Grow What Inspires You

When the crisp fall weather passes and snow and cold temperatures move in, I always start to dream about next year's garden. What will we grow next year? What will I do differently? Over the last several years, we've had some successes and a few failures in the garden. Here are a few tips for getting your garden planning off on the right foot.

1. How much space to do you have? Whether you have a few acres or just a few window boxes, calculate the amount of space you plan to use for your garden.
2. Draw it out. I never do this, but I should. Grab some paper, a pencil, and a ruler, and sketch out your garden space. This will help you get a realistic idea of how many crops you can plant in a defined amount of space. Don't forget to think vertical. Can your space be expanded by adding trellises?
3. How much time do you have to devote to gardening? In my fantasy world, I have 2 hours/day to spend in the garden. In the real world, I maybe have 20 minutes on an average day.
4. Think about what your family will eat. This is especially important if you are working with limited space. If there are two people in your family, do you really need to give up a quarter of your garden space to an enormous cucumber plant? Do the two of you need a gajillion cucumbers?
5. Research your potential crops. Are you planting veggies, flowers, herbs? How much space/light/time do they need? Are they right for our zone?  What do you expect to get from your CSA?
6. What will you raise from seed? Starting from seed is more of a time commitment, but very rewarding.
7. Write it down. I never do this either. As you're spending the winter months dreaming about all the time you'll spend in the garden next year, write down your ideas. As you come across different varieties, make a note of the name as well as the pros and cons of grown that particular plant.

The most important thing to consider when planning your garden is to be REALISTIC about what you can do. That said, grow what inspires you. If you're not interested, you won't stick with it.

For your scheming and dreaming pleasure: Jason build this raised garden bed from a Sunset magazine tutorial. Our raised bed is taller and smaller - 2' tall x 4' x 4'.



Firefly Handmade Market - December 14-16



http://fireflyhandmade.com/handmade-market/





















What: Firefly Handmade Holiday Market

When: December 14-16, Friday 6p-10p, Saturday and Sunday 11a-6p

Where: Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) 1750 13th Street in Boulder

Why: Because it's the most amazing market full of 70+ vendors selling their super hip handmade goods. Support small business!

Grab some friends, load up on pumpkin spice lattes, and head to Downtown Boulder to finish (or start) your holiday shopping. There's something for everyone here, even the guys. Not in Boulder? It's well worth the trip for you out-of-towners. What's better than the perfect gift with a handmade touch?

Etsy Love

We all know and love Etsy, but did you know they have a "Shop Local" option? Find the link on the Etsy.com home page, or go here to type in your city or state.

I'm digging this table, this print, and these sweet mugs.

Check out the Denver shop vital for the pint glasses above and lots more!

Plenty: An Introduction to Living Local

Plenty: Where it all began.

If you haven't already read Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally, you should do so as soon as possible. It's the true story of this lovely couple in Vancouver who commits to a year of eating within 100 miles of home.

Jason (my husband) and I decided to take on a modified version of this challenge. We called it the "Colorado Challenge." We committed to eating only food from Colorado for the term of our local Farmers Market. We began in April 2012, and planned to continue through November. The only exceptions to local food were 1) the food already in our pantry, 2) unsolicited gifts of food, and 3) the rare professional or social invitations out to coffee or a meal when it would be too weird to decline. All other food must be entirely from Colorado - ALL ingredients.

Long story short, we didn't make it to November. The Challenge turned out to be very labor intensive. We made it through 3-4 months before calling it a day. We discovered lots of great local resources, and learned a lot about eating seasonally. In future posts, we will share stories, recipes, and lessons learned during the Colorado Challenge.

The Challenge really fueled our passion for living locally - eating seasonally, buying from locally owned business when possible, making connections within the community, etc.  In this blog, will I will share recipes for eating seasonally, food discussion, local buiness features, and guests posts from around our Front Range community. This is a place for ideas, love, and making connections. I look forward to sharing many of things I love from our community, as well as many adventures yet to come.  Happy reading!

xo,
Meghan

P.S. We're still under contruction. Please check back for a new look and lots of new posts!