The Garden is Popping: Pallets, Grow Bags, Bag Beds & Containers Oh My!

So excited that my attempt at Pallet, Potato Grow Bag and “Bag Bed” gardening is starting off well.

Here’s a peak at the first pallet — it’s got strawberries, lettuce (they’re just coming up — a bit slow), zucchini and red bell pepper:

Pallet Garden

The potatoes are kicking butt in their grow bags — once the greens get to about 7-8″, I’ll add another 4 inches of soil mix.  Doing this will encourage even more potatoes to grow and once the visible 4″ of greens becomes another total 8″…I’ll add more 4 inches of soil:

Potato Grow Bag

And the “Bag Beds” are off to a good start.  While my plan had been to build raised beds this year, the “disc issue” prevented it so I:

  • put down bags of organic raised bed planting mix [note…not simply “soil” or garden dirt.  Some Home Depots also carry this mix (the one nearest me didn’t, but I found another that does so call and check], using a screwdriver,
  • poked a dozen holes in the bags so roots can grow through if they wish and water can drain and then
  • placed cardboard between the bags to stop the grass from taking over.

Here’s a shot of some “Bag Beds” which are growing summer squash, zucchini, watermelon, cucumber and bush beans — as part of this summer’s “testing”, I’m using two types of organic raised bed planting mix: Nature’s Care and Dr. Earth.  Thank goodness there’s no HOA (homeowner’s association) to squeal about my bags and cardboard (the cardboard will decompose into the soil and serve as compost for next season’s actual beds so it’s a win/win and recycling at it’s best).

Bag Beds

 

And then there are the containers: Pea Sprouts, Tatsoi, Spinach tons of herbs (peppermint, lavender, oregano, chocolate mint, pineapple mint, thyme, basil, dill, parsley, spearmint and more I’m likely forgetting):
Tatsoi

Pea pods

Spinach

mint

 

So what are you growing this season?  I’d love to hear in the comments!

Self-sufficiency, Whole Foods and Herniated Discs

Fruits and veggiesIt was my goal coming into 2015 to grow almost all our non-meat food this growing season.

You see, I had reversed my Type 2 Diabetes last year and was/am committed to ensuring it didn’t come back.  Gardening and growing my own food nourishes me in so many ways: from saving money to providing my family with quality food (that I know the history of) and, for me, there’s something so therapeutic is “playing” in the soil.

Living in Massachusetts, particularly after the snowiest winter on record, growing almost all our food is an ambitious goal. Day after day I saw with seed and heirloom plant catalogs as the snow fell.

You name it, I researched it and plotted.

Then, as spring began to make an appearance, I woke up one morning with a “cervical herniated disc sitting on the nerve root” to my left (dominant) arm.

Gardening? I couldn’t even hold a glass of water or pick up my Lhasa Apso Buddy.

And worse? The Type 2 Diabetes I had worked so hard to reverse last summer/full was back. Seems intense pain results in higher sugar numbers (go figure!).

That’s why I decided to start this blog.  As proof to myself and you if you’re here that Healthy Living CAN be made easy.  It just takes a little creativity.

Thank you for joining me on the journey!