I Don’t Like Vegetables! Why would I want a Garden?

My name is Cullen. I am not a vegetable eater. Never have been. I used to eat corn and potatoes and only corn and potatoes. That didn’t change much when I first got married. Once I had children I changed my eating habits slightly. I now eat green beans, peas, broccoli, and more salad --- trying to set a good example and all. That is still about the extent of what I like. I have texture issues with food. Personal demons I want to start trying to exorcise. That’s why I want a garden.

There has been countless research done on the harmful effects of pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed on commercial crops. I have seen all the movies pertaining to the mistreatment of animals and the effects of chemicals on the plants we eat. Still, we buy what we need from the grocery store because it’s cheap. In these current economic times, who doesn’t want to save a dollar or two? I know this guy does. However, as I grow older and hopefully wiser I am starting to see things in a different light. I could stand to lose a few pounds and be in better shape… (Who couldn’t, right???) I know that natural, organic, non-treated plants are great for me. So in an effort to be a healthier person I will try every vegetable that comes out of our garden. That’s why I want a garden.

I love being outside. My kids love being outside. Gardening gets us outside. That’s why I want a garden.

I love my wife and enjoy sharing in her passions. We get to spend time together as adults and gardening gives us something fun to do together. It gives us something to talk about other than the children’s bowel movements and their temper tantrums. That’s why I want a garden.

To be a happier, healthier, closer family. That’s why I want a garden.

Seed Starting Sucess...then death.

In late January, I went to a "potting party" at a locally owned garden supply store. There, I was able to gain knowledge of seed starting (which has never been successfull for me), and came home with four trays of organic seeds. These trays included spinach, swiss chard, kale, red lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower. I was so excited to see them start growing!

 (three days after planting!)

                                                           
We purchased a few grow lights, as our home doesn't have enough sun through the windows to get seeds growing. Our whole family delighted in seeing the progress from day to day...

(12 days after planting)

(22 days after planting)

(35 days after planting)

 

 At this point, it was warm enough to start hardening off the plants --- so, we took them outside on a lovely sunny day...and then forgot to bring them in at night. Needless to say, they died. Instantly. As in, one day they were big and beautiful, and the next day the stems were limp and translucent. I was sick. Sick! My first ever successful attempt at seed starting ended overnight because I neglected to bring the plants in overnight. 96 plants...gone. ACK! But --- the time I spent at the "potting party" workshop was totally worth it, even if my plants did die. I was able to enjoy the company of my best friend (hereby called "bestie") and alone time from my kiddos for a few hours on the weekend. So all was certainly not lost! Though our plants died, we bought seeds to replace them; and I sure had fun, despite the tragic death of our seedlings...duh duh duh...

 

--Autumn

 

 

Welcome!

Hello!

Welcome to our Yarden --- a place where we grow our vegetables --- in the midst of toys, play structures, wildlife, and general chaos. I should start with introductions...I am Autumn, wife to Cullen (who you'll hear more from soon), and mama to three children: two boys, ages 6 and 3, and one girl, age 9 months.

Gardening has been a love of mine for several years; however, I have been the only participant. This year, my husband of 10 years has taken an active role in my passion. We are now working together to make the most of the little land we have to work with. We live in the middle of a small, but bustling, city, and own about 1/4 acre of land. I have always been a row gardener, as that is what I grew up with. This year, however, is an experimental year. Given our small space to work with and the fact that our garden has had some difficulty in the past few years, we decided to try our hand at raised beds and square foot gardening.

We are looking forward to blogging our progress, successes, and failures.

--Autumn