This will be our first garden!  We plan to grow as much of our own food as we can, using the principles of permaculture and organic gardening.  We have a lot to do and a lot to learn, but are ready to take on the challenge.  We have been reading

Tim finished building the grow bench downstairs on Thursday, so Friday I got busy planting seeds.  Several are planted now, but I needed to buy a few more, so today I will plant those.  It will be fun to watch them grow! Later, Tim got out the tractor and began

While Laurie is reading gardening books, planting & watering seedlings, Tim is working hard on our landscaping to create terraces.

We got some more railroad ties, and Tim is busily putting them in.  It’s hard to see, but there is one terrace behind the one in front, slightly higher.  Tim is carefully flattening out each level, and when he’s done next week we will begin “sheet mulching”, a form of

The seedlings are coming along nicely.   Tomatoes:  3 varieties (Brandywine, Roma & Sugar Sweeties)  are nearing 1.5″ and looking good.  I bought a “Topsy Turvy Upside Down Tomato Planter” which will hang from the porch and grow upside down.  We’ll give that a try just for kicks.  It was

Tim has completed tiers 1,2,3 & 4, and some sloping below #4.  It looks great. The tractor could use some maintenance, but has held up pretty well. (THANKS for all your hard work, honey!)   The next step will be to start our sheet mulching (or composting) to prepare the soil.  First

This morning Tim was driving by a lot where a couple of men were putting branches through a chipper. He stopped and asked what they would do with the chips.  They had no plans, so Tim offered to take them off their hands and they thought that was great.  We

We’ve begun sheet mulching Terrace #3. Here is a good article explaining the sheet mulching   First, we put down one layer of manure (TGFH-Thank God for Horses).  Then, a layer of cardboard to keep weeds from reaching the surface.  Then we took some time to map out where we want walkways

Done with Terraces #1 & 2. #3 is covered with plastic. When we were throwing the hay down, Strider was looking over the fence wondering, “Hey, that’s HAY!  Why are you putting it on THAT side of the fence, and where’s MINE?”  By the time I got the camera, he’d

This morning there is about an inch of snow on the ground, so I’m working on plans for the garden and having way too much fun on the computer: Most of these growing areas are still tentative, and open to changes.  This is fun!