The first year we lived in our home we had a small garden, and it was SMALL. Maybe 6x6, and every inch was jam packed with plants. We had so many tomatoes we didn't know what to do with them. We ate them raw, gave them away, made and froze sauce, and gave more away. The next few years financially allowed us to sign up for a fruit and vegetable CSA. It was amazing. We tried many new things and developed a taste for beets and kohlrabi. The summer of 2010 found us signing up for the CSA again, and found me pregnant with babies two and three, and unbelievable sickness that lasted morning, noon and night. I couldn't look at a vegetable, nevermind cook and eat one.
As most husbands do, mine took the easy way out when it came to feeding our son and himself. I'm sure he grilled some hotdogs and make some mac and cheese, but I know he didn't cook those vegetables. A huge amount went to waste. We gave some away, and some was eaten (all the fruit), but it was all in all a waste of money. Meanwhile I subsisted on lemonade and chicken flavored ramen noodles for 18 weeks.
Summer 2011 found us living in the house we are in now with tomato and cucumber plants growing in our driveway in pots. It was a great success, but I want more! This summer finds us with three small children, and one and a quarter incomes. Thus, we don't have the money to sign up for a CSA this year. We're also living in a home that doesn't have much space for a vegetable garden. I'd been brainstorming about larger scale container gardens when I saw a milk crate garden lined with landscaping paper on TV. I put out an SOS call to my friends to see where I could find cheap or free milk crates and my friend Jim answered my call. I am now the proud owner of many, many, milk crates.
I can't wait to get started!
