I’m starting a series on gardening because it’s that time of year! Winter is officially in it’s dreary stage and I cheer myself up thinking of spring and what I’ll plant this year. I want to emphasize that that it does take time (although you can decide how much), but it doesn’t have to cost a lot, it’s fun, and takes you back to a simpler time – in other words, it’s definitely a “cottage” thing to do!
I love, love growing my own vegetables. I didn’t start out that way – I was all about flowers: roses and daylilies and peonys. But I thought I should have a little area to grow a few vegetables, so I grew some lettuce, tomatoes, and beans. And the first time I created a meal out of the things I grew just gave me such a thrill that I began carving out more space for vegetables. To be able to say, “All the produce in this meal came from my garden,” became my goal.
Then we moved to a house with more space and I’ve been able to have a bigger garden, which has been a blessing. I met my goal, then extended it by trying to provide ALL our veggies during the summer, and now the goal is from April through November, which I’m still working towards. But, you can grow veggies in any amount of space and it’s probably better to start small anyway, so I hope you will give it a try if you haven’t gardened before. If you have, maybe you’ll see a technique you can use and I hope you’ll give me advice if you have a great idea – with gardening there’s always room to grow (ha, ha – pun intended!).
So, here’s what I’m thinking for this series:
-seed starting
-designing the garden
-soil basics
-caring for seedlings
-schedule for planting in spring
-schedule for planting in summer
-planning a fall garden
Within these general areas, I’ll pass along tricks and techniques I’ve learned that make gardening easier – one thing you should know, I’m all about EASY. I wouldn’t garden if it just involved lots of weeding and digging, so I’ve adopted ways to garden that minimize these tasks.
So, I hope you join me in creating a garden this year, whether it’s your first or fifteenth!
Jami
I believe a cottage can be anywhere or anything (condo, ranch, farmhouse) as long as you have a "cottage mentality" which puts people above things, celebrates imperfections, embraces simplicity, and finds joy in everyday life. Thanks for joining me!
Thanks!
Can’t wait–you have always grown the prettiest gardens!
I found your blog through MPM. I’ve read down through your posts and just wanted to say thanks for the info- it’s nice to know I’m not alone (ie not sterilizing pots and putting plants close together).I’ve enjoyed reading your blog.
~Jennifer
Jennifer-
Thanks for reading! I love that about blogging that we can find others like us! Fun…
I’m so glad you enjoyed reading!