Gardening for Joy
Why garden, when a potato is so cheap?
In my little neighborhood there aren't too many gardens, but at my house the garden takes up 25% of the yard! My husband and I were both raised picking veggies from a garden and out of habit started one of our own when we moved here. It has since gotten better each year and became something we love to do together. I am a planner by nature and love to look through the seed catalog each spring, pick out this years crop and begin planning my garden arrangements. I find joy in the planning, the planting, and the maintaining. Gardening is not for the weak, especially in late June at 39 weeks pregnant but it has brought myself and my family so much joy. Our nieces and nephew love to come over and see whats growing, my dog loves to rip through the corn rows, and my husband and I bond over the constant weed pulling and tomato picking. It has made me realize there is a lost art to gardening that many my age and younger do not have the time for. Why spend three months growing a tomato and hours in the kitchen to can your own pasta sauce when a jar is $1.99. For us it's not about the money saved, it's about knowing where our food came from, feeling proud of what we can do, and keeping old traditions alive. Gardening is not for the weak like I said, but it is surely for the joy, the love, and the passion to show your family that hard work and time can yield the most beautiful and fruitful things in life.
Check out my favorite gardening gagdets found on Amazon!
Self-Sustainability
Canning
Our goal is to produce most of our own food. In order to do that we have to make it sustainable. In looking for the solution, we came across canning. It is something I grew up with and have inspired in my husband too. To can your own food often times people will grown their own food or they bulk buy. We do both. When we have a large amount of one thing, tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, etc. we turn to canning. Mainly we can so that our produce doesn't get wasted in the time we would take to eat it before it goes bad. Canning does have a learning curve to it, so I reccommend you read up first! Follow a recipe for canning or a canning book your first few times until it becomes second nature. If you water bath can like we do its different than pressure canning. Pressure canning is a bit more dangerous, but is also quicker and can be more efficient. It's really all in preference. I will attach a few good links for canning supplies so you can start your self-sustainability journey too!
Canning Products
