Year 1
September 2020 - August 2021
September 2020
Backyard: Before!
As we bought it
First snow, after lots of clearing on the hill
Upper yard Photos
Higher level of our backyard
Officially signing for our new home
First photo of the backyard
First look outside for the furbabies.
First selfie
Backyard hill close-up
Before any building
October 2020 - February 2021
Our Hydroponic Journey Begins
We have used an aerogarden for years, but we felt the need to grow 100% of our own lettuce. This way we always have access to fresh greens during periods of food instability.
We couldn't wait to build the garden and start growing things, so we built a PVC hydroponic garden in our basement so we can grow lettuce year round.
March & April 2021
First steps of the build
First 3 metal beds & Installing the Greenhouse
Filling Beds & Adding Arches
This year, we learned that where you get your soil from matters. Quality varies a lot.
Building the Stairs & Large Upper-Garden Bed
May 2021
Planting, Growing, First of the Harvesting & Deck Photos
This year we learned that we have a family of groundhogs under the shed at the top of the yard...
Garden essential:
Compost (Bay #1 of 3)
This year we learned that we need a LOT of room for compost with all the garden waste. We also need a lot of compost for our garden to produce well. Compost is used to top off the garden every year, which adds nutrients back into the soil and fills the beds after they sink throughout the year. This can be done in fall and spring.
Garden essential - Seed Starting Space!
First Plants!
Details!
We hung a pollinator house, built a second bay for compost, built 2 skinny planters, added a fan to the greenhouse, & painted multiple metal accents to match our color scheme.
After
Before
After
Before
Found this awesome wrought iron circle while thrift shopping, and thought it would be the perfect trellis... somewhere...
Jacob installed a fan in the greenhouse to improve ventilation and temperature control.
June 2021
Overviews
This year, we learned the important lesson that these circular cages are worthless for indeterminate tomatoes (which we technically already knew, but we were desperate for any possible support). However, they are great for peppers, eggplants, and smaller determinate tomatoes - so don't despair if you have a bunch of these.
Plant Growth & Some Harvest
July 2021
Overviews
Growth, Harvest, & Preserving
August 2021
Growth & Overview
We planted a dogwood this year. (Which we later found out later that they literally stink... But it did not survive the winter)
Harvest & Preservation
This year, we grew Opalka paste tomatoes, Champagne bubble cherry tomatoes, White Tomesol (turns from green to white, gets slightly yellowish when ripe and overripe), Hillbilly, Giant Belgium, Pink Oxheart, Azoychka (yellow, smaller), Old German, & Pineapple Tomatoes.
We now have 2 garden sections completed.
Colorful tomatoes are our favorite!
We painted the deck this year 🤍
3 pots on the stove and 1 crock pot...
Whole Backyard 8/2021
We currently have 4 garden beds, at the end of 8/2021.
These include 3 metal 3'x6' beds (right side), and 1 large partially in-ground garden bed (on the hill, left side) approx 20'x5'.
The next area we plan to tackle is the left side of the hill.
Here is a photo of before.
(There is one strip of tarp that we were able to put down early this growing season, but there is a lot of overgrowth around it that's covering it up)