Resources, Slowing Down

Garden Planning

It’s almost Spring – which means it’s time for a bit of garden planning.

This year, I’m keeping things very, very simple:

I am going to plant vegetables that do well in our climate and are relatively easy to care for.

I am going to use a single raised-bed for the garden.  In the past, I’ve started out with several beds – only to get frustrated with local deer, the lack of rain, and the lack of production.

I’m focusing on quality over quantity.  I’ll grow cucumbers, peas, watermelons, butter beans, and some peppers.  I may add a few more plants, but I want the gardening experience, for 2014, to be enjoyable!

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Tomorrow, I plan to start a few seed, indoors.  I’ll snap some photos of my setup and share them with you.  Instead of keeping the plants in the house, I’ve created a little mini-greenhouse in the shed.  Again, I’ll have photos tomorrow.

I ordered seeds a few months ago, so they’re ready to go.  I just need to add a few finishing touches to the raised-bed, and it will be ready, too.  When you see it, you’ll probably laugh.  It’s just a rectangular frame made from some old boards.

In the past, I’ve spent lots of up-front money, only to be really disappointed with my gardening results.  This year, I’m gardening-on-the-cheap.  I have purchased some inexpensive potting mix and I’m using my own, home-made compost.  Seeds will be started in small cups and then planted in a mixture of dirt and compost.  The raised bed is constructed of some recycled boards.

I tend to over-think my projects.  This year, the garden will be simple, small, and easy-to-maintain.  I simply want to grow a few vegetables, teach the kids a bit about gardening, and keep things simple.  Our garden planning only took a few minutes – with a focus on simplicity and ease-of-use.

Check back tomorrow and I’ll pictures of this year’s setup.  Be blessed.