For a few years my husband and I have been discussing moving and having a homestead. We relished in the dreams of owning our own land somewhere south of Rhode Island where the growing season was longer and the weather more pleasant year round. A place of our own where we might have chickens, ducks, goats and a bountiful garden that could sustain us year round. However we have been on the outskirts of the system since the beginning of our marriage and made many sacrifices from the start to be able to have one of us at home with our children no matter what the cost. So we are here in Rhode Island living with his parents and forever grateful for the roof over our heads and a place to sleep at night.
It was late in 2019 when we really took the phrase “bloom where you’re planted” to heart.
It really struck a cord with both of us. If we moved who would take over the roles we have assumed here? With his parents getting older and not in the best of health we have taken control of the more arduous tasks around the home. I had planted flower gardens that would need maintaining not to mention the snow removal in the winter to name a few. We still had some debts that needed to be repaid before we could make the move and money has always been a little more than tight around here, so we dug in our heels and said let’s build a garden. We’re going to bloom where we’re planted and that’s what we did.
Where do we start? How are we going to plant? What seeds need to be started inside? Which do we direct sow? What seeds do we even buy? Where do we get our soil and compost?
What spot in the yard is the best and how big should we make it? It felt a little overwhelming at first, with me at work and him at home starting the seeds and planning was difficult. I’m the family’s green thumb though I didn’t have experience with vegetable gardens. We ordered the bulk pack of seeds from Baker Creek and a few extras to start. We went to a local store where I knew we could get organic potting mix and pots for seed starting, purchased some grow lights from Amazon and we were on our way. It was a promising start. When our seeds arrived in the mail it was better than Christmas morning, eager to start I sorted through seeds that needed to be started early from those that could be direct sowed. It was late in February and the weather was looking promising for March which had us dreaming of what our garden would be. I started some seeds with my boys in cups and trays, properly labeled them and set them up with the grow lights. Boom we were on our way!
March came around and with it the start of the confusion that 2020 has turned into, but on we carried. While I was at work my husband built raised boxes out of pallets and placed them in the yard where we decided to put the garden! For the boxes we used the Hugelkultur method to save on soil and manure which was purchased from the same store as our seed staring supplies. We discussed in ground beds and where to place them, had the layout planned and the digging began. Meanwhile our seedlings were looking great, it was all coming together, then March came to a close and with it weather generally unheard of for this time of the year.
Living in New England there are risks of snow in March and April but what we got this year was not snow. It rained through most of April and the temperatures stayed in the low 40’s. Not ideal for planting outside. It was a little discouraging to say the least and our seedlings were yearning for fresh soil in a new bed. When we had a break in the weather we planted the more cold tolerant seedlings. I soon discovered I was a little over zealous and not mindful enough when it came to the quantity of seeds I provided to my children when preparing the seed cups. We planted a few too many seeds in each cup. That was the first mistake. The weather improved once mid to late April hit and we were able to add more to our beds. The deeper into the current world situation we got the more we thought about expanding our garden. So we did. We added two more raised beds and a second in-ground bed. By mid May we had most of our direct sow seeds planted and all we could do was wait. It was at this point that we notice the lack of growth the plants in our raised beds were achieving. Confused and frustrated we started to analyze where we went wrong. It had to be more than just poor overcrowded germination pots. Poor soil quality? Not enough manure? Too much manure? We just weren’t sure. We then stopped to consider what had been used for the Hugelkultur, pine branches from a tree that had been removed the previous year. The soil must be too acidic even for the tomatoes, nothing was growing properly. Mistake number two. So we started the boxes over, removed the soil, took the pine out, mixed in some new soil, added garden lime and filled the boxes again.
That was around the end of June, at the same time our local farmer’s market had re-opened and we were able to reconnect with our favorite farmers. The connection was truly a blessing from God. We told them about our garden and shared our struggles. We exchanged business cards and they offered to give us some excess plants they were not going to be able to get in the ground this season. When we got to their farm we were more than surprised at the number of plants they were willing to give us. It was already the 4th of July at this point and the plants they gave us were going to end up in their compost so they were more than generous. The beets, tomatoes, eggplant, pepper and cucumber plants were more than enough to fill our boxes and some empty spots in our other beds! Not only did we gain plants for our garden but we formed a relationship with the farmers that allowed us to volunteer with them as a family and for my husband to go help a few days a week. Our time was compensated in fresh veggies and a discount every Sunday at the market though the experience and community building was payment enough.
From then on out as the weather continues to improve it was like magic. Our boys loved watching the plants grow week to week and I spent my mornings before work in the garden talking to the plants and checking to make sure every thing was growing well. After struggling a bit our greens finally took off, the potato plants looked amazing, we enjoyed peas and green beans fresh off the vine nearly daily. The pumpkins we planted were a lesson in themselves! Next time we will plant them in their own bed where they cannot climb all over the boxes and fence, though the fence made a lovely trellis.
Our mistakes have been good lessons learned. Less seeds per germination cup, bunny proofing before breeding season and preparing for pests of the insect variety before you find caterpillars on your kale in the fridge. The garden as a whole has been a learning experience for us and we know there are more mistakes to come. It’s part of what makes this journey so beautiful. We started a new and smaller fall garden which is coming along though it didn’t come without mistakes. You live and you learn, blossom and grow with your garden. If your family is involved it makes the experience all the more enjoyable.
Our 8 year old has read a book all about chickens, he knows all about raising chickens and can’t wait to grow up and be a farmer. Our 4 year old absolutely loves playing in the dirt, digging the earth, looking for worms to add to the gardens and compost not to mention eating whatever he can get his hands on right off the vine. There is nothing like cultivating your land and watching your children enjoy the cultivation the land provides in return. Their homeschool curriculum is going to be based around gardening and nature moving forward which will only further their love for it. They have grown so much because of our humble garden this summer in so many ways as have my husband and I. Blooming where we are planted is what we’re doing and we are so thankful we decided to do so. It has allowed us to see the path God laid out for us more clearly and presented us with new opportunities we never thought possible.
Who knew all we had to do was reach out to a neighbor with a jar of garden fresh homemade salsa and a job offer would be soon to follow. This opportunity is allowing me to come home for good, be with the children where I belong especially since we are expecting our third in December. It has also given my husband a new career path. We are blessed to be blooming here and look forward to all the adventures that come our way. This was the first of many beautiful things to come, God has and will continue to provide.
-Jessie (CameraBear’s Wife)
@jessie_g_art_ on instagram
