Gardening in the PNW

When my kids were little and they were homeschooled, one of the things I tried to do was to give them a lot of real world experiences. I mean seriously, why read about airplanes when you can go and fly on one?

Every year as soon as the Christmas decorations were put away, it was time to start planning the garden. It was one of my favorite things to do with my kids. We would discuss the kind of vegetables we wanted to grow, where to plant them and what would grow best when planted next to another one. We would study how a seed turned into a plant, what it needed to grow, and how to care for them. They learned what bugs were not good for plants and which ones to leave alone because they helped. They loved finding worms and holding them in their hands. We met some amazing gardeners who taught all of us about composting, weeds and making the soil more favorable. Best of all, it got all of us outside, after being stuck in the house the past few months. Nothing better than the warmth of the sun, some fresh air and a little exercise. Finally there was the benefit of all of our hard work and my kids learned about healthy food choices, food groups, and how the foods helped their bodies grow and be strong.

This is the first year in about 15 years that I am not planting at our community pea patch. Life, with work and my family, has been so busy. A hard choice was made to let go of my plot because I wouldn't have the time to devote to it. Of course that won't stop me from gardening. I have a small window box that gets partial sun, so I am going to try to grow a lot of cooler crops (spinach, mixed greens, arugula, swiss chard) in there. A few things that need a bit more sun in the few areas that get the most (carrots, radishes, turnips and possibly cucumbers). Finally I am going to try to grow tomatoes and strawberries in planters. Unfortunately, no room for squashes and beans this year. It will be a lot smaller this year, but I am excited to see what we can accomplish in a smaller space and with what we have.