About
For several years now I’ve been part of a resurgence of gardening in suburban society. Only recently has there been articles in the main stream media about the urban/suburban families wanting to get “back to their roots”. Even as a small child in an urban city, I had a garden in the back yard along the brick fence.
We moved into our first home in 2001 in Northern Kentucky. I increased and improved the small garden in our backyard every year. Our house came with a very small garden that had been roughly cut out of the grass. For the first year or two, the garden sat dormant while we worked on the rest of the house and settled into the area. In 2004 I constructed 8 4×4 raised beds. We then planted our first crop that had a very encouraging harvest. In 2005 and 2006 I doubled the size of the garden each year.
Just when I got the garden to the point where I thought I was finished with the major construction I took a new job in Chicago. So much for that garden in Kentucky. In 2007, we picked up our stuff and moved to Wheaton. A western suburb of Chicago, IL.
The previous owners had no garden of any kind, so in 2007 I stole part of the front yard (there is no backyard) and installed 3 3×8 foot raised beds. I also built a movable cold frame that slips over the top of one of the raised beds (sold in 2009). In 2008 I focused on expanding to other areas of the yard and seed starting. In 2009 I built and planted a grape trellis down the side of the house near the custom built two bin compost system as well as finishing the custom built barn style shed. In 2010 I took a beekeeping class and started a one hive bee yard.
I also maintain a Planting Diary.
Year in Review
Year One – 2007 (flickr gallery)
