Garden Preparation

Planting a garden is a great way to save money and, more importantly, to teach principles of provident living to your children. The garden is always a family project at our house. The kids grumble and complain a little, but we know we are teaching them important principles about the law of the harvest - hard work eventually pays off and you can enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Here is a picture of how we spent a bit of our Spring Break - working compost into our raised beds. I am always amazed by the amount of produce we can get out of this little bit of garden space. We have followed much of the advice learned and shared by Mel Bartholomew in his books and website www.squarefootgardening.com.

A garden can be a bit of work, but it isn't hard. You can even plant in your flower beds or in large pots or buckets on your patio if that is the only space you have. There is something very exciting and satisfying about eating something you have grown yourself!

We figure it saves us $30 to $40 a week in the later summer and fall months. Because of what we freeze or store, it continues to save us money through the rest of the winter months as well.

It's the perfect time to get out and prepare your place for planting. Because so many nurseries sell starts, you can wait until early to mid June to plant in the Boise Area and still get a great harvest. That means you still have 5-6 weeks to do the preparation work. So if you've been debating doing it and dragging your feet a little, don't delay any longer - It is a great way to spend Family Night.