Planning the Garden

        Since we didn't really think about living sustainably until last fall, the main consideration we have ever had for our garden was what would be the most fun.   Here in Oregon the strawberries and blueberries pretty much grow themselves.  I tried cucumbers but the dog destroyed them.  One year we had a bunch of carrots but the following year we planted them three times and not one grew.  Tomatoes typically do well.  Last year I grew a yellow watermelon.  My neighbor thought I was crazy but I planted 6 yellow watermelon vines and actually grew a melon.  The one thing that we have not been able to grow is peppers.
      I have always looked forward to getting the garden catalogs in the mail and finding something fun to plant.  However, this year the catalogs have me paralyzed.  If we are really going to grow a good portion of our food then we have to plant things we will actually eat.  I have often been guilty of growing things for fun that no one in my family will eat then just giving them away if it works.  The other problem is how much to plant.  My past system of a few of these here, a couple of those over there and one of that in the middle doesn't really seem sensible for feeding a family.
     We have a lot of garden space that has gone unused for the last 8-10 years.  We are in the process of reclaiming it.  Then we will have to decide what if anything needs to be done to the soil for it to be good for the plants.  At that point the only thing we will have left to do is plant.  Which brings us back to the what to plant: carrots, lettuce, rhubarb, spinach, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, green beans, peas, zucchini, onions, garlic...
      Somehow this idea has just gotten very intimidating.

This is the space we are reclaiming for the garden.