I'm going to have to swap my gardens a bit this year now that we're looking at staying another year. I've done tomatoes in the back in-ground garden two years in a row. It's time to plant the tomatoes in the front raised bed, which means a lot less space. The bigger raised bed is 8x5 feet and the smaller one is about 2.5x3.25 feet. That means probably 8-10 tomato plants total between both beds. Anything beyond that will have to be able to survive in a bucket.
On the flip side though, that means a lot more space for everything else in the back garden if we pull down the new bunny barn (or don't finish it). That garden would contain things like okra, squash, carrots, beans, peas, cucumbers, melons, and peppers. I wonder if I could use the frame of the new bunny barn as a trellis for the beans, peas, and cucumbers this year. It seems to me that one 4-foot by 20-foot roll of chicken wire across the bottom edge of the frame should be enough for them to grab hold of and climb up. As long as it doesn't harm the frame and is easy to remove at the end of the season (zip ties?), it shouldn't be an issue. Now I have to sit down and figure out what varieties I want to grow this year. I'm late in the game now, since I didn't think I'd get to garden this year. I suppose I'll make the best of the situation and grow some beautiful tasty organic veggies for my family. You know - silver lining and all.
Tony has this weekend off, so I'm hoping we can really keep cruising on cleaning the house and getting everything back on track since I've been down and out for so long. He informed me today that he went ahead and put in to take the entire week off following my surgery so he can take care of kids and cooking and house-chores. I'm so glad his work gives him paid vacation time starting this year. It's really going to be a big help for me to be able to rest after the surgery without worrying about the everyday stuff. I have a great husband!
Today I was planning for a tasty chicken recipe for dinner tomorrow. My favorite Lemon Garlic Rosemary Chicken recipe. But then Tony looked up some venison recipes to make use of the venison from the freezer. They look pretty yummy too! So tomorrow night we will be trying a new venison recipe. This will be the first time we eat venison as a family. I have loved the pieces of venison jerky I've been allowed to taste over the years from other people, but we have never had our own venison until now. I am hoping this is something the kids enjoy.
I have also been working hard this month to get new designs listed in My RedBubble Shop. Please take a moment to check them out! I've discovered the beauty of creating mandala-style doodles. I hope you will enjoy them!