How My Backyard Garden Grows

Hmm...I may have bitten off more than I can chew (figuratively and literally) with this much seed!
I gave you a teaser here about what my husband and I have been building in our backyard. I'm so happy to say that it's finally finished! Using old weathered fence posts we had on hand, my husband crafted a 1' x4'x10' raised bed garden for us! I'm beyond thrilled.

I'm trying to focus on keeping this garden chemical-free so instead of using weed/grass killer we laid out layers of newspaper before piling on a yard and a half of premium composted soil mix. (From what I understand, gardening is all about the dirt)
I've spent a lot of time sketching and charting and thinking through where every single seed and transplant should go. I thought it may be a little overkill at the time, but once I got to planting, this little map was vital to keeping my sanity. I referenced it with the beginning of each row, and later it helped me remember where I put everything. And I'll keep the map for reference next year so I'll know how to rotate my crops. Don't forget to add a compass to your map!
As a child, I remember watching my dad grow a half acre worth of crops in our backyard. We lived out in the country (not hard to do in Texas) and had acres and acres of land around us. I despised the chores I had as a result of that garden, which was to pick off (by hand!) the tomato worms and okra bugs (I still shiver thinking about it). But as I look back on those years, some of my favorite childhood memories are found working those rows and rows of crops.

I'll be sure to share pictures and tips with you as I discover along the way. For now, I'm loving working alongside my two-year-old to move dirt, create rows, sow seeds and water plants. I think we're going to love this new little family hobby.

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