“Life is wide, limitless—there is no border, no frontier.” — Bruce Lee
Hubby and I are working to maintain our sanity, livelihoods, and quality of life while living in the States because we refuse to let political insanity determine how we want to live. This is the moment for living the best lives we can as we navigate civil disobedience.
We managed to scrounge up enough funds to move into a larger home; despite American housing being criminally expensive, we happened upon a small ranch that was just large enough to aid us in the expansion of our wings. I honestly do not like ranch houses; there is something unsettling about sleeping on the first floor of a house, especially when one is accustomed to the apartments and multi-floored buildings of New York City. However, there is a unique quality to ranches that forced me to change my mind about them: their close proximity to nature.
The birds are brasher, the wind louder, and the smells of the earth stronger. The abode is perfect for our Victory Garden of the Future.
What is a Victory Garden?
Historically, Victory Gardens were war gardens planted during World War I and World War II as a method of supplementing the war effort due to strict rations and shortages. The program also produced information regarding proper storage and food preservation, how to distribute surplus harvests, and bring communities together. The gardens indirectly boosted morale among civilians who could not fight on the front lines, giving the gardeners the ability to take part in the defense of their nation.
Today, we can apply the concepts of victory gardens to our modern lives by focusing on food security, sustainability, and community building. Given current chaotic American policies putting our food systems at risk, it is not a terrible idea to prepare for emergencies and boost morale as was done in the past. The uncertainty inspired me to rely a little more on myself to grow and preserve food, even if I only have a sixteenth of an acre to work with.
What is Growing This Year?
There are many beautiful items growing in this new space. I have not begun to maximize the possibilities since we have just moved, but I am slowly adding items into the ground. The plan is to dedicate different sections of the yard to different fruits and vegetables.
1. The Kitchen Garden
The Kitchen Garden is the area on the side yard of the house that is closest to the kitchen. I can pop outside whenever I like and grab a few herbs for cooking, baking, and brewing. Once built up, it will consist of several shelves and beds of herbs dedicated to seasoning dishes. I currently have bunching onion, Thai basil, lemon thyme, sage, rosemary, basil, and zucchini growing here along with a few pansies.
2. The Raised Beds
They are makeshift, but I built some raised beds using basic common wood and common nails. The beds have hardware cloth underneath to detract moles. They are shallower than I would have liked, but they are a nice start to my vegetable and fruit patch. Here, I am trying my hand at Hopi Turquoise corn, Honeynut Butternut squash, Crimson Sweet watermelon, Golden Honeymoon melon, Candyland cherry tomatoes, Sriracha peppers, Sweet Banana peppers, Purple Hull Pinkeye cowpeas, Dragon Tongue beans, Papa De Rola beans, Hidatsa Red Indian beans, Cherokee Trail of Tears beans, zucchini, Lemon Verbena, Rue, and French thyme, cinnamon basil, and tarragon.
2. Eucalyptus Patch
The Eucalyptus Patch is a small patch against the wall in the back of the house where I planted eucalyptus plants, Coleus plants, pansies, and some herbs such as rue, catnip, and basil. This part of the garden is a massive pollinator attractor. Against the wall, I set up stakes for additional zucchini.
3. The Glass Porch
I call this part of the garden The Glass Porch because it has fire pit with glass stones. This porch has a few potted plants: the French Pot, which contains lavender, tarragon, thyme, and pansies, a pot with spearmint, Greek Mountain mint, and a pot with Hot and Spicy oregano.
4. The Orchard Farm
Although there are no trees yet, this is my garden farmland in which I planted items in the ground in rows. Eventually, I want to include a few fruit bearing trees; I just have not decided on which ones. This section is a work in progress since I am still killing off the grass to make room for a mini food forest. I did manage to get a healthy amount of growth here with additional Hopi Turquoise corn, Honey Butternut squash, Papa De Rola beans, Hidatsa Red Indian beans, Cherokee Trail of Tears beans, Glass Gem Popping corn, Clemson Spineless okra, Burgundy onion, and determinate tomatoes that I forgot the names of.
5. The Three Sisters Method
I am attempting the Three Sisters method this year to grow my corn, squash, and beans. This is an Indigenous American companion gardening technique in which the corn serves as a trellis for the beans, the beans enrich the soil with nitrogen, and the squash provides ground cover and moisture retention. In my zone, I can plant the majority of my goods in April to be harvested by the fall.
I did mess up the order; you are supposed to plant the corn first, then plant the beans around the base of each corn stalk once the corn is approximately six inches tall, and then plant the squash around the corn and beans to allow space for their vines to spread.
I planted the corn, then the squash, then the beans. Fingers crossed that a decent harvest will emerge.
The Garden is a Haven
It surprises me how much this space has improved my mood. It is incredibly how healing it is to speak with plants, touch their delicate leaves, and smell their aroma. I want to spend time here every day.
