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I became a Texas Master Gardener
in 1998. I grew up in a home where we depended upon our gardens for food. Dad worked the garden (with the kids help) and Mom (and kids) canned the veggies and fruits. We seldom bought cans of vegetables or fruits. We ate what we grew and picked from the wild black berry vines, fruit and nut trees on the farmland around us. So gardening is in my blood. Sometimes I feel like if you cut me I'd bleed soil instead of blood.
Our gardens here at Beulah Land are scattered around our property. Our main garden, east of the house, is about 100 x 40. We have raised beds to the west and north of our house where most of my herbs live. We also
grow the early crops in the raised beds - if we're blessed enough to have the spring rains, the raised beds dry out quickly. We also have a strawberry and blackberry patch. John's job is to pick the strawberries as I
love to grow them, but have no patience in picking them. By the end of the season, I'm so sick of strawberries I feed the smaller ones to the chickens. We grow as much of our own food as possible. The Texas heat and
drought for the last 3 summers (2001) have fought against us but we keep trying. We use organic gardening methods and no chemical fertilizers (thanks to our goats, rabbits
and chickens, we
are well supplied with fertilizer!). We've been very pleased with the Gardener's Supply Ultimate Cold Frame and have been able to produce lettuce and broccoli all winter long.To continue in the self sufficiency
homestead style, we sell our excess fruits and vegetables locally. |
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