What I’m Growing in 2017: Home Gardening 101

I remember when my kids were little, I visited the Waldorf school in my neighborhood and I spoke to the director.  She was a very quiet woman who spoke to me at length about healing the child…about going on field trips to the farm so kids could get their hands into the soil and really feel the earth…a place where we all heal because it’s where life originates.

I’m not going to lie…I thought she was a bit flaky.

But, as I grew older (and moved to my own piece of land where I cultivate almost every day throughout the summer), I finally got it.

There is rebirth everywhere (even in the form of robin eggs that sometimes land mysteriously on a dirt bike).

And as you begin to work the soil and understand the birth/growth/death cycle that happens every year in the garden and the area that surround it (like small birds that try to fly but don’t make it), you can’t help but have a renewed appreciation for how things grow, and, in particular, the origin of the food that we eat.

In Ontario, we generally begin planting on the May long weekend.  This past weekend is when the ground is generally soft enough to plant and the threat of frost has passed (usually!).  The garden centres are full of people, and you will almost always find what you are looking for.  The downside of waiting past this weekend is that some things that you want/need may be sold out.  The upside of waiting is the crowds will thin out and you will get some awesome deals!

So, let me walk you through this year’s planting.  Some more will be added as I find them…I’ll keep you posted!

Years ago, my friend Tina, who owns a company called Garden Sensibilities, drew out the plans for my garden as a project to put on her blog.  I loved it so much, we built it and the rest is history.  You can see the original plans here (click on chefs garden).

The entire garden is edible – so if we plant flowers, to make it pretty, we also have to be able to eat it!  Part of the design was to leave a perimeter of soil around the outer edge so I could plant some climbing flowers to make the outside look as inviting as the inside!

The next few photos are what I’ve planted on the outside this year…

The two perennial plants that come back every year in the beds are strawberries and chives (see below and click here for a recipe for chive oil!)

Now, we will move to the inner beds…4 raised beds each with their own plants (that are rotated every year to discourage pests and enrich the soil )…

Now onto the vegetables that were planted this year:

Other than what you see here, there are also seeds (that you can’t see – yet!) of carrots, radishes, zucchini, squash, pole beans and climbing beans. I also forgot to take pictures of my annual herbs: lots of parsley, basil, and cilantro.

And of course a few pots just outside my kitchen wit some herbs that will be easier to grab than running all the way out the the garden!!