One of the disappointments of moving in the middle of summer last year was that it was too late for us to start our garden. My family always had a large garden as I was growing up and I was excited to share those experiences – digging potatoes, freezing sweet corn, and sneaking a snack from the raspberry patch – with the kids. Plus, there really is nothing better than a home grown tomato. We kept a small garden (8 x 12) when we lived in town – enough for a couple tomato and pepper plants, a row each of spinach, beans, and carrots, and maybe a dozen hills of potatoes if everything was squeezed in just right. I still believe we lost a quarter of our harvest to the squirrels, a quarter to the rabbits, and a quarter to a sneaky neighbor. (City squirrels are just crazy enough to be scary.)

The garden early this spring - while still a corn field.

Needless to say we were anxious to get started this spring. In an effort to kill two birds with one stone we decided to put the garden in part of the corn field we plan on seeding. It’s a spot we plan on pasturing some day, but that’s a few years off. The stalks make great organic matter when tilled in, so a couple passes with the tiller and we were ready to get started.

As of today, the potatoes, spinach, carrots, green peppers, lettuce, peas, beans, broccoli, onions, garlic, summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, ornamental corn, strawberries, and red raspberries are all planted. Check back as I’ll be providing updates as things get growing.