In the Garden
Growing your own food is like planting your own money. Food security (the availability of food) is not being dependent on stocked grocery stores or government whims; it is found in your cellar.
If everyone grew their own food (or even a few in a neighborhood), we would have no starvation. We could trade, barter, and sell for what we needed.
On this page you’ll find articles to help you grow, harvest and preserve enough food to feed your family.
FOR BEGINNER GARDENERS
If you’re a gardening newbie and want to jump into growing food as quickly as possible, this mini e-course is for you! It takes you through 5 main steps of starting your garden so you can get out and get it done.
- How to Save Tomato Seeds: and grow food for free!
Food sovereignty and diversity starts, and ends, with being able to save your own seeds. By saving your own seeds, you are able to plant for free the following year, but also select specific breeds and qualities that work well for your garden. You also have the ability to share your seeds with neighbours, and pass them down for generations to come. In this article, we will focus on how to save tomato seeds. - How to Set Up A Garden Irrigation System: and make your life a whole lot easier!
When it comes to watering your garden, unless you have a teenie tiny amount of plants, or a whole lot of time on your hands, a proper garden irrigation system might be the thing you need to make it through the growing season with your plants intact! - Mulch 101: Everything You Need To Know About Mulch
Nature’s system of keeping soil healthy is incredible. Broken twigs, dead leaves, and other plant matter fall to the ground to form an organic layer called mulch. This layer, filled with bacteria and microbiology, gradually decomposes to feed the soil below. As a gardener, this is the process we desire to imitate. - 5 DIY Gardening Watering Solutions: Simple and Cost-Effective
No one wants to spend hours watering their garden, only to have their plants whither in the heat. Here are 5 asy ways to set up a garden watering system that will give you more time freedom, and your plants more water. Plus, they’re all pretty simple DIYs that any gardener can implement. - How to Grow Calendula: From Seed to Harvest & Use
Decades ago, our great-great grandmothers foraging and made medicine using the plants around them. In present time, we’ve all but forgotten the names and many uses of most of the plants our ancestors relied on. Join me as together relearn the wisdom of the home herbalist in this special series, starting with one of the most proficient and effective herbs: calendula. - Dos and Don’ts of Container GardeningI’ve been gardening for 10 years… you’d think I would have figured it out by now but alas, I am still turning my brown thumb to green. I’ve failed at growing things so many times, I guess you could call me an expert. The awesome thing is how much I’ve learned! I’ve gardened at 3 different properties now, with different water hardness, type of soil, amount of space and sun, in-ground, raised planters, permaculture, and more. This year’s gardening method was a little different again because I like to give birth with the rest of the animal kingdom; in spring. I’m wild at heart. So with my limitations during the height of planting and growing season, I decided to give container gardening a try. Now you lucky devils get to learn where things went right and the dastardly miscalculation I made, so you can container garden like a pro. GOALSFirst let’s layout the goal. You always want to know where you want to end up so you know what you need to do to get there. My goal was simple, or so I thought. Grow most of my harvest in pots and containers surrounding my front deck so I could water and weed easily while maximizing my harvest. It was ahem a learning experience. PROSLet’s first chat the benefits of container gardening.- Can grow a lot in a small space. – Less weeds/easy weeding – Great for small spaces. – Accessibility for those with disabilities or whom can’t get down on their knees easily – Everyone can grow just outside the kitchen. Make gardening a reality no matter where you live. – Builds confidence by starting small rather than the daunting task of maintaining a large garden plot – Better growth – less out of sight, out of mind. Better positioning (sun/shade) for maximum growth – Portable – can extend the life of plants, move to better growing location, take indoors during rough weather (hail, frost) – Creative in what you use as a “container” – butternut squash growing in a tree (photo) Toilet tanks, reclaimed lumber, old metal basins, boots, the possibilities are endless and fun! CONS Harder to place them in full sun, while still having access. Would do well on a back patio where you could space them outNeeding more frequent watering. Like a LOT. Multiple times a day some days. Hard to gauge water needs.Require more nutrients – the roots can’t search out what they need like in a garden plot. More watering means more nutrients getting flooded out so you’ll need to supplement with additional natural fertilizers. MISTAKES AND LESSONS LEARNED WATER. All the time. Even if you think they’re good. In fact, get a moisture gauge. Then water some more. Next time I’ll add mulch and see if that helps a bit. Be mindful of how much sun they’ll get. I put mine next to the house and although they received the morning sun until mid-afternoon, they didn’t get as much sun as they needed. Use mulch to trap moisture. Make sure you have good drainage in all of your containers. Some of the holes I drilled in my big metal washtub were not enough. The biggest success for drainage was in the pots I pre-filled with extra rocks. I left about 6″ for soil but I would actually leave more. Pre-add your stakes for anything that needs support while growing. Especially in pots you line with rocks. My tomatoes were not very happy with me. Line with rocks but leave 6+ inches for soil. Big lesson that even container plants on a deck need protection from wildlife. Our big garden is fenced to keep out the deer but we have a squirrel my husband and son have befriended (and saved from drowning but that’s another story) who are most of my plants! Crops I usually excel at without trying, failed miserably. Carrots and beets. Watering was the downfall… again. I’ll admit, there are some tomatoes I saw coming home today that are wilting from dehydration. It’s amazing how fast the moisture can change in containers! Can someone please just text me every day and tell me my plants need to be watered? In summary, this was one of my worst harvest years but totally not the container gardening’s fault! Even ensuring I had a postpartum watering plan and accounting for additional watering needs of container gardens, I made a critical mass mistake of misjudging my postpartum abilities during the planting and rapid growth stages of June. Lucky for you, you most likely will not have to contend with such hindrances in your own garden and as long as you water decadently, you’ll have a bountiful bounty at the end of summer! RecommendationsOverall I certainly plan to try it again! I enjoyed having everything so close by and contained for easy weeding. And with proper maintenance it’s easy to see why container gardening is so popular and fruitful. For busy people, not so great unless you have a solid watering plan like self watering planters or drip irrigation. And for the record, I had about 20 containers to monitor, most of which were on the front deck. The season wasn’t a total bust though. Our Hugelkultur was a great success and I have plans for new ones for next year, which I will prepare this fall. And, I successfully grew a new crop of garlic! So YAY! Our immune systems will be happy and our bellies full this winter. What about you? What new things did you learn in your garden this year?
- 9 Steps to Choosing The Best Vegetable Garden Location
When it comes to choosing your perfect garden location, knowing what you need and what is figureoutable makes a big difference. - 8 Must-Do Fall Garden Tasks
Winter is a break for soil and gardener. If you prepare garden right in the fall, your spring will be easier and your harvest better. Everything a gardener wants to hear! - Companion Gardening and Pests
Increased yields, better soil and plant health, pest deterrrants. Companion planting is an easy way to get a fruitful yield from your garden every year. - Starting Garden Seeds Indoors
Starting seeds indoors is a great way to extend your growing season and increase your crop yield. With this guide you’ll be confident in starting your own seeds year after year. - The Foolproof Way to Grow a Garden
I remember first trying to grow a garden. I grabbed about 30 different seeds and took over the dining room table. I had no idea what I was doing but I was determined to get the majority of our food from our garden that year. - How To Build a Garden Planter in 10 Minutes
Want an easy way to improve your garden in less than 10 minutes? This garden planter is the gateway for you to build just about anything! - Composting 101 For Beginners
Composting is a great gardening tool for the beginner gardener. Using household waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill, you can replenish the nutrients in your soil for an ever-growing, happy garden! - How to Build a Hugelkultur Garden Bed
Add this easy permaculture bed to your garden for less weeds, no watering and great production! - Crops for a Fall + Winter Harvest
Did you know you can grow a garden in the snow?! A few years ago my mom loaned me this new gardening book and I devoured it – gardening year-around in cold. Canada cold! A winter harvest! - Mulch for FREE!
If you want a good garden, mulch is the answer. This is an easy mulch you can find, for free! Quick, easy and cost-effective. Your garden will love you!
