Why "The Farm Garden"

The answer to this is a simple one: because we also have a home garden — and at one point, there was even a work garden. What can I say? I love to garden.

When we first started gardening more seriously, everything was centered around our home, all of our produce came from our backyard gardens. Now we live in town on a smaller lot, most of which is taken up by landscaping, a patio, and Rylee's collection of outside toys. There really wasn’t a good spot for a traditional in-ground garden. So instead of wishing for more space, we got creative — and brought in our version of raised beds using large galvanized steel stock tanks.

We now have four of those tanks in our backyard, along with several large planters that hang directly from our fence. It's not a huge setup by any means, but it produces more than you might think. Over the years, we’ve grown all kinds of produce at home — tomatoes, peppers (in all varieties), leafy greens, celery, strawberries, and cucumbers. In the planters, we grow herbs like rosemary, thyme, cilantro, parsley, and lemon balm. They thrive there and are just steps from the kitchen, which is perfect for grabbing a handful while cooking dinner.

My husband, who is a jack of all trades (and master of many), installed a drainage system in the bottom of each of the stock tanks. Don’t ask me how it works — I just know that it does. The tubs are filled with a mixture of our own compost (I've linked our compost tumbler here), dirt we’ve collected from a pile out at the farm, and compost from our local city program. (Fun tip for locals: if you live in Watertown, you’re entitled to two free tons of compost per year just by showing your utility bill!)

The home garden has become our go-to spot for “snacking produce.” Need a tomato for a sandwich? Grab one off the vine. Want a sprig of cilantro for taco night? Just step outside. It's convenient, practical, and incredibly satisfying.

But as time went on and our interest in growing more food for preserving and canning grew, we needed more space. That’s when the farm garden was born and with it, the name of this page. The farm garden is where the bulk of our crops grow. It's the space we use for large plantings, experiments, and long rows of food that we’ll harvest, process, and store for the seasons ahead.

Thanks for being here — and happy growing, wherever your garden may be.