Growing a Garden with Canning in Mind

Our main reason for growing a garden is to produce as much food as possible for our family for year round use.  Whatever surplus we have I can or freeze up for the long winter months.  I try to plan our garden to produce food for canning and freezing so it's a little different than someone who just want stuff for fresh eating.  Last year was a unprecedented flop garden wise.  I was so sick all summer that I just managed to clean the house.  This year we are praying that no one gets sick or injured and I already have my garden plan sketched out.  The idea is to plant tons and rotate crops as possible so I that I have plenty left over to can up.


Here is my rough plan for the garden this year.

In the big garden

Carrots
onions
beets
green beans
peas okra
radishes
lettuce
zucchinis
broccoli Rab
garlic

In the six raised beds

tomatoes
squash
melons
peppers
eggplant
lettuce
spinach

We are also planning to plant two plum trees and a cherry this year to complete our mini orchard.  We already have five apples and two peaches.

Of Potatoes and Tomatoes

Well it looks like many things in this years garden are a bust.

Bummer

But on the upside the tomatoes and potatoes seem to be doing well.  The fruit trees are growing up.  The grapevines have a few grapes on them (this is their second year), and the new strawberry bed is still alive which I count as a victory.  My blueberries are still small little shrubs.  I think they get too much sun? 

Here are some picks of how things look.

My basil is doing good at least

some tomatoes

My little sad beet patch

The very verdant potato patch

My grapevines and strawberry patch

A place to relax

Hubby next to the tarragon, which we have had to cut back.  It's as tall as most adults!

Pics From The Garden

 Our spring flowers are all in bloom. 

Pansies

Viking Boy looking at a honey bee on a bachelor button

One of our lovely roses

Bachelor Buttons

some bulbs I cant identify