Today we did a lot of work.
Well, Keith (my husband) did a lot of work. I did a lot of managing and complaining. You know, I realized very early on, that even
a backyard farm was A LOT of work. We
don’t have much space. Everything we do
is strictly limited to a backyard space.
I like to think of it as a farm (although the definition might vary for
people) because this is the way I see it…
We grow food, we have the opportunity for fresh milk, eggs, and meat… so in my mind, that makes us a farm. Right? Everybody nod your head in unison. Thanks. I have learned a lot of lessons on a small space that someday I hope to take to a large space.
Anyways, today I was sick.
I came down with a fever yesterday and spent the majority of the
afternoon in bed. This morning I still
felt like borderline poo, however… we
had already lined up a big project to start on this weekend, and I was working
on a timeline. Ever had one of those
moments? So, I say I was complaining,
but Keith says he doesn’t really remember complaining. Maybe he has learned to tune it out. I was sick, so I am totally allowed to
complain maybe a teensy weensy little bit.
My oldest daughter caught the homesteading bug right
alongside Keith and I. I think all the
kids have it, but I think you have to be a certain age before you can get an
official diagnosis. The only cure that I
have found for the homesteading bug is more cowbell. And cowbells look really cute on goats I
think. Small ones, of course. However, the treatment we decided on for my
oldest daughter was actually an herb garden.
Not just any herb garden (because even though we have little space, our
plans are always huge), but a raised herb garden.... with style. Because style is important. It makes plants grow better. What? You didn't know that?
Homesteading/ farming in an urban environment brings with
ALL kinds of challenges, because in a small space like ours, you can’t just
look at a spot and say “well, that isn’t going to work for me , so let’s find
another place that will work” because there aren’t options. There is either grit and determination or
defeat. Initially these were several
problems that we faced (and overcame)…
Our backyard had no good sunny spot for gardening. It’s a large backyard… but it got no sun. Solution?
We cut down A LOT of trees. There
were two HUGE loblolly pine trees that were each twelve feet in circumference at
the base that were taken out. On top of
that, we took out at least 20 smaller trees, and a giant overgrown shrub. Ta-da!
We now have sunshine! We still
have a TON of trees in our backyard. Two
mimosas, three dogwoods, two more massive pine trees, and an entire back fence
of something I have yet to identify. And
don’t worry all you fellow tree huggers!
I planted enough to make up for what I replaced. Just in more strategically placed spots that didn’t
block the sun.
Our current obstacle is something that we can absolutely
under no circumstance overcome through destruction and uprooting. It’s this giant hedge in my neighbor’s yard,
but so close to the fence line that a great deal of it is actually on our side
of the fence. Whoever planted this
monster was not thinking ahead, because they planted it so close to the fence
all the way down the side of their house that there is no way for them to
maintain it. Plus it is overgrown with
honeysuckle. I love honeysuckle, but if
you don’t watch out, it will choke out everything around it. Now, the solution to this predicament was a
little tricky, because we made a small bed for herbs last spring and they didn’t
actually do very well. I know now that
it was because of the hedge in our neighbor’s yard. When two plants compete for the same
nutrients in the soil, the much bigger hedge is always going to win over the
little plants of sage and oregano… and
maybe some dill and peppermint. Our
solution?
 |
| The herb garden so far! It's a lot of work! |
We pulled up the old herb bed completely and started from
scratch with a new design. The bed got
bigger, but to overcome the nutrient battle, we made the beds totally raised so
that there is no competition anymore.
The beds are now two feet high, and 4 by 8 feet in size. I did say beds, so we expanded it from one
bed to two with a two foot wide pathway in between. Each of them will be totally separate from the
ground, although still sitting on the ground.
We pulled up all the sod that was going to be under the new beds and
moved them to another area in the yard that needed a little extra grass. Then, on the soil we placed landscaping
fabric two to three layers thick. The beds were
placed on top of the fabric after they were put together (okay, as of right now
only one is totally finished. I was a doo-doo
brain and miscalculated the amount of supplies we needed so we could not finish
that part today). In each of the beds
there will be a layer of gravel, then sand, then pine straw (for now, this is
more a space filler and will compact overtime as it breaks down), then the compost
we have been saving along with a lot of garden soil. Where the chain link fence is now that
currently separates our yard from my neighbor’s is already a privacy fence that
Keith built today to help keep the monster hedge on their side of the fence.
Did I mention my oldest daughter designed this? She is 8. I told you she caught the bug.
At the end of the pathway is going to be a water barrel on a
platform with a space underneath the platform for storing gardening tools and
supplies. Because a convenient garden is
a successful garden.
That was another problem we had that we had to overcome and
it was more self-inflicted than anything else.
When we first started doing all of this, we did not take into
consideration how easy or difficult it would be to maintain what we
started. It took a lot of hair pulling
and redoing for us to understand that a well thought out plan that is centered
on convenience is EVERYTHING when it comes to homesteading, particularly when you are working with limited space that you are trying to maximize. Plus, let’s get real. Getting it done right the first time is also
cheaper. The more simple it is, the more
likely it is to get done. The more
likely things are to get done, the greater of a success you will be. Consider all angles when planning something
new. And if you don’t know what those
angles are yet… well, we just jumped in
head first and kind of hacked our way through it. I would suggest talking to somebody that knows
or has experience with whatever matter it is that you are thinking about
undertaking, but I can’t honestly say that is how we started out. It was a lot of trial and error for us. There were a few projects we had to set down and walk away before we started duking it out... if you know what I mean.
When the herb garden if OFFICIALLY finished, I will post
pictures up here on what it looks like.
For now you can see the disaster area…
I mean, current site. Why do
things always have to get messier before they can get better?
On a side note… We
recently planted a bed of purple and white coneflowers around our blueberry shrubs, which will
be a temporary space for them. For now,
we just needed something else in the bed to take up some space. The blueberry shrubs will be 6 feet in
diameter in a few years and potentially ten feet tall, but for now they are
still kind of small, and that poor bed looked empty. Coneflowers need a very alkaline soil to
flourish, and the blueberries need an acidic soil to flourish… so, I am not expecting top notch coneflowers,
although I am hoping that since they are uphill slightly and nicely spaced out
from the blueberries, they will still do okay.
Plus, coneflowers are a perennial and will return every year. Their root systems do very well, and it is
not difficult to uproot one to put it someplace new- which will keep
spreading. 
Coneflowers (aka Echinacea purpurea) is also a natural antibiotic. When
taken properly it is actually quite effective! It also makes good tea,
although I would suggest adding a bit of honey or Stevia. Great for
cold season!
These others are rudbeckia that we planted in the same bed and they are beautiful in the fall. They also look great with the echinacea!
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