As many of you know, I am an old lady that bought her small (832 sq. ft.) home May, 2021. This is the first home I have owned in a long time. Last fall I paid someone to till up a garden space from part of my lawn. This spring when I should have been planting seeds and setting out plants, we had an overabundance of rain so that my garden was very late getting planted. Then I battled grass that wanted to grow back in the space, so I put down cardboard between rows and have been covering that with grass clippings from my lawn mower. I am happy to report that I am finally getting some produce from my garden!
I have had several green salads from the lettuce. I have green onions large enough to eat. The tomatoes are blooming and have some little green tomatoes on the plants. The green beans have little beans on their plants. Beet plants have grown large enough that the birds are not covering them with the grass mulch when they scratch around looking for bugs. Sweet potato plants are growing well and the corn is starting to tassel. There’s hope for a good harvest after all.
It’s hard to imagine that after all that rain I am starting to have to water the garden now. But, never fear!! The rain barrels I put up to catch rainwater from the roof are full and I use a hose from the barrels to the garden and, with gravity flow, I am watering the garden without having to pay for city water!!
Blackberries are almost ready to pick and the gooseberry and rhubarb plants are growing nicely. I probably won’t get food from them until 2024, but ya can’t rush mother nature!
My point in saying all this is not to brag (although I feel like I am) but to actually say: If a 79 year old woman can do all this, you can, too! With food prices the way they are, every meal I can harvest from the garden is money saved. Don’t be afraid to try. Seed is not terribly expensive. If you don’t have space for a garden, grow food in containers on the patio or in front of a sunny window! Whatever we can do to help ourselves is a win in this economy. Additionally, what you grow tastes so much better and is more healthy that what you get in the store. Be adventurous! Try it. You might discover you like producing some of your own food!
Until next time, enjoy the time we have on Earth while it’s still inhabitable. Do what you can to buy as little as possible and take care of yourselves. Blessings!
EcoGrandma 