the garden

Our garden this year is not your traditional planting spot.  Due to the lack of real yard and realizing very early that we live with bunnies, we decided to make above ground planter boxes.  

Each style of gardening presents its own share of problems and special conditions. Above ground boxes keep the rabbits out, but can lack important micros that help to create balance in the soil.  They also struggle staying moist.

Because of the space provided, we decided on two boxes.  Dustin and I built these boxes with a hand saw and hammers.  It is moments like these that I feel really impressed with myself.  It didn't take that long, considering the tools, about four hours on a Saturday.   And when I say four hours, I mean four hours with four children helping.  

 Because root depth would be a factor with these boxes, I planted special heirloom carrots that had short roots, rainbow chard, kale, peas, beans, more peas and radishes.  

We also started some basil, but the basil hated the boxes, so we moved them to the flower bed next to the house.  

This is week three of growth.  The radishes are loving the soil mix we created.  

For the pea cages, I used scavenged wood from a nearby dead tree and some bamboo stakes we already owned.

In the various open spaces we planted cilantro and mint.  I am nervous about the mint taking over the whole bed.  I will just have to have constant vigilance with that one. 

This is what we found this morning.  Snap peas.  

The radishes are bolting.  Bolting before making actually radishes.  I tried thinning the bolting ones out to make room for the others, but I might just have to rip them all out and plant the second wave of peas. 

Sugar peas.

Beans.  

Full planter boxes.

And this is our lemon plant.  After tricking the plant to bloom early this winter, we now have 14 lemons.  My hope is that they are finished in time before I need to bring the plant back inside.  

We have a total of 14 tomato plants this year.  Every year I add one more recipe to my canning list.  Last year I made tomato soup.  I plan of adding pizza sauce this year.  My hope is to have a pantry full of homemade goodness and only homemade goodness in the future.  Because learning to put up your own food can be time consuming and sometimes expensive, I just try one or two new things a year.  This gives helps me gage my family's needs and keep it all under budget.  So if you have a pizza sauce recipe you love, share!