Garden Shed Spotlight

The Allen Family 

Meet the Allen Family! The Allen Family moved from Boston, MA to West Dover, Vermont 3 years ago. When they first purchased their country farmhouse they envisioned a garden that the entire family could enjoy. What started off as a single single raised garden bed to four 8' long raised garden beds over the last year. The backyard renovation has expanded beyond the garden to include a patio with a fire pit, swing set for the kids and a gazebo for them to enjoy the warm summer nights.

What inspired you to start a garden?

When we lived in the city we always had container gardens to grow some vegetables and herbs. We love being able to throw some chives and tomatoes into our scrambled eggs in the morning. Before kids, there would be nights we would just sit around our small weber grill at the time and just snack off of grilled veggies from the garden. We wanted our garden to be not only an opportunity to save money at the grocery store, but for something our entire family could grow with.

What was your biggest challenge?

During our first year we didn't realize the natural elements that would affect our garden. From wildlife to soil conditions to irrigation, we were constantly googling why things were having problems and how to avoid those ongoing issues.

READY FOR YOUR DREAM GARDEN?

Read to start your dream New England backyard garden? Make sure you have all the tools necessary to help you break ground. Download your free copy below.

What were your goals for your garden?

Our initial goal was to grow vegetables that we could eat during the summer months. Overtime that goal has transitioned to be a garden that can provide vegetables, herbs and some fruit throughout the entire year, and yes, even in the winter!!

What resources helped you transform your garden to where it is today?

In the beginning it was a lot of googling, taking out books from the library and talking to our neighbors. Overtime we became overwhelmed with the amount of information available. During our research and stumbled across Seed Homestead. Their community was so amazing and helped us navigate the heavy amount of resources available and was able to help provide us with a clear direction to overcome our challenges and start to optimize and grow our garden further. 

Biggest advice for someone looking to start a garden?

Start small! Whether you have a few acres or a small backyard, start with a small garden. Pick a few things and try to get those right first. You have no idea how many things will interfere with you garden. Take notes during those first two years to figure out what your challenges are and what things are doing awesome! From there, you can start to expand your garden over time.

Favorite thing to plant?

Chard! It's the easiest thing to plant and it's the plant that keeps on giving! We love to sauté it and cook it with candied ginger. Yum!

Favorite trick in the garden?

We like to grow our potatoes in trash cans. You basically cut slits in one and place the slit one into the uncut trash can. As the potatoes grow you can pull up the inner trash can and the potatoes will be accessible at the bottom through the slits so you can keep growing the potatoes without digging for a needle in a haystack!

PLAN YOUR BACKYARD GARDEN

This free worksheet will walk you through the process of planning your garden. From location, to tools, to what you will plant. Download your free copy below.