read: The Backyard Homestead

Every year around this time I get a little giddy about the potential of my yard to produce food, exercise and enjoyment for myself and my family. Where I live there is potential year round for this yard to produce all of those things for us, our friends and our neighbors, I realize, but there is just something about spring. Don't you think?

My Aunt Helen and Uncle Tom had a little pink house on a little lot in the city of Dorchester, MA. The stairwell walls to their basement were lined with loads of jars filled with vegetables from their garden. I'm sure they weren't the only people in the city who grew copious amounts of food on very little land, but I always found it a magical idea that they produced so much with so little land. This year I'm not going for copious, I'm just going for some tomatoes, blueberries, maybe some grapes, definitely some blackberries, figs, persimmons and lemons. Of course, most of that is already growing pretty grand - I've really just got to make the tomatoes happen and tend to the new grape vine.

Which brings me to The Backyard Homestead, Produce all the food you need on just quarter acre! by Carleen Madigan. I like the potential in the title; "all the food you need". I'm all about potential. Between the covers of this hefty book is a tremendous amount of organic growing wisdom. In it you will find information about raising small farm animals also; chickens, rabbits, goats and I think she also mentions cows. Mainly I bought it for the gardening wisdom it offers. Crop rotation, companion planting, getting the most out of a very little bit of land. It's chalk full of that stuff. I'm enjoying it. Though I do wish for colored photographs, the illustrations are charming and enjoyable too. The information in this book may once have been just knowledge that was passed from generation to generation. Even city dwellers used to grow food. Alas, we've really shoved that life aside for the convenience of running to the market and spending more time in front of one screen or another. I for one am going to get off this screen and do something more productive. You should too! See you outside.

grow

We've lived in this little corner of the world for nearly SIX years - in California for almost nine - that sounds like a really long time. It's taken a while, but I'm beginning to really grow into this place. I have some really wonderful friends whom I hope to know always. Friends make you feel at home.

The theme of the past decade has surely been about growth. Inwardly and outwardly, children, parents, animals and food. It's good to grow, even when it's hard. Struggle can produce grace and understanding, given the right attitude. I'd even say it can bring a peacefulness or at least a stillness to one's soul. Perhaps that's just resilience and stubbornness I sense. Overall, I think this place we're in, both geographically and metaphorically is right where we need to be.

The picture above is of our persimmon tree, the little flowers blend right into the green leaves and you have to look for them, I don't think I've actually seen them until this year. Eventually, when the fruits are mature the tree is bare of leaves and the fruit is a beautiful, deep orange. It is a truly spectacular site around Thanksgiving. The couple who lived in this house from 1948 until we bought it in 2008 planted it, along with a number of other now mature fruit trees on our property.  It produces upwards of 100 pounds (or more) of fruit. I'm going to weigh it this year so I know. This tree doesn't seem to need a lot of care, sometimes I remove fruit before it's ripe to prevent the branches from braking. I water it deeply once or twice during the summer, other than that it does all the work on its own. The chickens like to sit under it for shade in the summer when it's fully leafed out. And they adore the over-ripened fruit that drops from it in November and December.

I've planted four different tomato plants. The tallest one is already 36 inches tall! I can almost taste the warm, just picked fruit now. I think I'll be picking tomatoes in early July this year. They were the first thing I planted. Max planted a watermelon plant and Coleman is planning on planting leeks. That may be all I can handle for gardening this year, but I'm looking forward to a season that will be abundant with vegetables galore and as much food as we can get out of this place.

Until then, we can enjoy what we've got and keep imagining what can be some day.