Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Getting the garden ready

My mother--singer/songwriter, clothing designer and master chef, is really the farmer in the family.  Having come from a farming family, she has always loved growing things and learned from her parents, and her brother, who has carried on the family tradition including raising grass-fed cattle, pigs and chickens. So it's no surprise she is the one who plans out the garden and what will be grown then canned or frozen for the winter. 

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We plant a little later here in the mountains and have to wait until after the danger of frost passes. My dad has already planted his potatoes, and they are starting to pop up. He will plant his Silver Queen corn, then my mom will plant her green beans, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, squash and other assorted veggies. She already has onions and cabbage in her raised beds near the house. She has apple trees, blueberry bushes and grape vines that were planted by my Dad's mom. It is an insane amount of work, but my mom does it so we will have fresh veggies, and she likes to know where her food comes from. 

My dad is the one who does all the prep work with the tractor -- plowing and harrowing. 


My dad was getting my little patch ready this weekend. I also want to have fresh food, but have to approach the gardening thing on a much smaller scale. 


I'll plant red and white onions, Italian green beans, butter lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, and maybe some pumpkins and gourds to use in fall decor.


Even the small amount I plant is a lot of work, but so worth it when we grab lunch from the garden, which we will do all summer. 

I love knowing where my food comes from, and hope to learn all I can about growing and preserving it from the experts...my mom and dad.

In the meantime, before weeding and hoeing start, I'll enjoy a little porch time with my Dad and super dog:-)


Thanks for stopping by:-)



6 comments:

  1. This will be my first summer planting a kitchen garden - ( haven't a clue what I'm doing but that's what the internet is for, rlight? )
    I've only had herb ( and of course flowers ) gardens before!
    I'll be watching closely Anita lol
    To me, your garden looks HUGE !
    XOXO

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  2. How fortunate you are to have enough room to plant a reasonably large garden and a Dad to help out with the (pre) hard stuff. I'm sure your meals will be healthy and oh so good! Looking forward to seeing the fruits of your labor :) -Bev p.s. Your doggy is adorable!

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  3. marty (A Stroll Thru Life)April 30, 2014 at 9:38 AM

    Wow, that is a big garden, I can't wait to see it all planted and producing. We have a small one and I love it.

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  4. Christine GravesApril 30, 2014 at 6:12 PM

    Oh I am jealous. If I don't have dirt underneath my nails I don't feel like I got anything done today and the rain has been non stop for days....

    I can't wait to see your garden in 3 months! all your hard work will be wonderful....

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  5. What a beautiful place and lovely photos !

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  6. Anita, You live in such a pretty area.
    This patch of nature is heavenly.
    d

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