Thrifty Green Thursday - 11-6-08

This morning I looked out of the window as I was mixing my soap up and I saw a priceless moment that I yearned to capture on film.  My son was on the big Oliver with his Papaw plowing up our garden...preparing the soil for planting in the spring.  I was of course stuck at the sink...unable to leave my soap and when I was just finishing up they were too.  These are memories that I really want to capture for him to enjoy later on and I missed it.  I will be able to get a shot later though because they are going to have to make another pass!

It is now the end of the growing season for us...so I thought I would talk about what we do to grow our garden.

Here is the deal with plowing up the soil in the fall.  We leave all of the dead plants there and plow them under.  This helps to enrich the soil with nutrients that it will need in the spring.  Another thing is that it will help to break up the soil better...we will also till it in the spring, but a little extra couldn't hurt.

Plowing brings nutrients up to the surface of the soil and it buries the weeds and leftover plants...kind of composting them for future nutrients in the garden.  It aerates the soil and helps it to retain moisture better.  This is the best way to get good garden soil naturally.

So now the soil is plowed and it will be a long winter before we can do anything more on that front.  However, I have already started my seed list for next year's garden.  I am purchasing most of my seeds from Seedsavers because they are heirloom seeds and I personally prefer them.  They are a bit more costly...but they provide a service to us that most have turned their backs on.  You simply must read their FAQ's section...I would have never thought about asking some of those questions but it was interesting.

Then I will have to plot out my gardens...first in my head and then on paper.  This year we went it solo without a plan.  We ended up with tomatoes here and there (all in the same general area), but I didn't know what "type" of tomato was where.  This will also allow me to make the most of what area I have to plant with.  I will also be doing my "spring" garden in containers and raised beds.  I am looking into making them into a "cold box" type so that I can start them earlier outside and have wonderful veggies right from the beginning of farmer's market.

As you can see, while it is the end of this season...it is also the beginning of next season.  The cycle never ends.  We get to keep saving money (and living healthier) by growing our own food while at the same time helping to spur on the environment around us.  Bees and animals in our environment are counting on the gardens just as much as we are!