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On Sundays, I’ve been sharing how to earn money from hobbies. Some hobbies can also save you money, which is just as good. Like many advocates of frugality and simple living, Kris and I take pleasure in growing our own food. We started planning our garden in February. Today, on Easter — a day of rebirth — we paused to examine our work.
Kris’ tomatoes and flowers are healthy and strong:
In the vegetable garden, sprouts are peeking through the soil. The snow peas are up; in just a few weeks, we’ll be snacking on them from the vine. Asparagus takes three years to mature into edible stalks. This year will be the first that we can harvest it.
Our onions and lettuce are doing well. (We never have much success with lettuce, though. It’s always bitter, and we don’t know why.)
Oregon is known for its hearty berry production, and our yard is no different. The raspberries and blackberries are growing vigorously. We already have some strawberry blossoms, too! (It seems early for strawberries.)
We have two neighbors with huge grape arbors. When we moved in, they allowed us to take cuttings. They’ve also continued to offer advice as our vines have grown. We’ll actually be able to harvest some of the fruit for the first time this year.
When one neighbor built a new house, he let us dig out his 25-year-old blueberry bushes. We have five plants that will produce a lot of yummy berries. We also planted two apple trees, a prune, and a pear. Each of these is blossoming now. With luck, we’ll be able to make a pie this fall.
Gardening isn’t for everyone: some people don’t have the temperament, others don’t have the space. But if you’re willing to put in the time and the effort, you’ll be rewarded with a bounty of fruit, berries, and vegetables.
Last year, we estimated that our garden saved us hundreds of dollars, especially on berries. If I can remember, next year I’ll keep a detailed record of our expenditures (in time and money), as well as the financial value of our produce. (For various reasons, I can’t do such a project this year.)
This article is about Food, Frugality, Real-Life Sunday, 8th April 2007 (by J.D. Roth)
April 8th, 2007 at 11:56 am
I used to have a little herb garden in my kitchen–the basil plant was on a window next to the stove, so we could just reach over and grab some when we cooked. Good luck with the garden!
April 8th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Ohhh, JD I’m positively green with envy! I’m going to go sit on my barren balcony and envision a little house with gardenable dirt for myself.
db
April 8th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
I was *just* reading about why lettuce gets bitter, and now I can’t find it … it was to do with heat, like if it gets above 80 or 90 for a few days in a row, or something. I do remember that I came to the conclusion that this year I’m going to plant mine in the shady front yard instead of in the full-sun back and see it it makes difference.
April 8th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Quite honestly, my girlfriend has been pushing me to buy a house and one of her wishes was that the house has to have room for a garden. I’m not a gardening person but this post definitely gives me something to look forward to. I will also send a link to my girlfriend. Thanks JD!
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My Own Millions Blog
April 8th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
JD,
We put in blueberry bushes and had tomatoes plants last year. Not sure how much we’ll plant this year due to the home addition, but we’ll have bluberries! After its done, we’ll prepare the whole backyard to get alot more plants in, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc…itsa very good hobby and does save a ton of money
April 8th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
It’s really nice to see and read about people who are gardening and really enjoy their harvest. I am about to do some gardening myself but the weather has been really freaky lately that I am not sure when to start, especially with tomatoes. I am planning to plant stuff in containers, does anyone know a link that has information about container gardening? I really enjoy your site JD…Keep the good work.
April 8th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Beautiful garden. Very jealous! I’ll have to made do with runs to Sauvie Island and the Farmer’s Market this year.
April 9th, 2007 at 12:07 am
I love your pictures! I started off an allotment (I think it’s a community garden in the US?) and it’s getting there. I love watching all the plants growing on my windowsill. Our berries are also growing wildly, and the plum tree is in blossom. Can’t wait for that fruit bounty. Thanks for sharing your progress.
April 9th, 2007 at 7:34 am
My brother does something I don’t often see recommended for asparagas. He harvests in a section continuously until the spears get a bit thin, and moves to the next section. That section has been growing wild all season, so he cuts it down, and then harvests it until the spears get thin. In this fashion, all the sections get a harvest period, and they also all get a long free-growth period, albeit usually divided by the harvest period. Also, you can harvest asparagas from the first year, just don’t get too greedy. You need to stop when you notice the spears getting smaller/fewer/thinner.
We planted our blueberries next to a 6ft chain link fence, on the idea that it will be easer to build the anti-bird cage during harvest time.
Good luck.
April 9th, 2007 at 8:30 am
That’s a nice looking garden.
For those who think they don’t have space for a garden, you might want to look at http://www.squarefootgardening.com for an easy way to grow your own vegetables without taking up much space. For the past two years my wife and I have had a total of 24 square feet of garden area and saved about $100-$150 each year on vegetables we would have ordinarily bought from the grocery store.
April 9th, 2007 at 8:35 am
Demetrio, re: container gardening –
Try southernliving.com, or diynet.com. Both sites have really good info on all sorts of gardening. I’m not sure how much info is available to non-subscribers at Southern Living, but they have excellent advice, especially if you live down here in God’s country. =)
April 9th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Forgot to add–check your local farmer’s market or nursery. If they’ve got tomato plants for sale, you can probably plant them now. Also, you’ll be able to get the best advice for your area by talking to one of the workers there; they’re likely to be well-informed and experienced with gardening wherever you are.
Emphasis is on LOCAL nursery. If you go to a big chain, you may or may not get somebody who knows what they’re talking about.
April 9th, 2007 at 10:33 am
I’m about to start my square foot garden - I go the book for christmas and got the gear to make the beds at the same time. Because of the weather I’ve yet to start it, but I’m going to blog about it on my website so I can keep a track of how much I’ve spent/eaten from it (I won’t be growing asparagus though!)
April 9th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Gardens are great.
We don’t have one, but I’m continually amazed at the cukes/carrots/tomatoes/beans/corn/
pumpkins/squash/lettuce/blueberries we get
from my in-laws modest garden.
We freeze everything we can in our yard-sale $25 chest freezer.
April 9th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
In May I will start working and would like to grow some herbs in my flat. The problem is that I will not be at home, except at weekends. Any suggestions how I can supply the herbs with enough water at the right time automatically?
Thx for your gardening articles. I really love them
April 9th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
out of curiosity.. for someone who has never had any gardening experience.. I have a tiny plot of land.. say 15×15 ft.
1. what crop should I plant to maximize the amount of food I get (a little variety would be nice)
2. realistically.. how many meals would this provide for 2 people throughout a year?
May 14th, 2009 at 9:23 am
[...] Frugality in Practice: The Garden in Spring [...]
May 19th, 2009 at 6:51 am
On lettuce: I’ve been reading Steve Solomon’s (founder, Territorial Seed, Cottage Grove, OR) book “Gardening When It Counts” and he suggests that for lettuce to grow tender, sweet and juicy it must grow quickly and unstressed. This means giving its root system lots of room to expand, feeding it fertilizer (it should be considered a high-demand crop), and if possible exposing it to low temperatures that will trigger it to change its starches into sugars (which helps the plant withstand freezing temperatures).