The garden's underway!

This past weekend we were able to start planting some of our vegetables that we're growing this year.  While I was busy building the chicken tractor with our friend Cathie, Denise started all of the tomatoes that we'll plant.  We have about 18 kinds this year in all sizes and colors.  One of Denise's favorite tomatoes is the Black Cherry.  My favorite is probably the Jaune Flamme.  This year we got all of our seeds from Seed Savers in Iowa.  They have all heirloom, non GMO seeds and many of them are also organic.  I like supporting an organization that's dedicated to preserving our food biodiversity.  It's expensive to buy as many seeds as we do every year but I'm hoping to start experimenting more with saving seed this year.

Black Cherry

Juane Flamme

We start most of our seeds indoors and then transplant them when the fear of frost is gone.  Below is where we plant our tomatoes.  We use a 25 ft length of welded wire as the support for the plants and plant on both sides of the fence.  This is the only bed that we use that currently isn't raised.

Denise & Karson planting tomatoes - 2012

We're trying to sow more in the ground this year and a little earlier to see how some of them do.  Denise planted kohlrabi, celery, some of our loose leaf lettuce, and some spinach in one of our newest raised beds.  In all the other beds, I've currently sowed annual crimson clover in the other beds as a spring cover crop.  This will be our first attempt at a cover crop.  I'm definitely planning to sow a cover crop in the fall as well

We feel a little behind getting the other vegetables started indoors but hopefully we'll be able to get everything started by the end of the week.  It feels so good to know where our food comes from and the boys learn great lessons from growing their own food.

This past weekend we were able to start planting some of our vegetables that we're growing this year.  While I was busy building the chicken tractor with our friend Cathie, Denise started all of the tomatoes that we'll plant.  We have about 18 kinds this year in all sizes and colors.  One of Denise's favorite tomatoes is the Black Cherry.  My favorite is probably the Jaune Flamme.  This year we got all of our seeds from Seed Savers in Iowa.  They have all heirloom, non GMO seeds and many of them are also organic.  I like supporting an organization that's dedicated to preserving our food biodiversity.  It's expensive to buy as many seeds as we do every year but I'm hoping to start experimenting more with saving seed this year.

Black Cherry

Juane Flamme

We start most of our seeds indoors and then transplant them when the fear of frost is gone.  Below is where we plant our tomatoes.  We use a 25 ft length of welded wire as the support for the plants and plant on both sides of the fence.  This is the only bed that we use that currently isn't raised.

Denise & Karson planting tomatoes - 2012

We're trying to sow more in the ground this year and a little earlier to see how some of them do.  Denise planted kohlrabi, celery, some of our loose leaf lettuce, and some spinach in one of our newest raised beds.  In all the other beds, I've currently sowed annual crimson clover in the other beds as a spring cover crop.  This will be our first attempt at a cover crop.  I'm definitely planning to sow a cover crop in the fall as well

We feel a little behind getting the other vegetables started indoors but hopefully we'll be able to get everything started by the end of the week.  It feels so good to know where our food comes from and the boys learn great lessons from growing their own food.

This past weekend we were able to start planting some of our vegetables that we're growing this year.  While I was busy building the chicken tractor with our friend Cathie, Denise started all of the tomatoes that we'll plant.  We have about 18 kinds this year in all sizes and colors.  One of Denise's favorite tomatoes is the Black Cherry.  My favorite is probably the Jaune Flamme.  This year we got all of our seeds from Seed Savers in Iowa.  They have all heirloom, non GMO seeds and many of them are also organic.  I like supporting an organization that's dedicated to preserving our food biodiversity.  It's expensive to buy as many seeds as we do every year but I'm hoping to start experimenting more with saving seed this year.

Black Cherry

Juane Flamme

We start most of our seeds indoors and then transplant them when the fear of frost is gone.  Below is where we plant our tomatoes.  We use a 25 ft length of welded wire as the support for the plants and plant on both sides of the fence.  This is the only bed that we use that currently isn't raised.

Denise & Karson planting tomatoes - 2012

We're trying to sow more in the ground this year and a little earlier to see how some of them do.  Denise planted kohlrabi, celery, some of our loose leaf lettuce, and some spinach in one of our newest raised beds.  In all the other beds, I've currently sowed annual crimson clover in the other beds as a spring cover crop.  This will be our first attempt at a cover crop.  I'm definitely planning to sow a cover crop in the fall as well

We feel a little behind getting the other vegetables started indoors but hopefully we'll be able to get everything started by the end of the week.  It feels so good to know where our food comes from and the boys learn great lessons from growing their own food.