My yard was 100% grass when I made the decision to start a backyard garden.
There were three main factors that pushed me into action:
- My property has full sun
- I enjoy simple & fresh food
- I hate mowing my lawn
If I’m going to be working outside weekly all spring and summer, I want some fruits for my labor – literally!
Here is a picture of where the garden currently is located before this project began.
You don’t need to go big immediately. I eased into the first year with one green pepper plant only.
However, I quickly realized it would take much more space to get the harvest I had in my mind. So I spent the next winter preparing for a massive transformation.
In the spring, it was go-time! First, I bought 4′ x 4′ raised garden bed kits (4X), then bulk ordered compost and mulch that got dumped into my driveaway.
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This is about as clean as it ever looked that first day:
The next day after completing the raised beds, I went to the local garden nursery center and loaded up with herb and vegetable seedlings. I also planted a few things from seeds like swiss chard and green beans (below).
To this day, swiss chard is one of the best performers in my garden. You’ll probably find the same with yours – some plants do better in your yard than others.
Below is an example of a pepper plant that died from a disease. Gardening can be frustrating, but it will teach you patience and persistence.
The next fall, I took the project to another level and decided to:
- Create several more plant beds
- Build a firepit
- Put a fence around the garden
- Hardscape for easier maintenance
Can you tell I don’t mess around?! That’s 4 ton of rock that I moved, without ANY help.
Going to the gym is overrated. Go do some fun & physical home projects instead.
Here are better photos of the growth you can expect if you decide to go the same route as me.
I highly recommend that you start planning right now. There’s always some work to be done that will move you closer to your goal of growing your own food.
