Gardens

So this year I went to raised bed gardening.

Let me tell you, it is awesome.  My tomatoes are bigger than ever,  my peppers are more than ever.  In fact my tomatoes are doing so well it outgrew my raised bed and shaded out most of my onions and carrots.

I have learned a lot this year. 

Last several years I have tilled up the ground and planted seeds.  Corn, beets,  sunflowers, squash do great that way.  My tomatoes, onions, carrots, melons did not do so well. 

This year I took a class on raised bed gardening.  I was surprised how much better it was.  Almost NO weeds.  Watering has been an issue, how to water the garden and not the yard.

There were several other people who went with raised bed gardens this year.  Everyone had great success with the raised bed.  The raised bed is almost year round gardening.  At least Spring, Summer and Fall.  Winter I am not sure of right now.

I started my garden very late but the produce is now flowing.  Think of it like water.  You get started, plant and water.  Day after day you can almost watch the vines grow, you can watch the produce grow.  Then harvest time.  Some of my friends who got their gardens in early have had produce for the last month or so.  They have canned much produce.

We are now looking at other ways of saving our produce for later use.  Canning works, but so does freezing, I see you can freeze dry.  Not in my budget.  I guess if you have plenty of money on hand you could.  But pay check to pay check you can barely support a garden.  There is a lot of work to get a garden in. get produce, and setting up for next year or next planting. 

So maybe if you are interested in gardens, even just tomatoes, peppers, and beans.  You could do container gardening, you don't need much space, and you should be able to eat produce you grew.  Exotic produce you could pick up in the store.

Hope to branch out to fruits next year.


Besides, it's great to get out and enjoy some sun, play in the dirt and later eat what you grew.