Bunch of Carrots: A Garden Update

Photo Credit: The Fishographer

This bunch of carrots became part of our dinner on Sunday.  Aren't they lovely?

You can just see the "Attack of the Killer Tomato Plants" in the background.  I need to find a better way of supporting those buggers next year.  The cheap little tomato cages I have just aren't cutting it.

I find it extremely fun to wander out to the backyard, gather a bunch of veggies, head back into the house for a quick wash and prep, and then to serve super fresh food to my family.

Not only is it fun, but I think we have almost broken even on this years cost for seeds and plants.  I've estimated I spent right around $40 for all my seeds and plants.  According to my spreadsheet we are up to $31.97 in harvested produce, and that's not even counting any of the herbs I've collected.

Tracking and pricing the herbs is turning out harder than I thought.  Often I will run out and grab a few leaves to throw into whatever is planned for dinner, and forget to measure or write down what I took.  Plus, I have harvested basket-fulls of herbs to dry for later use.  Do I use a cost for fresh herbs or dried herbs?  Any thoughts on how I can track my herbs better?

In any case I think the first year of the garden project is going splendidly and I'm already planning and scheming for next year.  How did your garden go this year? or Are you planning one for next year?

Processing the Garden Harvest

Today's Harvest...Yes, that is a couple of purple carrots!

I spent most of the day processing my garden harvest.  There was the collection above plus tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and more green beans from last week.  I also gathered this beautiful batch of thyme.

Thyme

The thyme is currently chilling in my dehydrator.  I'm pretty sure I collected my years supply plus some. When they're completely dry all that's left to do is strip the leaves from the stems and bottle them up.

The beans are all snapped waiting to be blanched and frozen.  I'll finish that up tonight when it is cooler.  I would love to can them, but I don't own a pressure cooker...yet.  I've got my eye on this one:

Presto 1755 16-Quart Aluminum Pressure Cooker/Canner

All the tomatoes are basking on my window sill.  We need some for a party tomorrow and I'm going to can the rest.

I sliced the jalapeno peppers and spread them out on a tray to freeze.  After another hour or two I'll slip them into a zipper bag and they'll be ready to scoop into our favorite salsa recipe.

The carrots have been scrubbed and sliced.  All ready to be snacked on or slipped into lunches.

Not a bad days work.

I've also updated all my garden totals in my spreadsheet so you can see just what we've been able to harvest from our little starter garden.

Gathering Seeds

Coriander Seeds, harvested from my garden yesterday.

One of the aspects of gardening that is currently tickling my frugal fancy is the idea of gathering my own seeds.  I've been propagating flowers by dividing them for a while now (it's the only reason I have the yard I do now), but gathering seeds then storing them for the winter and planting in the spring is getting me excited.  Sure, it's a lot more work than buying a seed packet or a seedling from the nursery, but it is an almost free way of growing flowers and food.

Some seeds are easier to gather than others.  The little coriander seed forms after the plant bolts and starts to flower.  You simply wait for the little green fruits to turn brown and gather them up.  A carrot rarely produces seed the first year of growing.  In my climate, where the ground freezes over the winter, we will have to carefully pull up and store a few roots then replant them in the spring.  Get this, they'll sprout new green tops, flower and produce seed.  Sounds complicated, huh!

I am so amazed at the beauty and order God has created for us.  So many plants are available to us and with a little work on our part and sunshine on His we could technically never go hungry or pay for food again.  I think it is absolutely amazing, and I am so grateful.

No, I will not be converting my entire 1/6th of an acre to food production, but it is nice to know I'm learning the skills to provide for my family if we're ever cut off from the food supply.  Plus, saving us a little money in the process.  Plus, I think it's really fun.

Vegetable Garden

This Morning's Harvest!

We planted our very first Vegetable Garden this spring.  I love my flower gardens and have enjoyed planting and caring for them, but food is a completely different animal.  After I presented the first little batch of green beans to the family at the dinner table I felt a very strong mixture of emotions.  I felt pleased, happy, strong, content, proud, secure, giddy, loved, joyful, obedient and some I don't have words for.

Next year will be better.  I've learned a lot of very important lessons.  For example:  don't let the dog out unsupervised until we have a fence around the veggies.  Not pleasant.  I will be expanding and staggering my planting so hopefully we can get a larger yield for my tiny planting area.  Thank goodness for the internet, I'll be doing a ton of research this winter while my yard is under snow.

I'm also very interested in how much money can actually be saved by planting a garden.  As such, I have been keeping track of just how much produce we have harvested from our little plot.  I've also computed about how much I would have spent at the grocery store for the same amount of produce.  You can check out the spreadsheet here:

Garden Harvest 2011

Next year I want to track my expenses as well to see if I break even.  But, even if I don't the pleasure of providing food which we have grown ourselves far outweighs any difference in expense.