Forty Before 40 - Vegetable Garden

I haven't written about my forty before 40 list in a while only because I don't have that much to report! I've been checking off a few things here and there. I canned homemade apple butter (#6), made homemade bread (#7), spent more time with girlfriends (#39) and I am still reading Anna Karenina (#32). That book is taking me FOREVER, but I will be done with it before November! And I have a few things planned for some sporting items on the list. Hockey (#21) is in full swing and my husband and I are looking at game dates for either February or March. Roller Derby (#16) is hit or miss but I've been watching the website for upcoming Bouts. 

With spring around the corner, I've been thinking more and more about my garden. I've wanted to plant a vegetable garden for the past several years, we just haven't taken the time to clear the space and get it prepared. I know exactly where I want it to go and have a vision of the layout. I just need execution. I am enlisting my dad to help map out the garden and then he and my husband will build it. I will try to assist, but someone's gotta watch McKinley! The planting will be something that I do, and hopefully with the help of my dad, as he has years of experience in this department.

When we lived in East Tennessee, my parents planted a small garden on the farm of my great grandparents. When I say small garden, I'm kind of being sarcastic. My mom has told me that when my great grandfather plowed the field for them to plant, it was enormous! A garden is what my great grandparents, and their children, lived off of their entire lives. Sure, they went to the store for breads, cereals and other essentials, but for the most part they lived off the land. Today, with all the hormones and pesticides that are used on our local groceries, I want to try and create a more healthy life style for my son. And, I want him to know that what we put into the earth is just as important as what comes out of it. We have to take care of the earth today so our great grandchildren have a safe planet on which to live.

My Great Grandparents Farm - 2009

I know the exact spot in our yard where I want to plant the garden. There is a space next to our back door that currently has a gross ground cover that I'm dying to pull up! From there I want to build garden beds that are terraced, two or three boxes, and begin the planting! What I don't know is when I need to start planting certain vegetables so that they grow at the appropriate time of year. Again, I will rely on the knowledge of my dad! I've been doing some research online and here are a few images that I like. 

These photos are from Landscaping Network. A little more intricate than I want to go, but the concept is the same. 

I like this idea of boxes, but I want them lower to the ground and closer together.

I would like to grow lettuce, green beans (and my dad has built amazing bean poles for past gardens), radishes, carrots, cucumbers and possibly potatoes. Again, a lot of research will need to be done, and maybe my first garden won't be as extensive, but it's a start. Martha Stewart has a great gardening guide on her website and I plan to read more of her helpful tips.

Have you ever considered starting a garden? Do you feel that fresh vegetables are the right way to go for your home? Sure, I could go the easy route and head to our Farmer's Market on the weekends, and I still will, but I really want to make the effort and educate my son in the process. Happy Gardening!