This is going to be a fun post!!

And another one that I will really enjoy looking back on someday!

This post will be ALL about Tate – we are just his “people” when it comes to the gardens!

Tate expressed an interest over the winter months at the beginning of this year that he wanted to start the gardens from seeds this year – growing seeds indoors, hardening the young plants off, and then transplanting them to the garden.

In full transparency here, I really thought buying the young plants that were already hardened off from the greenhouse was a good way to do things!!

I hesitated quite awhile in Tate’s desire to do things this way – it just sounded overwhelming and risky.

Silly me!!

Oh my goodness, silly me.

On a date night at the very beginning of April, after we had just returned home from Florida, Blake encouraged me to get what Tate needed and just let him run with it.

That’s exactly what we did!

I am guessing you all could write the rest of this post, because you already know how this went!!

We did also go to the greenhouse to fill in the gaps with the things we were too late to start on our own.

I really enjoy going to the greenhouse!

Tate and I think we need one in our backyard!

We like to dream big.

Tate did an excellent job taking care of his plants!

It was the first thing he tended to as his feet hit the floor every morning.

I just loved watching him do all of this!!

By the middle of May he was hardening off his plants getting them ready to be put into the gardens!

Everyday he would carry them all outside, move them around to the shady spots, and then a bit in the sun….

He was SO organized with all of this!!

Our strawberries started coming up, so we started watering that garden bed too.

We started planting the plants (and some seeds) into the garden beds on May 23rd this year.

That date is always something I am glad to know looking back!

I also pleaded with Blake that he must do something so that the bunnies did not get any chance to eat all of Tate’s hard work this year.

SO thankful that he purchased some fencing that he and Lane ran all the way around the garden beds – even staking it into the ground so that no bunnies could get through it!

You can see the fence in the fourth photo below and from any photo after that one!

We ended up at the greenhouse again to get somethings that did not get big enough to transplant.

We had not started our indoor growing project early enough!

But that’s ok!

Tate learned SO much with all of this!!

Tate and I also ordered raspberry plants this year!

I am SO excited about those raspberries!!

We ordered 25 plants, and received 27, so we planted them in three rows of nine each.

We had lots of helpers that day because it was a Sunday!

The gardens change quickly once they are planted!!

We started having strawberries quickly too.

The best part is bringing in all of the yummy things right from your backyard.

In the middle of July we had Blake bring us home some begonias to add one of the beds.

They looked beautiful and added color!

By the end of July our strawberries were done, and when I say done – I mean done!

We pulled all those plants and covered that bed with black paper to keep the weeds away.

Our strawberries had been there three growing seasons now, and they needed replaced.

By mid July we were reaping the benefits of all of our work in BIG ways!!

It was SO fun.

Tate would run to the gardens first thing every morning in his pjs.

I would stand on the deck and see the top of his head as he crotched down in those plants – weeding and harvesting and tending to everything.

It brings tears to my eyes just to think on it!!

Tate and I would spend our free afternoons in those gardens too – it was like a DEEP BREATH for me in this crazy season of life.

How dare I think it would be overwhelming!!

It was the exact opposite – it was life giving!

It is fun to look back at these photos even now – since we are currently covered in snow and living in below zero temperatures!

I plant marigolds in our garden every year.

They remind me of my Dad.

My Dad loved to take care of his yard, landscape and garden.

I would like to think I got my love for all of this from him.

We also decided to tackle canning this summer to preserve all that was coming out of those gardens!

I have not canned anything since our days on the farm.

But, why not??

What a GREAT skill to teach these younger children!

The older children know all about it – and Kayla still cans every summer as well!

My next post will be all about that.

I could not believe all that we would get from those three small garden beds.

It was incredible!

One of my favorite things to do with the fresh produce was to eat it fresh!

We made this garden salad often – just whatever we carried in from outside, washed, chopped, sprinkled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper.

It was so delicious!

Tate also grew watermelon from seeds!!

Yes, we live in Zone 5!!

No, you cannot have him – he is mine!!

Tate did grow a smaller variety because they do ripen faster.

And he made his own little “greenhouse” over top of his watermelon plants!

I wish I had gotten a photo of that!

His watermelons were FANTASTIC.

Please notice here what happens when Tate is in charge of watering and you get a little too close.

Do you see the smirky grin there?

Stinker.

We brought in so many raspberries already this growing season!

Next year those raspberries should be going bonkers.

I am so excited!

And peppers.

We had SO MANY PEPPERS.

I will show you what we did with them all in my canning post!

Here is what your garden photos look like when you give your phone to Eliza.

She has the eye for photography!

No surprise for me!

I love these photos – they are so beautiful!

Guess what?

WE HAVE PLANS.

My poor hubby!!!

Tate and I made a binder of our garden things at the end of the season.

We have some big dreams written down in that binder!!

Knowing my hubby, he will do what he can to bring those dreams to fruition.

He loves to watch us thrive and learn and enjoy life!!

Stay tuned to see what the Lord allows for our next garden season.

I CANNOT WAIT!!