Spring Into The Garden

In case you have been wondering where I have been, we have been very busy here at the Fuentes household. We are very excited to proclaim that we have been furiously working on.....the garden.

This is not just any vegetable plot we are creating, mind you, but it is officially 'The Family Garden'. The Family Garden is where every child and adult will have their own vegetable to tend and care for. It is a place where bean poles will be constructed from teenage daughters and small boys will be tucked inside them, hidden as protectors, with rifle in tow. It is a place where butterflies will visit and small daughters will giggle and chase them gleefully. It is a place where a young boy learns the principles of weeding and equates them with the sin that needs weeding in his own life. It is a refuge for the tired mother who has had a long day and there finds tranquility, bliss and peace. It is a nourishing place that will provide sustenance to a family of ten...the place of promise where small babies can pluck a large red tomato and experience the burst of its flavors during a moment of anticipated curiosity. Tell me, will you, what cannot be accomplished in a garden?



This year's endeavor included extending our tiny garden plot from last year and tripling it in size. We already started veggies from seed (lettuce, spinach, sunflowers, carrots, cucumbers and cilantro) and enjoying seeing their budding heads which come with a full promise of summerly expectations. We will also be planting onions, garlic, beans, peas, cabbage, tomatoes, radishes, peppers, etc.

I am anxiously anticipating the weather warming because this year we will try our hand at succession garden--which is merely planting more than once in one spot, I dabbled a bit in that last year and found it to be successful. I have read that some can plant 3 times into as far as December with hardy vegetables such as lettuce (could this be true for Zone 5?). We are planting in containers as well---since we have to keep the jalapenos away from the twins--and we will also have a bigger herb garden on the deck this year. Herb gardens are so easy that I am embarrassed to admit I had never had one until the previous year, this year though, there will be no holding back!

With the economy being in a recession, we would all be wise to learn to grow our own organic vegetables. And educationally speaking, this makes a great project to teach the children whether you homeschool or not. Gardening is a skill that can be passed down from generation to generation. It is a homemaking skill that is still valuable today for good health since store vegetables degrade quickly and are not of the same nutritive quality of that from the fresh home vegetable garden. So I encourage you, that if you are new to it, don't be afraid-----give it a try. You will be surprised at what you will find that you can grow and not kill (as in my case!).

I have found two gardening blogs that I have been frequenting that I would like to share with you--hopefully they will bless you as they did me:

Skippy's Vegetable Garden

In My Kitchen Garden

If you have any you'd like to recommend or any gardening tips, be sure to share them!