Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond Virginia

If you ever get the opportunity, take the family over to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for the day.  The garden is a beautiful place to visit with reasonable admission and plenty to see and do for all ages.  They have a butterfly exhibit, a conservatory, a splash pad for children, and 50 acres of gardens with dozens of themes.

Planting Seeds with My Sprouts

If you enjoy cooking, then you know it doesn't get more essential than fresh, hand picked herbs and veggies.  The satisfaction of planting and growing your own food at home is not only fun, it's also easy and inexpensive.  All you need are a few pots with good drainage, your favorite seeds purchased online, and quality seed starter soil layered about 1" or so over potting soil.

What makes the whole process all the more rewarding is when you share it with children - especially two blue eyed cuties with wonder in their faces.  At every opportunity, I try to let them be a part of what I'm doing.  They can learn by planting, watering, picking, etc.  I've been amazed and delighted at the interest my two girls have and how much they thrive being outside playing in the dirt.  From the moment the two of them are out the door, they begin exploring, picking up rocks, sticks, bugs, and dirt.  It's not that they don't like the usual girly things like dolls and such, but on any given day they would be equally happy in the back yard digging up worms.  I love that about them.

Small Space Gardening - Update

Spring Lettuce (click here to see how much it's grown)

Heirloom variety tomatoes - determinates are perfect for small space gardening

Homegrown lettuce is truly the gift that keeps on giving.  I've thinned several gallon sized containers from the lettuce pictured above over the last few weeks by cutting the large outer leaves and allowing the smaller ones room to grow - now you can't even tell we've pruned any. The texture and flavor of homegrown lettuce is incomparable to that of anything store bought (organic or not). 

Besides some herbs and lettuce, I've also started some organic heirloom variety tomatoes which are determinates.  This is key because most tomato varieties are indeterminate, which means they basically don't stop growing until they are ready to die.  I don't have space for that.  However, these determinate varieties will grow to a certain height (usually about 3-4 ft) and then they don't get any taller - perfect for a small space garden like the patio my family is confined to for the time being.

Trust me, no matter how small the space you have is, chances are you can grow your own herbs and some basic vegetables with very little challenge.  Start with good soil, ensure you have good drainage, then water on a schedule and you'll be all set. 

Small Space Gardening - Spring Lettuce

It's been a minute since I posted anything on gardening....mostly because I'm trying to sell a house back in Alabama, so at present, I don't have a yard to grow things in.  What I do have is patio space and planter boxes, so as a self proclaimed renaissance man, I can will make this work. 

First order of business was to plant some easy to grow (organic) lettuce varieties.  I went with Black Seeded Simpson (Amber likes the frilly light leaf lettuce), Romaine, and Butter Crunch.  These varieties are extremely easy to grow and like all lettuce, they crave water and sun.  I mixed them and planted them tight.  So far so good and in about 30 days, we'll be enjoying home grown salad lightly dressed with homemade dressings.  Yum.

Homegrown Strawberries

Yep, I grew these little babies myself and, I have to say, I am an absolute fool for strawberries.  Back home in Georgia, I have been known to binge eat strawberries picked from a local farm until I was literally sick.  I just absolutely love fresh picked strawberries.  And who doesn't?  I mean, how could anyone not like them?  It would be wrong.  Maybe even morally wrong....just kidding.

I don't have nearly as much space as I would like for a garden, but I have just enough.  I try to keep something going year-round since most veggies are annuals anyway.  Lettuce is easy, so are tomatoes, and most veggies really.  Strawberries are one of the few things I grow for food that perrenialize.  Of course, since you can't have too many strawberries, God also engineered them to multiply rapidly.  What started out as three strawberry plants has now turned into at least 20 in two seasons. 

I grow everything directly in the ground, including my herbs thanks to a well drained soil (although for proper drainage, herbs would normally do best in raised beds, planter boxes, or even pots).  Anyhow, back to strawberries - they are not only beautiful and tasty, they are also really good for you.  1 cup of strawberries have 140% of your daily value in Vitamin C, antioxidents, and other important nutrients.  I feel especially good knowing the strawberries I grow are organic and have not been sprayed with any nasty chemicals.

If you think you don't have time or room for a backyard garden, then chances are you're missing out.  I know people who only have a back porch and they have potted gardens.  It is incredibly rewarding to grow your own food and it's so easy, a caveman could do it.

Wholesome Family Farm

So I need your help. Above is my vision for a farm I'd like to make a reality one day (click on the image to see the detail). From my guess-timate, I'd need at least 10 acres to make it work but 15-30 would be more ideal. I've given this some thought, but I'm hoping someone out there can help improve on this plan.

So the vision is a farm that is highly self sufficient, although realistically, not truly self sustaining. During part of the season, we would allow people to come and pay a fee to harvest their own food directly from the ground. Maybe even have a small restaurant type operation for part of the year. Anyhow, I'm not sure it really matters that the place isn't self sustaining; I just want something sufficient for most of our needs. The house would be about 2500 sqft and four bed rooms. Not very big, I know, but enough for the family and some company. I want it to be single story, large kitchen with gas stove/oven/grill, large central stone fire place, a covered front porch, back deck, and as much open living space as possible. The surrounding yard would be mostly a perennial garden with a stone inner wall and boxwood hedge outer wall. In the front of the house, a line of conifers like Leland Cyprus or something would create a privacy wall. I like this approach because it looks rustic but also refined at the same time. It reminds me of a European cottage or something. I prefer to use well water (which I grew up on as a kid and loved), pond fed irrigation for the gardens, solar panels for electricity, and propane gas for cooking and backup heating. This will require a substantial up-front cost, but very low utility bills. Off the back deck would be an outdoor living space surrounded by herb garden and perennials. This is a perfect place to host guests in the Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Connected to the inner garden would be a series of direct in-ground and raised vegetable gardens designed to produce year round. All of the gardens are positioned for maximum sun exposure, all rows running North and South. The raised beds would also have frames built so that they can be converted to covered green houses which will allow an extended growing season in cool months. A hen house would supply eggs but would also provide pest control and fertilizer for the largest of the in-ground veggie gardens.

A small shed would allow us to keep a tractor and other equipment, while a small barn could keep a few horses, feed, and hay. In the pasture, pole barns would be constructed for shelter for a few cows and a small herd of sheep. The pasture would be split so I could rotate the grazers to the adjacent pasture. Gates would be made to open inwardly to create a chute. A farm pond, which would need to be fairly deep, would supply water for the animals, a place for fish, and irrigation for the gardens. On the back side of the farm a small vineyard with fruit trees. Also chickens (for eating) would help reduce pests and provide another food source. Ideally, behind this, would be a wooded area. The wooded area would be a place for wood and hunting deer.

So, that’s the grand plan. A dream? Yes. I have no idea when it would ever be possible but the sooner the better, in my book. I just like the "wholesomeness" of it. Farm living is the life for me. Amber came up with the name Wholesome Family Farm but it has been used already.  The name just embodies the general idea.

The Vine and The Branches

When I took an interest in viticulture (the growing of grapes), it was really just to better understand what it takes to produce superior wine grapes. As any chef would tell you, there is no substitute for using the highest quality base ingredients possible. As I investigated, I quickly realized several things. For one, growing grape vines is a complex pursuit. The vineyards that produce the best fruit will be located in special regions of the world where ideal conditions consistently allow for maximum growth. This means rainfall occurs during specific times of the growth season, humidity is balanced, where micro-climates and breezes keep away unwanted disease and mold, a place where temperatures are typically cool in the morning and warm during the day. Beyond this, the grower makes considerations for elevation, soil type, and choice of the ideal varieties that will grow with the longest ripening season possible in their region. But perhaps most importantly, the proper amount of sun exposure. This is so important that most vineyards are planted in rows running North and South. Then to further ensure efficient sun exposure, vineyards are usually planted on Southern facing slopes with the most prized grapes growing at the top of the slope. Trellising and pruning techniques are also geared toward ensuring ideal exposure to the sun so branches collect light and grapes will mature properly. There is always a single main branch which forms the base of the vine. Then several main branches are trained to grow from the main vine on a trellis. These fruit bearing branches are always one year old and will be removed after the season is complete and replaced with new one year old branches. During the season, branches that are not fruit bearing and shoot away from the main vine or branches are removed so more of the vines energy can be devoted to the maturing the grapes, instead of being wasted to support the excessive branching and foliage.

All these facts I found most intriguing because they reminded me of something I had read many times before but not fully appreciated. I thought about the words of Jesus when He said, "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:1-5.

As I thought about these words with a new perspective, I had a new found appreciation for the illustration and its meaning. Jesus used an illustration of the cultivation of grapes to describe our relationship with Him. It was an illustration his disciples and followers could easily understand because of the role of the vineyard and it's importance to the culture of their day. It was also an illustration that could be applied and related to through the ages. As I read the words again, I was reminded that an abundant harvest requires work and a diligent and caring vineyard keeper (the Father). Jesus is the main vine (planted on the earth intentionally by Father), we are the branches, and the support system or trellis (the Church). It also reminded me our walk as Christians is not a solitary thing, it is growing along side others that will help encourage our growth. All the while, Jesus is the source of life for the main branches and He will be the source for the new branches - they will not be grown from the old branches. Also, while Jesus said He was the vine in the illustration, I can't help but think about how the branches and fruit need the sun. The sun is absolutely vital to the life of the vineyard. The entire growing process is inextricably dependant upon maximizing exposure of the branches to the sun so the fruit will be abundant, mature properly, and be full of flavor. As Christians, we must remain in the Son. Our relationship with Jesus is vital to our growth and maturity. Apart from him, we cannot produce fruit and we cannot live life as he intended apart from Him. Branches that are separated from the Son or Main Vine will wither and die. The truth of God's Word is truly amazing.

Back Yard Gardening - Not Just for the Country Folk

(Picture of fresh lettuces from my Fall garden). As a hopeless do it yourself-er, I do love the satisfaction of growing some of my own food. I know for many that sounds like way too much work for a person with a family and demanding job. Well, I can't say it's no work at all, but I can say it's no where near as difficult or time consuming as you probably think. In fact, with one free Saturday and a little help, you can easily construct and plant an entire vegetable garden from seed that will be virtually maintenance free. A garden isn't just for those with the proverbial "green thumb." If you love to cook like I do, you know there is no substitute for fresh ingredients. Growing an herb garden and planting a Fall and Spring garden (big commitment right?) is minimal effort in comparison to the return. For me, it is a cheap and practical way to get ingredients I use without spending a fortune. I also like the fact that my kids can learn about nature, science, and gardening at a young age. While it's not reasonable to expect you'll be able to give up grocery shopping by starting a back yard garden, you will be surprised at the things you no longer have to buy. A backyard garden can be both a functional, attractive, and rewarding feature - not to mention a truly organic food source - something you can feel good about.