Every year we’ve had a garden. We started off 12 years ago, with this enormous garden, and not a clue. However, as the years have gone by our garden has gotten smaller. We still get plenty of veggies out of it, but we’ve made the decision to only grow what we really eat. We’ve also moved toward Square Foot Gardening principles and get way more out of way less space than we used to. I used to plant a little of everything… and then a lot of things went to waste. We just don’t eat eggplant!!

Now we have a fairly small garden, but we’re growing plenty of food to have more than enough to can or freeze to keep us in home grown food through the winter.

Gardening with your kids is a fantastic way to help them learn where food comes from, and the work that goes into creating food. It also allows you to have control over what goes on or doesn’t go on your food. You have total control over the chemicals (or not) that go on your crops.

I’ve also found that foods that Hanna grows she’s much more likely to eat… even if it’s something she might not have eaten before.

This year we’re growing cabbage, and brussel sprouts, which are two things we don’t usually do. However, they are so healthy for you, and I’ve found some great recipes for both veggies that I thought it would be great if we did it ourselves.

We did grow Brussel Sprouts one other year, but our chickens ate them before I could harvest them… unfortunately (or fortunately) we no longer have chickens at this time.

We generally grow onions, tomatoes, beans (lots of green beans!), green peppers, zucchini, butternut squash, watermelon and canteloupe. I haven’t had much luck with garlic, and I’m thinking about creating space for more herbs… though I tend to not have much luck with them either, but it would be lovely to have my own dried herbs. They are getting so expensive at the store.

What about you? Do you garden with your kids, and what do you grow?