Gardens have always enchanted me. When I was a little girl, I remember my parents taking me to Munsinger Clemens Gardens overlooking the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It included beautiful shaded walks, sun gardens in different color palettes, as well as a rose garden. The gardens were free, affording this small child from a large, frugal family the luxury to view them. It imprinted in my mind a love for flowers and a desire to craft my own gardens.
I have carried that love with me for many years and across a number of states in the upper midwest and Canada. Now a pastor's wife and mother of seven hungry children, I have also grown a fondness for raising vegetables.
When my husband took a call to a new church, and we moved to Missouri, I thought it would be very easy to garden. The growing season was longer than what I had experienced in the North, for one, and the zone 6 winter temperatures were so much milder than I had ever experienced.
However, I found the Missouri summers to be brutal. The vegetables didn't like it much to endure daily sultry temperatures in the 90's each summer, and those mild winter temperatures meant more bugs. Even worse, unlike the dark, loamy soil of the North, the soil in my backyard is red. That means clay.
Well, what to do? In this blog I will share with you my solutions to these challenges and others.
My goal is to grow vegetables year-around on our 3 acre parsonage, as well as create a pleasant landscape for the kids to enjoy, showcasing a mix of beautiful flowers and Missouri natives, which are wonderful.
I also am growing fruits and herbs, so this blog will also cover those things. I focus on No Dig or No Till solutions. You will be able to see for yourself how well this method works on Missouri soil.
I hope you will find my trials, errors and solutions helpful in your own gardening masterpieces. Happy Gardening and wishing you a very green thumb!
Comments
Post a Comment