Garden Update: Getting started

 Today I am starting back up one of my favorite series from last year: the ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’ series (now called simply Garden Update).  Each week I’ll share the happenings in our own garden and I invite you to share your own experiences either by leaving a comment or sharing a link  to your own post.

The gardening series is back on the blog and while many of you in warmer climates are well underway in the garden, here is NH we are just getting warmed up (literally)!  With a new homestead, new animals, and new goals, we are dashing about everyday just trying to get things ready and prepped for the seeds to go in the ground.

One of my biggest pieces of advice for people just starting out on their homesteading journey is to start small and keep it manageable so you are more likely to see great results.  This year it is definitely one of those do as I say not as I do situations.  We have SO MANY garden spaces planned and underway.  Let me take you on a little tour and introduce you to some of my digs!

First off – the above picture is my manure garden.  My better half (Dave) keeps telling me that calling it the manure garden is a mistake: who wants to eat veggies out of a manure garden, but I’m sticking with it.  This garden was created from a well aged manure/compost pile that was here on our property.  After removing some for other parts of the yard, I smoothed the pile, added logs, branches, leaves, etc to the edges to discourage weeds, dug some small narrow paths, and here it is!  This photo does not do the garden justice – it is HUGE!

Contrast this huge garden with the traditional row garden that Dave’s been working on in the upper field.  He’s experimenting by adding the layers right over the existing pasture.  The rows are 6+ inches of straw with 6 inches of compost and the paths are layered newspaper with a healthy layer of leaves.  This garden is for the big stuff – corn, squash, etc.

 We still have a few more rows to add, but at least it’s underway.

Last week we added a whole bunch of berries and fruit to the homestead.  The bed below is 50 strawberry plants.  We also added blueberries, more raspberries, apple trees, a pear tree and a cherry tree.

 The herb spiral was created last fall and is waiting patiently to be filled with herbs.  Unfortunately the chickens aren’t so patient and love to scratch the dirt out of the garden.

The hens are also loving the 4 raised beds that we prepped using the lasagna method last fall (these beds had sat dormant for the last year and were full of weeds).  There is already some garlic coming up and a few things started here.  The hens are supposed to be confined to their coop and run for the time being, however my helpful little 2 year old loves to let them out.

Last week the children build their own garden beds and have big plans for these little spaces.  And finally we come to the last large raised bed.  This bed is being run by my mom who lives nearby and doesn’t have enough sun for veggies.  Nonetheless – this will be the best looking garden here. 
Please check back with me and share how your garden is growing each week (although I’m going to skip next week and I’ll be back here posting on April 9th).
What’s growing in your garden this week?

Each Friday I share photos from our garden with an update about what we’re doing, what’s growing, and what we’re eating.  I invite you to come play along, I love seeing what others are trying.  You can join the fun in 2 ways:

  • If you blog, I welcome you to write a post or share a post from that week about what’s growing in your garden 
  • If you aren’t a blogger, I invite you to join my gardening flickr group and share photos of your garden from this week
  • And last – if you don’t want to blog or share photos, just follow along and check out all the links and photos and maybe share a comment with your own gardening experience from the week

1 thought on “Garden Update: Getting started”

  1. I live in northern Wisconsin. My garden bed was covered in snow until yesterday. Now we have rain and snow mixed. Not sure when I'll get to plant. I'm jealous of all the green in your yard 🙂

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