• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Townsend House

Cultivate Simplicity in your Home and Homeschool

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Video
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact

Home & Family· TH

2016 Garden – The Big Picture

Is it too early to think about my 2016 garden?  Surprisingly, no.  In fact, sometimes I think that I am behind
when I start garden planning in February, but I know that in my current zone
(5A), this is a good time to start thinking about the big picture for my
spring/summer/fall garden.

Now, for those of you that are thinking flower garden,
stop.  I am not a pretty gardener.  Instead, my focus is always on food.  Yes, I do have some lovely flowers around my
home.  Thankfully they were here before
we bought the house, and surprisingly I have not killed them.  They need very little maintenance, and that
is my type of flower!  No, I am
definitely speaking about a vegetable garden.

Last year I did not have a garden.  I have written about how disjointed I felt
about that repeatedly, so I won’t continue to drone on about it now.  But, because I didn’t have a garden last
year, I am feeling quite optimistic about the entire thing.
Now, in years past, I have had issues with pests.  It started with the cucumber beetles, moved
onto squashbugs, and then, most recently, I had a family of woodchucks that no matter
how many we trapped and disposed of, kept coming back.

My positive thinking is “I didn’t have a garden last year so
the pests will have moved onto greener pastures.”  Clearly, I am delusional, but, I am going to
keep that delusion going for the time being.
Two years ago, my desire was to grow all of our summer
vegetable needs from the garden.  That
may seem like a big deal, or for you more experienced gardeners, not a big deal
at all.  For me, it was a big deal.  Especially considering it was year 4 of me
battling pests.  We did surprisingly well
that year, regardless of the intrusion of uninvited guests.
My goal for this summer, again, is to provide all of our summer
vegetables.
Having the option to go outside and pick part or all of your
meal is probably the most satisfying experience to me when it comes to food
prep.  I love to cook, but picking
vegetables straight from the garden, and then preparing them is an amazing
accomplishment to me.

I love the entire process – well, except for that whole
weeding thing, but we don’t need to think about that now!
With the goal of growing all of our summer vegetables, that
means planning starts now.  While I do
spend a fair amount of money on buying seedlings from the farmers’ market and
our local greenhouse, one area where I have wanted to improve over the past
several years is our seed starting capabilities.

My mom has always been a wonderful gardener (both with food
and flowers), and she used to start her own seeds.  Several years ago I did actually go all out
and start all of our seeds.  I was
incredibly proud of that accomplishment. 
That accomplishment was then destroyed when the town came to dig up our
entire yard (including my garden) to replace the sewer lines – who knew all
those sewer lines were running right under my yard?  Not me! 
After that experience, I have put in some half-hearted attempts to start
seeds, but I think in the back of my mind I am always concerned something else
will happen, and all of that effort will again be wasted.

The kids are a bit older now, obviously, and they
(thankfully) love gardening as much as I do. 
They have been asking me about starting seeds, and so I plan to sit down
with the kids to choose some seeds from the seed catalog (most likely anything
purple) and will place a seed order. 
Then we will do a homeschooling unit on starting seeds.
I’m really excited about the possibilities this year.  I figure it will be a clean slate, especially
since I left the garden beds alone last year. 

Do you garden?  Are you already planning for spring
plantings?  What is your favorite
vegetable?

You may also enjoy:

  • Easy Ways to Preserve the HarvestEasy Ways to Preserve the Harvest
  • A Garden Tour – Week TenA Garden Tour – Week Ten
  • A Garden Tour – Week NineA Garden Tour – Week Nine
  • A Garden Tour – Week OneA Garden Tour – Week One
Share
Pin
Tweet

43 Comments

Are you ready to cultivate simplicity in your home and homeschool?

Start with my easy guide to organize your homeschool curriculum.

Previous Post: « The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
Next Post: knitting and reading »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Monroe Bishop says

    February 16, 2016 at 2:23 am

    My mom had a green thumb (does that apply to gardens), however it was not passed down to me 🙁 I actually have been thinking of trying my hand at maybe an HERB .. baby steps

    Reply
  2. Bri @ All Thats Glittered says

    February 14, 2016 at 3:01 pm

    I had a small veggie garden last year, it was a great feeling to bring in fresh veggies for dinner!

    Reply
  3. Yona Williams says

    February 13, 2016 at 10:25 pm

    Every year, I say that I am going to do container gardening, and never follow through. The one time I did a garden, deer, rabbit and groundhogs tore everything apart. My family jokes that it was the million-dollar garden.

    Reply
  4. Krystal Butherus says

    February 13, 2016 at 3:05 pm

    I have always tried to garden every spring and it NEVER works out for me. I don't know what the problem is, I simply forget to water. I start off easy with basil and mint.

    Reply
  5. Ashleigh Walls says

    February 12, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    I can't wait for the weather to get better so I can garden. Each year I add a new plant or two.

    Reply
  6. CourtneyLynne says

    February 12, 2016 at 12:54 am

    Omg beautiful garden!!!! I so wish I had a green thumb! I want a garden so bad 🙂

    Reply
  7. The Coastie Wife says

    February 11, 2016 at 5:47 am

    I can't wait until we move out of our apartment! I'm so ready to plant a garden. I'm like you – I want one that will provide me with food!

    Reply
  8. Becca says

    February 11, 2016 at 2:16 am

    I love this! My husband wants to grow lots of vegetables in our yard in the future when we move to a home with a larger yard. Last year, he grew his own peppers and tomatoes!

    Reply
  9. NatePD says

    February 10, 2016 at 11:32 pm

    It is an accomplishment indeed! I love your excitement.

    Reply
  10. Michelle says

    February 10, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    Woohooo, love the determination and goals! I'm not a gardener but definitely appreciate friends with gardens who share with me!

    Reply
  11. Koninika Patel says

    February 10, 2016 at 1:56 am

    Such a beautiful and pristine garden! Makes me want to go there and read a book.

    Reply
  12. Lisa @ Two Bears Farm says

    February 10, 2016 at 1:46 am

    Oh, me too! I am so excited.
    Talking about your woodchucks – you should read this memoir about gardening called $64 Tomato. It is such a fun, relatable read. I laughed and laughed!

    Reply
  13. Amber N says

    February 10, 2016 at 1:37 am

    I cannot wait to have a garden. Snow, snow go away!

    Reply
  14. Allie Kunze says

    February 10, 2016 at 1:05 am

    I've always wanted to have a garden, but I think I was born with the anti-green thumb. Everything I plant dies. But I love your determination! Good luck!

    Reply
  15. Kimberly Montgomery says

    February 10, 2016 at 1:01 am

    I'm not a gardener, but I enjoy gardens. That probably sounds odd. My sister has a pretty cool above ground container type of garden. She gets an amazing amount of cucumbers and zucchini.

    Reply
  16. Toni says

    February 9, 2016 at 6:57 pm

    I don't garden but I love the idea of growing all of your own vegetables! I try to eat as local as possible! Great job and good luck in keeping those pesky critters away.

    Reply
  17. Ellen Ruth says

    February 9, 2016 at 6:27 pm

    I love working outside in the yard and making it pretty. Landscaping really makes or breaks a yard, and pretty gardens add character and charm to a home. It's never too early to start thinking ahead to the next season.

    Reply
  18. Jessica Abegg says

    February 9, 2016 at 5:04 pm

    You've got me Googling how to grow carrots and potatoes indoors xD Because, uh, well, you can't really plant anything outside in an apartment – and certainly not for us, as our back porch area doesn't get any sun. Plenty comes in through the front windows, though!
    I'm sure I should just, you know, step away from Google right now (because am I *really* going to buy dirt and containers and seeds and all that? Probably not) but it would be nice to have *something* 🙂
    I hope you do not have any pest problems this year! Though I would love to see updates about what you've planted and how it's going and the like! 😀

    Reply
  19. Kimberly Stroh says

    February 9, 2016 at 2:51 pm

    I can't wait for my bulbs to bloom. I'm a newbie so sometimes they bloom as a surprise! Lol

    Reply
  20. Krystle Cook says

    February 9, 2016 at 2:15 pm

    I'd really love to grow some veggies this year. Especially tomatoes. I tried last year and the plant just died. I think it was too hot.

    Reply
  21. jillconyers says

    February 9, 2016 at 7:46 am

    I'm so glad you shared this. I didn't have a garden last spring/summer and I regretted it. I won't make that mistake again.

    Reply
  22. Laura - Eye Candy Creative Studio says

    February 9, 2016 at 5:38 am

    I think it's great that you are working on it already. When I used to live in my old house, I couldn't wait until spring every year to figure out what I wanted to do – it is so much fun!

    Reply
  23. Shelly says

    February 9, 2016 at 3:29 am

    Growing up, we had a HUGE garden every single year. Back then, I hated it of course because it meant I spent my summers pulling weeds, trying to kill garden pests and canning numerous fruits and vegetables. Then i turned 18 and moved away from home for 11 years, vowing to never move back to the country again. I spent 8 years in Chicago and hated it. Boy what a dumb teenager I was! I missed living in the country. I missed having a yard. I especially missed having a garden especially when it came to my grocery shopping LOL. Last year I moved back to my hometown and the first thing I did that spring/summer was plant a garden.

    Reply
  24. Housewife Eclectic says

    February 9, 2016 at 3:20 am

    I am thinking about my garden this year too! We moved in the last year and so we don't have a designated spot anymore. Might be time to tear up some grass!

    Reply
  25. Veronica Pototska says

    February 9, 2016 at 2:53 am

    You garden looks so beautiful! I really loved planting flowers when I was a kid and dream to have a really big one in 20-30 years.

    http://www.siniciliya.com

    Reply
  26. Stacey D says

    February 9, 2016 at 2:32 am

    Your garden looks beautiful! I try very year with a small garden in my front yard (best sun) While I always get a small harvest – I have much more to learn.

    Reply
  27. Kid Minds says

    February 9, 2016 at 2:01 am

    It's not too early to think about the garden at all! We already started the seeds in our kitchen. As soon as the weather gets warm, we can move our plants outside and get our fresh veggies much sooner!

    Reply
  28. TaMara Simon says

    February 9, 2016 at 1:57 am

    We're going to start over on our garden. We didn't get to do what we wanted last year because we we're moving at the time. I want heirloom tomatoes this year. And basil.

    Reply
  29. Tanya @ Moms Small Victories says

    February 9, 2016 at 12:47 am

    I did a square foot garden last year and had written down that I needed to start the seeds in February and well it's February! Thanks for the reminder, I almost forgot. The square foot garden did pretty well, my favorite thing was really it got NO WEEDS! There were a couple mushrooms but they were easy to pull out. We got a pretty good crop, highly recommend it!

    Reply
  30. Emily Glover says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:47 pm

    I always think about starting a little vegetable garden but I never do. Maybe this year will be the year. Guess I need to start doing some research on it!

    Reply
  31. Jessica @ Barefoot by the Sea says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:39 pm

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE gardening! We expand our garden every year and agree, there's huge satisfaction in growing and eating your own food!

    Reply
  32. rachael Orr says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:28 pm

    Yes!! I have tried many of these things and not had very much luck. Good tips!

    Reply
  33. Cristina Ramirez says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:20 pm

    I am not a gardener but when a preschool teacher there was a school garden. We learned all about aphids and released ladybugs to eat them! This brought back memories!

    Reply
  34. Skye McLain says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:40 pm

    Ahhhhh if there is one magic power I could be granted it would be the ability and desire to garden!!! I have a horrible black thumb and no patience to really learn the skills to keep a garden going! I can't wait to see your crops!

    Reply
  35. Logan Cantrell says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:39 pm

    I want to plant a vegetable garden at our new house one day! I have always thought it would be so rewarding to grow some of my own food! I can't wait for spring flowers!

    Reply
  36. ana de jesus says

    February 8, 2016 at 8:30 pm

    I want to have my own garden too when I move house! I had one in my last place but not in this one.

    Reply
  37. Lisa Tummers says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:47 pm

    I love your garden plans and your determination! In our backyard, the only food plants that seem to thrive are blackberry bushes, strawberry plants and hot peppers of any kind. I gave up a couple of years ago, and that's what I stick with now. I still love to,pore over seed catalogs and dream, though. Aren't they so much fun?!

    Reply
  38. Colette Wright says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:46 pm

    I don't garden and have zero ability to keep anything green alive, but it's definitely on my list of things I want to learn about!

    Reply
  39. Brianna George says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:32 pm

    I wish we could garden, but we are in an apartment. I may try some planter gardens this year.

    Reply
  40. Sarah Elizabeth says

    February 8, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    This looks just like the small "postage stamp" gardens in the book I just reviewed! I can't wait to get started gardening this year!

    Reply
  41. MyTeenGuide says

    February 8, 2016 at 4:03 pm

    I only have a few plants and herbs in pots. I wish I had the space for a garden.

    Reply
  42. Karen Morse says

    February 8, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    Love your motivation with your garden! We have tried doing small pots of veggies, but then gave up after those bugs and deer interfered. Last summer we didnt do anything! Maybe this summer we'll give it another shot!
    Karen | GlamKaren.com

    Reply
    • Heather says

      February 8, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      We haven't had problems with deer before, but I am sure it is only a matter of time before that happens!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Are you ready to cultivate simplicity in your home and homeschool?

Start with my easy guide to organize your homeschool curriculum.

Currently Reading



Latest on Instagram

townsendhouse1

Heather @ Townsend House
My Brave Writer choices for 2022-2023! You can fin My Brave Writer choices for 2022-2023! You can find the video and how I combine Brave Writer with our other language arts curriculum at the link in my profile.

#bravewriter #bravelearner #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolmiddleschool #homeschoolmom #homeschoolcurriculum
A walk through my flower gardens! They need a ser A walk through my flower gardens!  They need a serious weeding, but the flowers are pretty 😊

#garden #flowers #flowersmakemehappy #garden2022 #2022garden
I have my 7th grade homeschool curriculum choices I have my 7th grade homeschool curriculum choices up! You can see them at the link in my profile.

#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolcurriculum #mainestudies #bravewriter #bravelearner #bravewriterlifestyle #bravelearnerlifestyle #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolplanner #middleschool 
 #wildandfreechildren #charlottemason #interestled #bookstagram #books
I can't wait to hear how the dance was for these b I can't wait to hear how the dance was for these beauties!
When I was choosing curriculum for this coming yea When I was choosing curriculum for this coming year I thought I was totally on top of things, just to realize when I was laying everything out that I totally forgot to get science for my 7th grader. 🤦🏼‍♀️

We chatted a bit about what he wanted to do, and what he decidedly DID NOT want to do, and we came up with the #scienceunlocked kits from @homesciencetools 

I am sharing an unboxing of the four kits we chose as well as my first thoughts. 
You can find the video at the link in my profile.

I think that it is going to be a great science year for him! 

#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolscience #homeschoolmiddleschool #projectbasedhomeschooling #interestledlearning #homeschoolmom #homeschoolcurriculum
I'm starting to share my 2022-2023 Homeschool Curr I'm starting to share my 2022-2023 Homeschool Curriculum picks. First up, my 9th grader! You can find out what we are using by clicking the link in my profile.

#homeschool #homeschooling #sonlight #sonlightstories #sonlight230 #bravewriter #bravelearner #bravewriterlifestyle #bravelearnerlifestyle #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolplanner #homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolinghighschool #highschoolcurriculum #curriculum #charlottemason #interestled #bookstagram #books
#sponsored @kiwico_inc crates are a great way to i #sponsored @kiwico_inc crates are a great way to integrate interest-led learning in your homeschool. Find out how we use them at the link in my profile!

#kiwico #steam #stem #homeschool #homeschooling #interestledlearning
Jack and I have a lot of planting in our future! T Jack and I have a lot of planting in our future! This doesn't even include all of the seeds we have...Why is it so hard to say no to lots of plants?  Also, not entirely sure where we will put it all 🤣

#growyourown #localfood #slowfood #homesteading #homesteadhomeschooling #homeschool #homeschooling #garden #gardening #2022garden
My irises are showing up! White lilacs are also bl My irises are showing up! White lilacs are also blooming 🥰

#garden #2022garden #flowers #flowersmakemehappy
I am super excited to share the new Erin Condren T I am super excited to share the new Erin Condren Teacher Planners with you guys! I have been using the coiled teacher planner since 2015 and it is super functional for me. If you are interested in seeing the new planners that go on sale next week, you can find my videos at the link in my profile!

#ecsquad #erincondren #ectlp #ectp #homeschool #homeschoolplanner #homeschooling #homeschoolplanner #homeschoolmom #plannercommunity #teacherplanner
#ad 5 reasons we are STILL using @teachingtextbook #ad 5 reasons we are STILL using @teachingtextbooks for our homeschool math - it might not be why you think!
Find the video here - https://youtu.be/Q03_6jtpxa4
Find the corresponding blog post here - https://www.townsend-house.com/teaching-textbooks-6/
Get your FREE TRIAL here - https://u.teachingtextbooks.com/Free_Trial_HL41422

#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmath #homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolingteens #homeschoolcurriculum #math #mathcurriculum #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolplanner #middleschool #elementaryschool #highschool
I have a preview of the new @erincondren life plan I have a preview of the new @erincondren life planners that are coming out on 4/25 for EC Insiders and 4/26 for the general launch! You can find links to all three of my videos in the link in my profile. If you have questions, let me know!

#ecsquad #homeschool #homeschoolplanner #homeschoolmom #ECInsider #ECLP #ecdailyduo 
#ecplanner
#ecplannerlove #plannerbabe #plannergirl #erincondrenlifeplanner 
#planneraddict #plannercommunity #plannerlove #weloveec #weloveecweekly
#plannersofIG #plannersofinstagram
#wildforec #Lovemyplanner #plannerinspiration
I haven't been out in my garden since last fall. I haven't been out in my garden since last fall.  I am so pleased to see all of my garlic coming up!  Next up, planting peas 😊

#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homesteadjourneys #homesteading #growyourown #localfood #garlic
It's a #homemadebagels kind of day! #yum wish they It's a #homemadebagels kind of day! #yum wish they would last longer than a day 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣

#food #fromscratch #baking #bread #homeschool #homeschoollife #homeschoolmom
It's always nice when a.) your child chooses a res It's always nice when a.) your child chooses a research project topic you yourself love, and b.) she can do most of the research by looking on our own bookshelves 😊🤷🏼‍♀️

#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolprojects #chickens #homesteading #localfood #localliving #greenliving #bravelearner #projectbasedlearning
We are nearing the end of our homeschool year! So, We are nearing the end of our homeschool year! So, my planning day for March focused on making sure I know everything we need to finish up to be DONE! You can find my video to my planning day at the link in my description! How is your homeschool year going?

#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolplanner #erincondren #ECSquad #planningday #sonlight #sonlightJ #homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolmiddleschool #homeschoolelementaryschool #homeschoolmomlife
I have a full walkthrough of the new @sonlightcurr I have a full walkthrough of the new @sonlightcurriculum #homeschoolplanner up on my YouTube channel. You can find the video at the link in my profile.

#homeschool #homeschooling #sonlight #sonlightstories #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolplanner #middleschool #elementaryschool #highschool #charlottemason #interestled
I got a lot of new @sonlightcurriculum books this I got a lot of new @sonlightcurriculum books this past weekend! So fun to go through a lot of new books and resources we will be using for next year. You can see the unboxing at the link in my profile!

#homeschool #homeschooling #sonlight #sonlightstories #sonlight300 #bravewriter #bravelearner #bravewriterlifestyle #bravelearnerlifestyle #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolplanner #homeschoolhighschool #charlottemason #interestled #bookstagram #books
Just pulled the rest of our books (minus Lucy's bo Just pulled the rest of our books (minus Lucy's books) for the rest of the semester! I'm excited to finish strong 😊

#homeschool #homeschooling #sonlight #sonlightstories #sonlightJ #historyofscience #bravewriter #bravelearner #bravewriterlifestyle #bravelearnerlifestyle #homeschoolmom #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolplanner #middleschool #elementaryschool #wildandfreechildren #charlottemason #interestled #bookstagram #books
What I am #reading on this snowy afternoon! #home What I am #reading on this snowy afternoon!

#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolhighschool #homeschooltranscripts #homeschoolplanning #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife #bookstagram #books #readersofinstagram
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

what can i help you find?

Are you ready to cultivate simplicity in your home and homeschool?
Start with my easy guide to organize your homeschool curriculum.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
  • Contact
  • Index

Copyright © 2022 · Heather · Townsend House · All Rights Reserved

Share
Pin
Tweet