Living in central Virginia you can not count on the weather to co-operate one tiny bit.  One day we are at 30 degrees and then next we are at 70.  I am inside today as this is one of those rainy, cold winter days.  Yes, I am full aware that it is winter but I also have projects to do buzzing inside my head.  Go through seeds, get indoor seed starting ready, till the outdoor gardens and cover with warming fabric just to name a few.

Last year we had several test areas.  These include vegetables we have never grown.  This year I am ready!  We have learned from last years mistakes and I won’t bother planting some items like corn, watermelon and cantaloupe.  The yield is too low and the space ratio for growing too high.  Cucumbers were planted on the ground and via a trellis.  Going to go with the trellis this year as so many lost cukes turned into “baseball bats”.   Zucchini is definitely on my list.  We had so many last year that we started to freeze zucchini and made some awesome breads. Neighbors love bread!

Do we need all this food?  Not really.  We were overwhelmed last year with the zucchini, cukes and tomatoes.  Bags and bags of vegetables were given away. We even shipped tomatoes to family members in other states.  (Love that Priority Mail option). This year I am ready – canning equipment is in place, team members for vegetable exchange and canning, and our new dehydrator. 

I believe that we have definitely learned from our mistakes in the past and barring any weather anomalies we should be right on target for a wonderful year of fresh produce. It’s a good idea to follow some of the sustainable living blogs.  The folks that write those blogs are happy to answer questions and you can also tap into the resources of those following.

Come on Spring! Don’t make me buy a greenhouse.

The picture attached is from our garden last year at its peak.

Top Down view of our Garden