What will you be growing this year?

[A66eyroad]

Is your lemon tree small enough to have in the house? I worked in an office in New Jersey when I was in college and there was a miniature orange tree that actually bore fruit one year (we pollinated it ourselves!).

My husband does all the "farming" around our house, from keeping up with the chickens to (as we say in East Tennessee) makin' garden in the spring.

We also have blueberry bushes and several apple trees, a pie cherry, a Bing cherry, and one pear tree. This year, we're renting a hive of bees to see if that helps the yield.

We have a movable chicken run (we call it a chicken tractor) which we move all around under the trees to keep things all pooped up good during the spring, summer and fall.    In the winter we pen the critters up inside the garden itself by putting up fencing & a wire roof with a small chicken house on one end. They eat every piece of grass and every weed seed they can find over the winter, and mix the whole thing up really well by digging around.

One year we had a young couple move in next door and they thought the chicken tractors were so clever so they bought six chickens and put them into their dog run & were going to drag that around the yard. But the dog run didn't have a roof, and I guess they forgot that chickens have wings! They had chickens in their trees for about a month before they could catch them all. Their kids weren't allowed to play on the swing set until they caught them all just in case.   

I want to do the potatoes-in-a-bag this year --- what a great idea!

[cargillwitch]

Oh I love these kinds of conversations whilst the squalls howl around the house!!
  live on a 150 acre organic farm so we grow alot. As well as my day job as a nurse I market garden and sell at the local Farmers market from May through October.
This year I am growing pretty much the same as last year- since my diagnosis  I am not planning to expand this year until I see how my energy is.
squashes- at least 6 kinds
zuchini
cucumbers
heritage tomatoes- 20-25 different kinds,
leeks,kale,carrots,
red/white/spanish onions,
garlic,
red/white and savoy cabbage
5 varieties potatoes
radishes,beets,shelling peas and snow peas,
10+ varities of lettuce
green, yellow snap beans
green lentils, red lentils, black turtle, red kidney, chickpeas and pinto beans.
5 + varieties of peppers
broccoli and cauliflower
watermelon and cataloupes.
Basil, thyme,rosemary,sage, and a whole pile of medicinal hebs
We also have acreage we plant beans, corn, wheat, barley and oats  for feed for the horses and livestock.
WE also have tons of wild thimbleberries and an orchard with apples pears, plums and cherries.

Ahhh. this is making me HUNGRY for spring. Alas despite the mild wniter we have had it still isnt safe to plant much here until the third weekend in May! I will have to dream a bit yet.

[genko_b]

Your farm sounds fabulous, Cargillwitch! I can't imagine trying to handle all of that and also work a day job; it makes me tired just to think of it.

We live in the city and don't grow nearly enough to live on or to sell, but I was able to harvest some mache (corn salad) for a salad tonight and also some fresh mint for a salad dressing. I like to have something going all year, even if it is just herbs and kale. The mint kept going through our mild winter - the first time I've had that happen.

Take care,

Genko

[meow]

Tomatoes, jalapenos and some kind of exotic chiles like Thai Dragons.

We moved last summer, so we didn't plant anything at either house. But this year, we have an extra large garden space, so Mr Meow is already making plans!

[MissyLouWho?]

Hearing all your plans have me really itching to start!  ***raises glass for a toast*** "To all our gardens this year.  May they be prosperous and may we be healthy enough to tend them and enjoy them!"