SPRING INTO GARDENING

A break in the weather means warmer temperatures, sunshine, and garden time. This year we wanted to try something new at the farm and plant a garden close to the kitchen. Welcome to our kitchen garden!

We’ve always had a garden here at the farm, but this year we decided to grow pumpkins & flowers in the back garden for my flower stand, while keeping the veggies close to the house. There’s nothing like fresh lettuce and tomatoes for the perfect summer salad, am I right?!

To get started with the garden, a couple months ago I planted my first seedlings in repurposed egg cartons. I filled the cartons with potting soil, mashed-up eggshells, and coffee grounds to provide both organic drainage & essential nutrients for the plants. (Check out the how-to tutorial in my highlights!)

I started a few tomato plants, some buttercrunch and romaine lettuce, larkspur, sunflowers, and lupines. The key, I found, is to keep the seedlings indoors in a sunny spot and water them regularly. As they sprouted and grew, I thinned out the seedlings to one per slot in the egg cartons.

In terms of garden prep, we measured out an area roughly 15x18 feet and removed all the sod. We decided we needed to fence in the area because of deer and other little visitors. As you all know, I love nothing more than a recycled DIY project! I found the perfect solution in the form of a picket fence that needed mending. I also found an old door from the early 1900s in the upper barn. I recruited Mr. Maple to help me cut it in half to transform it into a garden gate. With a garden gate and a fresh coat of paint, the fence was as good as new! We put that along the front side of the garden. For the rest of the border around the garden, we kept it simple with wire fencing.

That's all for this project! It doesn't matter how big or small a space you have to convert into a garden. You could use pots, make a raised bed, or carve out a little space in your yard, like I did. It's about the growing process! If you've made a spring garden too, I would love to hear about it. (Plus, any tips or tricks you found helpful or learned in the process.) Feel free to send me pictures @maplecreekmarket on Instagram. I will be reposting my favorites on my stories!

Leaving you all with a picture of some of my favorite woolly friends--Clarence and Scamp!

Don't forget to be a light, and shine bright this week!

Blessings,

Ginny

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