What is a farm with out growing things? To get the full farming experience, be sure to plan for planting, cultivating, growing, watering and of course harvesting plants. In the world of Miniature Farms, this is simply known as gardening.
Aside from the food you will grow for you and your family, you can creatively select different grasses and clovers that can be beneficial to your farm animals. Plants invite bugs and chickens and ducks just love bugs. Plant grazing friendly grass and your miniature goats will love to nimble and you won't have to pull out the lawn mower as often.
The trick to Miniature Farms gardening is knowing how to maximize growing plants in a limited space. Many urban developments have trees and building that block sunlight. Keep this in mind as you plant seeds. Certain plants require specific minimum amounts of sunlight each day to be able to produce fruit at the end of the growing season.
Most people think of a garden or pasture as something that grows at ground level, but don't dismiss the advantages of vertical farming or gardening. Take advantage of every space you can think of. Some vegetables might do well in containers hanging or on the ground. If you have a back porch, close it in and turn it into a green house so you can garden year round.
As easy as it sounds to poke a hole in the ground, drop a seed in, and add water, you'll be surprised at how much goes into taking a bite out of that juicy watermelon at summers end. Some soils can kill plants. You can plant two different species of plants in the same soil and have one flourish and the other starve. Like all ecosystems, there must be balance. Plants love nitrogen on their roots and to get nitrogen rich soils you have to learn about mulching, fertilizing, aerating, carbon dioxide and a host of other plant friendly tidbits of information.
While I don't claim to be an expert on gardening, I do know that I love the feel of soil between my toes and fingers. Few things compare to being able to pluck a sun ripened tomato off the vine and take a big bite out of it. Sweet corn and cantaloupe, asparagus and artichokes, radishes and carrots, grapes and raspberries. All of theses yummy, healthy varieties can find their way to your table picked fresh right out side your back door this sumer and all you have to do is research what grows in your region and then plant and take care of it.
Elevate your body and mind by learning how to grow a plant from a seed this spring, and by mid summer you will be nibbling on your hard work. If you have kids, fresh produce is a welcome treat and can cut down on your grocery bill when those little appetites come in begging to be fed. A child can learn and grow right along with the garden if you remember that you're raising children and not plants. Left overs are always welcomed by your little farm animals too.
Don't let inexperience or lack of knowledge hold you back this year from planting a garden. Don't let your limited space be an excuse to keep you from earning your green thumb. Do dive into research and practice. If you have a friend or family member who already has a green thumb, don't hesitate to give them a call and ask them for advice. I have found that they are generally enthusiastic to share and help and guide all who seek their counsel or wisdom.
Not being afraid to ask for pointers and tips might just save you a lot of heartache down the road, when all your plants die and you don't know why. As you learn to keep things alive, the way you see the world around you will change forever. What you think you know about the living world around you will be complete ignorance after you've spent a season farming a garden. What a great skill set to have. Challenge yourself right here, right now, to put in a garden this year. Don't slack off, but remain vigilant and the rewards will be stupendous.
This year will be my first authentic attempt to grow my own garden, and I'm ecstatic. We've already got strawberries and raspberries growing indoors and are about to sprout our garden seeds. I've built a green house on the back of the house and bit by bit I'm planning for a great growing season. I'm happy to share what I learn along the way and hope you join me from time to time to teach me a thing or two. I've got big plans for vertical farming my little back yard to take advantage of every hour of sunlight my little yard gets each day.
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