I can't begin to count the times I have heard this. A lot of people think just because they have a small yard or live in apartments they can not have a garden or grow any of their own food. Other excuses I have heard is that they are disabled or gardening is to much work or to expensive. The worst excuse though is the one I heard the other day. A family member asked me why did she need to try and grow a garden when I am going to have more fresh produce then I can possibly use before it will go bad. Well I have news for her. She will not be getting any of my fresh home grown produce because what we do not eat right away will be preserved for future use. I am not spending all that time trying to grow as much as I can to only give it away to others. I have myself and my own family to think of first and foremost.
She claims she can not garden because she is disabled. Well I am disabled to and yet I can still find ways to grow as much of our food as I can. I can no longer get down and work in a garden that is planted in the ground so I am finding ways to get around that problem and still grow as much as possible. But where there is a will there is a way. :)
I am turning to raised bed gardening and container gardening. I am having trouble coming up with enough containers so I have had to get a little creative in what I have been using. Anything that can be used to grow a plant in is being used. Like large Rubbermaid totes, pink plastic hospital bed pans, large tin coffee cans, large tin coffee cans and even cloth grocery bags. Yes you read right. I am using cloth grocery bags. LOL
I have quite a few of these bags and I don't really need that many to go grocery shopping. I only paid 99 cents for each bag and that can be cheaper than buying pots plus each bag can hold at least two plants depending on what you put in them. Here is a picture of some of my shopping bag planters. Each bag has two pepper plants in them.
She claims she can not garden because she is disabled. Well I am disabled to and yet I can still find ways to grow as much of our food as I can. I can no longer get down and work in a garden that is planted in the ground so I am finding ways to get around that problem and still grow as much as possible. But where there is a will there is a way. :)
I am turning to raised bed gardening and container gardening. I am having trouble coming up with enough containers so I have had to get a little creative in what I have been using. Anything that can be used to grow a plant in is being used. Like large Rubbermaid totes, pink plastic hospital bed pans, large tin coffee cans, large tin coffee cans and even cloth grocery bags. Yes you read right. I am using cloth grocery bags. LOL
I have quite a few of these bags and I don't really need that many to go grocery shopping. I only paid 99 cents for each bag and that can be cheaper than buying pots plus each bag can hold at least two plants depending on what you put in them. Here is a picture of some of my shopping bag planters. Each bag has two pepper plants in them.
I filled each bag with 1/3 layer of wood, then a 1/3 layer of dried leaves. Topped them off with a mix of potting soil and the red clay dirt out of the garden area. Everyone down here tell me how good things grow in that red dirt but I feel the dirt has to much a clay quality about it so I used a 50/50 mix of it and the potting soil. I put the wood and dried leaves in first so they would have a chance to turn in to compost for next year's garden while the plants grow in the thick layer of dirt in the top part of the bag. I folded the tops down 2-3 inches to give the bags more support at the tops and hopefully keep the straps from blowing up and hurting the plants.
I like to reuse, recycle and refurbish things in to new uses instead of throwing them in the trash. Every time one of us as been in the hospital I always brought home the pink plastic bath tubs they gave us. I have used them for washing hand wash items, soaking our feet in after a long hard day and even for carrying things around the house to put away. It has been a long time since any of us were in the hospital so I only have 4 of those tubs left. I am using them as planters. I simply drill a few small drain hole in the bottom, add a thin layer of gravel and fill with dirt then pot the plants. Here is a picture of two of them.
I like to reuse, recycle and refurbish things in to new uses instead of throwing them in the trash. Every time one of us as been in the hospital I always brought home the pink plastic bath tubs they gave us. I have used them for washing hand wash items, soaking our feet in after a long hard day and even for carrying things around the house to put away. It has been a long time since any of us were in the hospital so I only have 4 of those tubs left. I am using them as planters. I simply drill a few small drain hole in the bottom, add a thin layer of gravel and fill with dirt then pot the plants. Here is a picture of two of them.
The plant in front is Bee Balm and the one in the back is Garlic Chives. I can already say that the garlic chives are yummy. I used some in mashed potatoes the other night and I don't know who like them more. The men folk or me. LOL
As you can see in the picture below I will use anything to grow something in. This time I used a plastic witch's cauldren that I drilled holes in the bottom of, filled potting soil and planted a basil plant it. I have already picked the biggest leaves 3 times and need to do it again. I used to fill this cauldren to the brim with candy at Halloween to pass out but now we live to far out and no one trick or treats on our road as there is just not enough houses to make it worth their while.
As you can see in the picture below I will use anything to grow something in. This time I used a plastic witch's cauldren that I drilled holes in the bottom of, filled potting soil and planted a basil plant it. I have already picked the biggest leaves 3 times and need to do it again. I used to fill this cauldren to the brim with candy at Halloween to pass out but now we live to far out and no one trick or treats on our road as there is just not enough houses to make it worth their while.
This plant was about the same size as the Bee Balm when I brought it home and it has been growing like wild fire. We have been enjoying adding fresh basil to our meals.
When we moved I had over 40 big Rubbermaid and other brands of large totes. I had bought them through the years when I had a childcare business in my home. I used to totes to store things in for my childcare and for storing holiday decorations. When my health became to much for me to continue working I sold all my childcare things and 95% of my holiday decorations but kept the tubs. I knew I would use them all again for some reason and I did. They came in very handy for packing when we moved south last Aug.
Now they are coming in very handy again but this time for growing food. Here is a couple of pictures of what I have planted in some of them so far. I fill each tote 1/3 full of wood then 1/3 full of dried leaves and topped everything off with 1/3 layer of potting soil. All the wood I am using is the cut off slabs from trees that the sawmills discard when cutting boards. None of this wood has been treated with anything.
When we moved I had over 40 big Rubbermaid and other brands of large totes. I had bought them through the years when I had a childcare business in my home. I used to totes to store things in for my childcare and for storing holiday decorations. When my health became to much for me to continue working I sold all my childcare things and 95% of my holiday decorations but kept the tubs. I knew I would use them all again for some reason and I did. They came in very handy for packing when we moved south last Aug.
Now they are coming in very handy again but this time for growing food. Here is a couple of pictures of what I have planted in some of them so far. I fill each tote 1/3 full of wood then 1/3 full of dried leaves and topped everything off with 1/3 layer of potting soil. All the wood I am using is the cut off slabs from trees that the sawmills discard when cutting boards. None of this wood has been treated with anything.
The two totes in the back are red raspberries. The small one was a lot bigger until Jake decided it needed to be trimmed back. The left one in front is cayene peppers and the one on the right in front is brussle sprouts.
Each of these 4 totes hold onions. I should have enough onions to last us all winter. The pot behind them hold a single cabbage plant.
Another thing I am recycling in to planters is 2 liter pop bottles. I washed them out very good with hot soapy water them gave them a good rinse. Once they were dry I drilled 3 drain holes down the length of one side of the bottle then on the opposite side of the bottle I cut a large opening, filled with potting soil and place two lima beans in each bottle.
Another thing I am recycling in to planters is 2 liter pop bottles. I washed them out very good with hot soapy water them gave them a good rinse. Once they were dry I drilled 3 drain holes down the length of one side of the bottle then on the opposite side of the bottle I cut a large opening, filled with potting soil and place two lima beans in each bottle.
As you can see some of the beans have already started to sprout. I have another stack of skids that is full of pop bottle planted beans. Since I am running low on skids, right now the bottles are right up against each other. Later this week after I have a chance to pick up another load of skids I will be spacing this out more to give them plenty of growing room. I figure I should be able to get 24 bottles to a skid once they are spaced out.
Because of my disabilities I can not garden like healthy people can. I have to look for ways that I can use that will not cause me a great deal of pain. One thing that hurts me the worst is hoeing. I just can't no longer take the pressure of holding the hoe and chopping at weeds so for me raised beds will work for me. I did not have the money to buy wood to use for building the beds and the ground where I wanted to put the beds is still just to wet to try to even walk in let alone build anything so I am using the skids we originally got to Hubby a shed. We can get all the free skids we want where my son works. We just have to load and haul them ourselves.
My son helped me stack the skids 4-6 high depending on what I was going to plant on top of them to make them waist high so I can garden in comfort instead of pain. I forgot to take a picture of the stacks but will for future post since I have a lot more planting to do.
So you see? You can grow a garden no matter what the size of your space. No matter what your disability might be. It can be as simple as a few pots of herbs growing in a window to spinach, lettuce and other greens planted in some type of planter in front of any big window or tubs of plants sitting on a porch, deck or balcony.
Now is the time to start learning how to grow a garden. Don't think of waiting until SHTF. Any experience you learn gardening now will help you even more when SHTF.
Besides wouldn't you love to be able to have fresh to the table vegetables that you just picked over the ones that may have been picked a week or two ago? Nothing beats the taste of a sun warmed tomato. YUMMY!
Prepping Granny
Because of my disabilities I can not garden like healthy people can. I have to look for ways that I can use that will not cause me a great deal of pain. One thing that hurts me the worst is hoeing. I just can't no longer take the pressure of holding the hoe and chopping at weeds so for me raised beds will work for me. I did not have the money to buy wood to use for building the beds and the ground where I wanted to put the beds is still just to wet to try to even walk in let alone build anything so I am using the skids we originally got to Hubby a shed. We can get all the free skids we want where my son works. We just have to load and haul them ourselves.
My son helped me stack the skids 4-6 high depending on what I was going to plant on top of them to make them waist high so I can garden in comfort instead of pain. I forgot to take a picture of the stacks but will for future post since I have a lot more planting to do.
So you see? You can grow a garden no matter what the size of your space. No matter what your disability might be. It can be as simple as a few pots of herbs growing in a window to spinach, lettuce and other greens planted in some type of planter in front of any big window or tubs of plants sitting on a porch, deck or balcony.
Now is the time to start learning how to grow a garden. Don't think of waiting until SHTF. Any experience you learn gardening now will help you even more when SHTF.
Besides wouldn't you love to be able to have fresh to the table vegetables that you just picked over the ones that may have been picked a week or two ago? Nothing beats the taste of a sun warmed tomato. YUMMY!
Prepping Granny