Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The Garden - an update

Oh I just love spring time!! I think it has something to do with the longer days, increasing heat, farmers market season and how our gardens are bursting with flowers and the beginnings of a season of harvest!!


My whole life I have wanted to live on property (mostly for y love of horses). And then somewhere along the line in my adulthood I have taken a huge interest in homesteading, living green, and organic farming. While we don't have the set up to fully provide for ourselves (although that would be pretty fantastic) I do enjoy our small veg patch. 

The radish are sprouting nicely

We started our vegetable gardening journey our first married spring together back in 2009. Since then our garden has moved location and I have learned more and more each year. Our bounty has increased and served different purposes from feeding our chickens, ourselves and then making Ellie's first solid foods! 

We got a late start this year but with the hot temps we have been having lately I am sure that we will catch right up. 


Our produce selection has changed and we are now growing things we know we love and are easy to grow in the space we have. We will always grow beans and peas (two of Ellie's favorites) along with some broccoli. Tomatoes are so great in our climate and really nothing can beat the flavors of a homegrown fresh tomato right off the vine!  We have also joined the kale craze and are growing that along with spinach and Swiss chard for three years in a row! New additions this year are okra, fennel, and kohlrabi. 

I think the biggest change this year is that I planted my rows going North/South which totally changed the whole layout of the garden. I learned that this is the best direction for rows since the sun is able to get the whole row. Additionally I learned this year that not only are organic foods better for you (since they are free of chemicals) but that actually are more nutritious as well! Since I've never gardened with chemical fertilizers I can't speak to this but I feel that we get more than enough produce with our organic techniques that I don't know why anyone would feel the need to use chemicals!


Do you garden? What are your tips and tricks? What is your favorite thing to grow?

♥ Ashley 


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7 comments:

  1. I would love to have a vegetable garden! Sadly to make it happen we'd have to take over our whole yard which I'm not willing to do, but I still dream about it. Yours looks fantastic!

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  2. LOVING your garden space!! And I totally agree about SPRING - it's the best!! Of course this is my first "real" spring because California and Arizona don't have "real" springs!! Also, do you have problems with critters? I just lost an ENTIRE tomato plant! It's either the rabbits or chipmunks but I'm not sure.

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  3. You know I love a garden update! Everything looks so great. I am curious to hear what you think of Kohlrabi. My BFF grew some her first year of gardening.

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  4. I love your garden :) It looks great !!!

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  5. I would love to have a garden! Every day I see your IG pic it makes me want to head straight to the nursery and plant one. It's so nice knowing you plant your own veggies and they aren't sprayed with harsh chemicals like the one from the grocery store. XO, Kelly

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  6. This is awesome! I want to have a garden SO badly and can't wait until we have a house and I can grow things! <3

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  7. I can't wait till we get a house! The first thing I am doing is planting a garden! My sister keeps on sending me the pictures of all the lettuce she has been growing!

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♥ Ashley