Foodie Friday:  DIY Fruit & Vegetable Garden

Spring is fast approaching and I love the idea of growing & eating your own fresh fruits and vegetables!  I grew up in Stockton, Ca near a lot of fresh fruit/veggie stands and farms & I wanted Dahlia to have the experience of picking something she’s cultivated and creating something delicious!

Last year, my husband and I cleared out a space in our backyard and turned it into an fruit, vegetable and flower garden sparked by Dahlia’s garden themed birthday.

Here is how we did it in 7 Easy-to-Follow Steps:

Step 1.  Make Space & Level 

We had to break the news to our precious pups that we were making a garden & they weren’t too happy that we were taking away their sunbathing spot.  This was the perfect spot because of all the sun beams down on it.

We leveled out the area by breaking up the dirt and then we added Mulch that we bought at Lowe’s.  We ended up using 6 bags for our space.

  

 Step 2.  Build Raised Garden Beds

Next, we, or I should say my husband, put together 2 garden beds we bought from Costco.  We were very close to ordering online through Amazon when we came across the ones we bought at Costco!  They really do sell everything, don’t they?!

Anyways, they were super easy to put together and required no tools, however, we also think that if you’re handy, you could totally make your own boxes too.

Step 3.  Prep & Add Soil

Next, we cut large trash can bags & laid it down on top of the mulch to prevent any weeds from growing in the dirt/mulch.  After that, we put the soil in.  We bought organic soil and used 5 bags for both beds in total.

4.  Make grids

Next, I measured out 16″ to section off the boxes to plant all different items.  I nailed a nail on each side of the box to attach string & that’s how I created “lines” to separate the “boxes.”  I was able to create 16 distinct squares for both boxes.
      

Step 5.  Start Planting!

Next, I gathered all my seeds and planted them according to their instructions from the seed packets.  This is a very crucial part so make sure you read exactly how the seeds should be planted.  You might want to also create an excel sheet or write down how you want your seeds planted.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, I planted some marigolds (one in each box) to ward off bugs or birds that try to come and eat the fruits or vegetables once they grow.  We also put up some wiring around the boxes so the dogs couldn’t get to them.

I also used the following link for instructions on how & where to plant seeds:

http://www.hautepnk.com/?p=1665

 

 

Here is more or less what we grew:

• Cilantro
• Carrots
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Yellow Squash
• Basil
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Strawberries
• Kale

Step 6.  Water, Water, & Watch it Grow!

Everyday, you’ve got to water the garden.  Having a garden takes patience and routine.  If you stick with it, you will reap the benefits!

Step 7.  Pick, Eat & Enjoy!

When you think the time is right, you can pick your fruits and/or vegetables.  In our case, the yellow squash was ready to go.  I picked a few that were ready, cut them, steamed them and added them to a blender for Dahlia’s baby food at the time.  Delicious!

Now, I have to prep this year’s garden again!  I’ve got to buy new seeds  & replant in some areas since the winter weather wasn’t good for some items we planted last year.  And now that Dahlia is bigger, I’m definitely going to have her help me water!

Happy Spring, Happy Growing & Happy Eating!