This is our outdoor garden recap 2014. A summary the garden projects and produce; what we did about the place, what worked, and what didn’t.
It’s January 7, 2015 today. When I see this picture of our garden last year it makes me hungry. Hungry for the smell of freshly dug earth, the birds in the trees and the sight of those bright new vegetable plants, starting up the years produce. Even now, in January, after two short sessions with the N.E. wind and a couple of weeks of freezing, windy weather and torrents of rain; carrots and kale come in for the occasional meal. Dave’s winter gardening is working somewhat; the wind tears off the plastic on his hoop sometimes. The plants under the plastic are doing ok though. In the lower garden; all exposed to the elements, Garlic and leeks are growing now for harvest in March or April. Next month we’ll begin starting the seeds for the 2015 garden.

Dave pulls the plastic up and uses bunji cords to secure it to the top of the hoops when he wants to expose the beds to rain and sun.
Today I’m doing a post about last year’s crops and projects. The things we tried and how it all worked out.
Outdoor Garden Recap 2014:
Overall the whole growing year was a success. We always look for ways to improve our techniques, so every year is an adventure. Here’s a list of the new ideas we put into play last year.

Greenhouse in June 2014
- Greenhouse this has a post of its own. Go here to read about our new greenhouse and how that went
- Outside the greenhouse, Dave put up a patio pepper house. He built an open area with a roof out of scrap lumber and plastic. He grew the peppers in five gallon buckets. This worked ok BUT the peppers plants needed more root growing area than the buckets had. We couldn’t keep them watered well either, and they didn’t get enough daylight for maximum growth. So this next year he plans to put his outdoor peppers in the garden again in a raised bed and cover them there.
- Dave started all his plants in the greenhouse from seed. We had 100 percent germination! But we hadn’t planned for that, so a lot of the seedlings went into pots, and some went outside in the ground and didn’t like it much. We are TRYING to order fewer seeds this year(he had over 50 pepper plants last year!) but those seed catalogs are so tempting!
- Dave made three potato towers(look in the gallery below) on the patio. They worked great and will get their own post soon. We are planning to move them to better, sunnier location next season so they get more hours of light on all sides of the towers.
- We planted strawberry plants into one half of a raised garden bed. They were beautiful and we ate them off the vine and in salads like the one pictured in the gallery. This year Dave is experimenting with growing some of the new starts(strawberries are so generous that way!) in the greenhouse. And some in towers. We are tying to extend the growing season for them and use less room in the garden. I will post that project as well as we complete it.
- We had a couple of rhubarb stalks off our two-year old bush. Next year we hope to harvest much more. It should be old enough then. We want the roots nice and big to support a healthy bush after harvest. In the past, our rhubarb has not thrived here. Still not sure why. Experimenting…
- Dave built another large raised bed for the garden last spring. We now have three AWESOME raised beds. They have made such an improvement in our gardening!
- Dave built an arbor for our enormous concord grape-vine last spring. That was quite a project because all the vines had to be cut back off our shop. Here’s the post on making an arbor. We always feel bad when we have to cut that vine back to its stalk. But it came roaring back and next year will be producing grapes like crazy again.
- The weed challenge! Nothing grows better here than weeds, grass and blackberry vines. This year we experimented with vinegar for killing the weeds in the garden and driveway, with limited results. Our weeds are tough! Next year we are thinking propane burners with back packs! Now your talkin! We have put down landscape fabric in some of our flower beds to see if that helps keep the weeds down. We’ll let you know how it goes.
- Field work. Dave took his old Oliver tractor up in the back four acres and spent about a month up there working on clearing out the blackberry bushes and tree saplings that were taking over. That area is a nightmare to manage. The bridge went out years ago so getting his tractor over the ravine is an iffy deal and can only happen when the creek dries up in late Summer. Dave got it all mowed down so the grass can get some light. We need some animals to eat down those fields. But before then we need fencing! Not this year.
Dave mowing field with our dog Sherman-outdoor garden recap 2014
- Dave’s last project for the garden was to try fall and winter gardening. He started the plants in August and September, even October in the raised bed and in November he put a hooped plastic tunnel over his raised bed.
THE OUTDOOR GARDEN RACAP 2014:
We tried to keep the produce in the garden down to a manageable amount with all the work we had in the greenhouse this year and with our batch of new chickens and the housing and chicken run they needed built. It’s been a really busy year!
And it was a fabulous weather this year! We had a nice warm spring, warm dry summer, and a pretty warm dry fall. That is unusual where we live. We don’t often get three really good seasons back to back. They often trade-off. Good spring, wet summer. Warm summer, cold wet fall. Cold spring and last until July! So we were grateful this year! The garden flourished. Everything we grew out there was happy.
Outdoor Garden Recap 2014 Photo Gallery:
This photo gallery will give you an idea of what we grew this year. Enjoy! And let me know what projects you have done, how it went for you and what your planning for 2015!
- Spring salad from first harvest of garden
- Red potatoes flowering in the potato towers
- garden 2014 kohlrabi and celery
- Outdoor sweet pepper on the growing patio
- new grape arbor
- Dave spent almost a month in a couple hours
- This zucchini patch grew from 5 seeds!
- Dave harvested these red potatoes from our three potato towers. Plenty more to bring in!
- potato towers
- This kale started in the greenhouse and was transplanted into our raised beds
- Nora sampling kale. She likes it!
- Dave planting bush beans with some helpers
- Blue Scotch Kale is what we are using today. Any kale will work. It’s all so good for you!
- Rhubarb is a special spring treat!
- Fall garden harvest. Tonight Dave brought in celery broccoli and kale from our outdoor garden. Peppers from the greenhouse. Salad Time!
- Freshly rototilled and ready for winter
- Fall gardening
- Apples are ripe!
- Inside the hoops veggies are untouched by the frost and cold winds.
- Dave pulls the plastic up and uses bunji cords to secure it to the top of the hoops when he wants to expose the beds to rain and sun.
- Hoop Gardening
- Corn on the cob on a baking sheet. Ready to go into the oven
- Baking the corn in their jackets keep the flavor and nutrients in!
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[…] and I enjoy raw asparagus from our garden . We love it that way fresh […]
Susie
Saturday 10th of January 2015
I had NO idea how busy you and Dave have been on the garden, new greenhouse, and family. So much respect for you!
homemadefoodjunkie
Saturday 10th of January 2015
Thank you Susie! It's been an incredible year. We have learned so much and are looking forward to trying out more new ideas this year. Gardening is an expansive hobby. The more you learn the more you want to learn and do. Fun!
Angie
Friday 9th of January 2015
Love this post, can't wait to see the potato tower post. We are planning so many of the same projects here in Michigan's thumb.
homemadefoodjunkie
Friday 9th of January 2015
Thank you Angie! Welcome to Homemade Food Junkie here in N.W Washington. Your climate is so different from ours I'd love to hear from you about your gardening projects in Michigan. I'll put up the potato tower post soon. We are also working on strawberry towers. Have a great day!