WINTER WARMUP

It seems a funny time to start a blog on Backyard Gardening. But usually this time of year, my head always leans toward the garden. The holidays are behind me and the cold and ice drags on. I long for a little patch of green to bring sparkle to the landscape and to get my hands back in the cool earth! So this is a time for dreaming and a little planning. How can I make my backyard into a little farm? It's always been my goal ever since we moved in our new home. Gardening is in my blood. Somewhere there must be a farmer in my family tree! 

I am determined, more than ever, to be a backyard farmer. I don't have acres of tilled land in front of me (though I live only blocks away from farms that do). But with raised beds and intensive gardening methods, I know I can grow enough to feed our family through the summer, fall and winter...if I work at it. 

This year, I've joined the thousands of Americans who are staying clear of genetically modified foods. Health has always been a big consideration in how we eat. We see it as the smart way to go, choosing the best for building strong bodies and clear minds--to have more vitality for the long haul.  We're also a Christian family, so we want to serve the Lord with all we have and greater health means more years to help others and live for God. So what we eat matters. That's why we've become an organic family, eating a plant-based diet that's rich in anti-oxidants, flavor and fiber. 

I can buy a lot of healthy food from our local grocery store--they stock quite a bit of organic foods. But I'd like to have more say in the variety of foods I cook for my family. All the conflict over safe and honest labeling makes me want to eat less of processed foods and more from our own gardens. Plus, I just love to be outside, digging in the dirt. There's just something that unwinds inside me when I'm sitting in the garden, pulling weeds, and planting seeds. Like I said, there's just got to be a farmer somewhere in my family tree! 

So, I'm dreaming these days of our own Green Acres in the backyard. When 2016 rolled around, I opened up my computer and my handy Printmaster program. I use the shapes and clipart to map my kitchen garden behind the picket fence. I plan where I put my spring and summer crops and even garden flowers. It helps me keep track of my crop rotations from year to  year. It's like a farmer's journal--all rolled up in one easy format. 

It's helped me dream as the snow flies outside. And to send in my seed order. So now I'm dreaming of setting up the "Germination Station" in the basement--as I grow my own tomatoes, peppers and broccoli from seed. No more late sowings for me! I'm going to be right on time this year because I'm growing this garden--from start to finish. 

It will be something new for us--using only organic seeds, with some heirloom varieties thrown in. Maybe I'll start being a seed-saver too! It's gardening all the way from now on! And someday this whole backyard will be transformed into our little farm, our Garden of Eatin'! I can hardly wait!