The family garden provides an important opportunity for hard work, tending, weeding, watering, and then enjoying a rich harvest. It has been a source of peace, satisfaction, and great flavor for our family year after year.
This year's garden project started with plans in March, tearing up the previous garden in April, construction from May to July, planting between June and July, and a great bumper harvest in late August. Warm fall weather has extended the growing season into October, green beans and tomatoes are still going strong.
Watch the video to see how our garden took shape this year!
My gardening career started with my Grandfather, Grandpa Pearson. As a young kid I loved playing the grasshopper, eating all his tomato and cucumber vines bare. He's since passed on, but I think he left me with his love of gardening, vegetables, landscaping, watering by hand, raking, and dirt.
3 years ago we bought our first home, and 3 years ago I ripped up our side yard and started our first garden. I learn a few new techniques every year, but the major rules I've picked up are:
- Sun, Sun, Sun. It's the secret to my success. My side yard has complete sun all day long.
- Water - I water by hand, in little wells that I make by digging up a bowl around each plant. Because I target water, most of the soil stays bone dry. I rarely have to weed anything.
- Keeping soil loose & workable - I made garden boxes mainly so that the soil around plants would never get walked on and packed down. I have access paths between each bed, and never walk in the beds themselves. Loose soil lets roots spread out and reach far. It's been 4 months since I first filled the beds with dirt, and I can still reach in the dirt about 10 inches down with my bare hands. If you can avoid compacting the dirt around your plants, they will love you for it.
