Spring is here, and for my family, that means starting our small garden. We have a very small yard so a small garden works best for us. Regardless of the yard size, small gardens can be great for anyone because they are a lot less work than giant vegetable gardens. A family garden can be a project for everyone in the family to help plan, plant, care for, harvest and enjoy.
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- Planning- Think about the foods you like to eat that are relatively easy to grow. Tomatoes, lettuce mixes, zucchini, peppers, and green beans are some of our family favorites. We also plant fresh herbs like basil, Italian parsley, and chives. Plan how many plants you will want of each and start with seeds in your home, or buy the seedling plants at the garden center. The garden center is a great place to ask questions about the yield of various plant types, watering and feeding. Let the kids pick out a favorite veggie that will be their plant.
- Planting- The photos show our small ?square foot gardening.? Each type of plant has one or two squares. For our tomatoes, we use a hanging tomato planter to save on space. You also can put all your herbs in one large pot to save space. Younger kids can plant within the family garden or use a container to plant their own mini garden.
- Caring- The great thing about small gardens is that they are pretty easy to care for; there isn?t much weeding to be done. Don?t forget to water daily, watch for pests and protect your crops. We find that a small fence around our little family garden really helps keep rabbits and squirrels out.
- Harvesting- This is the really fun part! Our entire family gets excited to see what we have grown, and to finally be able to pick it off the plant and eat it! Lettuce is one of our favorites because it just keeps growing! ?We only take what we need for our salad with dinner that night. Kids really love picking the ripe vegetables and it can help picky eaters expand their palates.
- Enjoying- Use your freshly grown items regularly throughout the season. If you have a bumper crop of a certain item you can share with neighbors and friends, or find recipes like tomato sauce or pickles that can be frozen.
Getting the whole family involved in our garden gets us all outside and working together as a team. The cost to start your garden is minimal and the results are a big payout for your family.
Do you have a small garden? What is your favorite thing to grow in it?
Source: http://blog.mariecallendersmeals.com/2013/05/15/small-gardens-are-fun-and-easy/
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