I had to move again! That’s two summers in a row, but I’m stoked to be in a permanent location at last. I’ve been installing garden boxes which has involved some insane woodworking, during which I actually used some high school trigonometry. Remember that thing with the triangle? Yeah, I used that! I wish I could let my Math teacher Mr Platts know! Thank you Pythagoras!
This was a big help in checking my measurements so that I didn’t waste any lumber, and I was able to reclaim most of it from the garden I took down at my old place, and a bed frame I built last summer. The result is level garden boxes which I’m hoping will mean even soil drainage.
The time has come to start seeds and although I’ll be away for a couple of weeks I decided to go ahead so that I can transplant more mature seedlings at the end of May. I’ll be sharing a do it yourself watering stand, using capillary mats soon.
The last frost in Powell River is typically around April 26th, so I’ve started a range of tomatoes, peppers, salad greens and chillies for transplant when I return.
In addition to that there are onions (Sturgeon Storage) in the garden now, and I’m direct sowing carrots, leeks and parsnips as well. I’m hoping to grow and store as much food as possible this year and eat fresh while the good weather lasts. Food prices have gone up 20% where I live, and while Stats Canada are predicting inflation on groceries will ease, the prices aren’t going down yet. Recently I put back an iceberg lettuce that was $8.99! What is happening?
While I need to build more garden boxes, I had hoped to put my potatoes straight into the ground, however it turns out that my new back yard is build on sand and gravel and there is almost no top soil for them to draw nutrients from. I’m exploring growing potatoes in bags and would be happy to take recommendations. I’ve also thought about Lasagne style gardening and building up the soil around the potatoes, but I’m not sure which option will work best for me yet.
In the next few months I’ll be working on a deer fence, more garden boxes and making my own sausages from a side of pork I got from a local farmer. I’m trying to work steadily on learning the skills I identified in my Essential Homesteading Skills survey as I go. I’ll also be sharing pictures and video of my progress on Instagram. I definitely need to learn about pressure canning because I lost the majority of my tomato sauce that I water bathed. If you have tips on how to water bath tomato sauce successfully, please leave them in the comments. I’m also looking for a pressure canner recommendation. The internet has way too many options!
I’d love to hear your feedback and find out how you plan out your garden to grown what you need. I’ll be sharing progress and recipes as I go.
Thanks for following along, GROW – EAT – REPEAT!
Moon Snail Microstead 