Last year was the first year that we lived on this property. The garden was brand new so we had to break ground and basically just deal with the existing soil conditions. Which in hind sight, were not too bad.
Here are some pics from last year. Some successes and some not so successes 🙂 That’s how it goes some years.
When we purchased this property in February of last year we were not able to bring along our raised beds. Since it was February they were frozen solid and I had no way to pick them up. Thankfully, I was able to make arrangements to come back in spring and get them! So this bed of Strawberries was salvaged!
The bed to the left we planted with potatoes, and the bed off to the right was used for onions, a couple zucchini plants, and later some cabbage.
The tires were stacked vertically for potatoes, it didn’t really work. The plants grew up to the top but there wasn’t much for potatoes. I think I added the additional dirt at the wrong time???
I’m not sure when this picture was taken but it was already getting late in our planting season. 
I would have liked to get more ground worked up, but it was starting to get to be a short season already. In fact, if we could zoom ahead tho this year, My hoop house would be blocking most of this view. That’s something I am looking forward to.
I have some of the rows marked out in the picture. The front middle area was sweet corn. That was an excellent harvest. But, we only have a few pounds left in the freezer.
Back to the raised beds. Pictures speak a thousand words? Well at least two words.
Here are some early season pictures. 4 Roma tomato plants in a row, they did very well.
Small plot of potatoes on the right, lettuce and beets under the string.
Just another view. The picture is kind of deceiving. Even with all the trees, they don’t block much sunlight from the garden itself.
Potatoes starting to die back. Those are zucchini plants on the back side.
Sweet corn with carrots and beets in the shadows. Last year I planted some extra things for the goats and chickens but I don’t think they got much of it. Maybe this year. I meant well, it’s just hard to give the animals all this awesome food! One thing that I was able to do this past winter and will continue into spring is to work this soil. We put a lot of last years manure on it along with some yard leaves and let it compost over winter. I’ll also get everything planted early, or at least on time and really mulch it. Mulch is your best friend!
Here are some of the squashes. Mostly Butternut, with some watermelons and cantaloupes mixed in. I don’t remember if we had any acorn squash?
Last year was the first year that we grew pretty decent cantaloupes. We are on the border of having too short of a growing season. Our location (Lake Michigan is about 7 miles east of us) keeps us warmer in fall but cooler in spring. So we get a little later start than others more inland.
Final picture from last year. Just an overall shot from a different angle.
This year should be much different. For one thing I have the 12 x 24 foot hoop house which will be complete very soon. Thanks to the grow lights and heat mat I already have a bunch of seedlings growing in the house. And the composted manure should have worked itself into the soil. I didn’t mention the fruit trees so that will be for another post. Or, the fruity bushes! I can’t wait.
What are you looking forward to this year in your garden? Leave it in the comments and please consider entering your e-mail address in the box to the right so we can stay in touch.
Jeff
My Wisconsin Outdoor Journal 