find that 18-24 inches apart works best, but with trial and error you will come up with the perfect distance for your garden.
To assist with growing the tomatoes higher, instead of wider, he uses homemade wire fencing material. You can see one around the tomato plant to the left if you look closely. Tomato cages also work, but he prefers these. We use the tomato cages for our zucchini plants to keep the zucchinis off the dirt. And if you are short on land space, many vegetables and fruit can be planted in pots.
Planting your fruit and vegetables
Determining what you will be planting is the fun part. It can also be an expensive part. My husband purchases most of his plants already 6 to 10 inches tall. But he does purchase seeds for some of the plants like radishes. If you want to plant seeds, you should be planting them several weeks ahead. Keep in mind that all seeds planted may end up being ready at the same time. So I would suggest that you plant one-third to one-half of a package of seeds at a time This is especially true with radishes and carrots. It’s better to have radishes in particular over a period of time. Unless of course, you have a recipe that uses a lot of them. Carrots in bulk can be frozen if you plant too many at once.
Tomatoes and zucchini are very easy to grow. So are radishes. We grew watermelon, from one plant, last year and we actually were able to eat a few. But they take a lot of space. Another easy plant is a potato. Years ago we had access to a large amount of land and my husband planted potatoes. We had a big crop. With tomatoes, there are so many varieties. Some of the varieties include cherry, beefsteak, early girl, better boy, big boy, and heirloom. Each has its advantages, so learn about your tomatoes before buying your plants.
If you have room for fruit trees, my first suggestion would be a Meyer lemon. Lemons do not have to be picked all at the same time and they can be used in so many ways. Other options include lime, grapefruit, orange, cherry, peach, apple, avocado, etc. Check which trees grow best in your area based on weather and water availability.
What is in our garden this spring?
We still have the onions from our winter garden. We have both green onions and a sweeter white one. They are close to being done. The green onions are used as needed. The great thing about green onions is they keep growing back. The leaf lettuce, from this winter, continues to supply almost all our lettuce needs.
My husband planted two crookneck squash, three zucchini plants, five snap beans, two jalapeno pepper plants, garlic chives, seven cucumbers, and nine tomato plants. Also, since he is a Korean, that loves Korean food he has planted Korean radishes and Korean melon. It makes our garden different from anyone else’s. I do, however, feel he over-bought on the tomatoes, but maybe he has a plan for all of them. Our neighbors do appreciate them fresh-picked from the garden.
In addition to the garden
The first trees we planted at this house were cherry, lemon, and avocado. We had the same trees at our last house. At our last house, our lemon tree produced more than we could use. I ended up selling some. The new lemon tree had a crop of nine lemons this past year. It looks like we will have a lot more this coming season. We have always had Meyer lemon trees. The lemons are the best for making lemon meringue pies, which we both love. And my husband juices them and freezes the juice to make lemonade all year round.
Our cherry tree produced enough fruit for us to eat. It was the same on our last tree. The avocado might have its first crop this year. At our previous house, it took several years to produce avocados. The first harvest was the season after we left. The new owner was nice enough to give us some.
And then there are the blueberry bushes. I have planted two in pots. We might move them into the ground after this harvest. And we have three grapevines. It looks like these crops will both be a bit bigger this year. Each year our harvest grows.
What follows a bumper crop?
If your garden produces more than you can handle, it’s time to find new homes for some of it. This could be neighbors, family members, and friends. If your location is appropriate you may be able to sell your extra on the side of the road. Or online through a local Facebook group. Another option is freezing the excess. We have frozen bell peppers and beans in the past.
I was amazed that my husband became interested in canning. I remember the days that I canned peaches and salsa. Always such a hot task. My husband has become a canning expert. Last year he canned spaghetti sauce and pickles. He loved to can so much that he purchased apples for applesauce, and pears, apricots, and peaches to can. A neighbor had an overload of figs so he dried and candied them.
The best thing about planting a garden is harvest time. You can’t beat the taste of freshly picked produce. And if you bake, start looking for recipes for cake, brownies, muffins, bread, vegetable casseroles, appetizers, main dishes, and more to use your produce. Especially if you plant zucchini!
Do me a favor
Let me know what you plant in your garden this year. Do not be upset with yourself if you only plant a few things. As you continue to garden you may be looking for more space to plant your veggies in. Many fruits and vegetables can be planted in pots. Please leave a reply about your garden, or your desire to have one, in the section below.
This is awesome. Every year I talk about planting a garden to grow our own produce, and every year, it doesn’t happen. This may just be the motivation I need.
It’s a great family project. Our 2 1/2-year-old granddaughter goes out in her family’s garden and picks bell peppers, strawberries, and beans to eat as a snack when she is in the yard playing. Occasionally she picks a strawberry that isn’t ripe enough yet, but they are thrilled she loves fruits and vegetables. Our 3 1/2-year-old granddaughter, our daughter’s family, waters her plants with a watering can all by herself. She is excited because the marigolds she planted from seed are getting so big. Lots of joy in our family because of the gardens, even though we are many miles apart. Thanks for commenting, and I hope you do start that garden!