Adding to my Tower Garden

If you have been following the blog at all you know that I took on a fun project for the spring…. my TOWER GARDEN! I wanted to start a garden for some time and after a lot of thought, I decided to garden in a less traditional method (you know I always have to try something new!), the Tower Garden. I have been LOVING being able to grow my own food and if I had it in me to have a huge farm I would totally do it because I think there is nothing better than to go in your backyard and pick your food! With that being said, that just isn’t in my plan at the moment so my small backyard will just have to do!

So far, I have gotten SO much off my Tower Garden. Loads of lettuce, Kale, Cabbage, basil and  cilantro. I have loved being able to make salads for dinner throughout the week from my own garden! My spinach is coming along, but it is SLOW. I am getting summer squash in and lots of buds on my tomato plants. My bell peppers are growing well and my cucumber plants are getting HUGE! Lots of flowers, just waiting for produce!  I go out every day and just admire my beautiful little tower! My neighbor was joking about how I go out and pet my plants and sing to them… NO (well maybe when nobody is looking)!!! With the plants growing like crazy, I added my cage around my tower which is supposed to help with the viney plants. I wasn’t sure how it would work at first, but I have been able to direct the plants into their own sections and it is working to control the plants thus far. I will keep you posted on how I feel they work in the Tower as the grow!

 I envisioned getting what we could eat at home for meals off my garden and buy more in bulk from the farmer for things I want to can. My first item to can is all my blueberries I got from Whole Foods! I will be sure to take lots of pics  and share what I learn!  I have been happy with the amount of produce I have been getting out of my garden so far, making salads, putting in smoothies and using my herbs in meals, but  one thing I really have been wanting is some berry plants. Buying berries organic is SO expensive and takes a lot of our money! So I was on the search for plants. There was one place local that had a few berry plants for $30 a plant! WOW! I had a little sticker shock hearing that. I did a little more digging and several places online were also priced at $30 a plant which I just could not believe. I ended up finding a farm owned by a husband and wife in California who sell certified USDA organic plants and the prices were MUCH more reasonable!! The owner Marc went above and beyond to help me, answer all my questions and we were on the phone for over 30 minutes! That is hard to find so I was SOO happy to have found them. My plants arrived a few days ago and right now I am “hardening them” (which is putting them outside in the sun in the morning and in the shade in the afternoon when the sun is the hottest). After doing this for a few days I will be able to plant them! I have a huge bed off my front porch that I am going to plant them in. It was a little strange having to get dirty with the soil when they first came because my Tower Garden is soil-less, but I am excited to have some different gardens to play around with :)

I ended up getting 3 blackberries, 5 rasberry, and 10 strawberry plants. I am SOOO excited to see what we get from them!

I will keep you posted on my gardening adventures. Please share your tips and tricks with me! I would love to hear how you grow food for your family via Towers, traditional, containers etc. I LOVE that there are SO many ways to GARDEN! SO MUCH FUN!!