From Lawn to Vegetable Garden
We’re turning part of our lawn into a vegetable garden.
Blessed with a large, relatively flat backyard (and there’s no front yard to speak of; it’s mostly trees and very shaded) we decided to utilize some of the land for growing tomatoes, peppers, squash and melons this year. The area used as a garden by the previous inhabitants is actually one of the most shaded areas, and we’ve already turned it into our chicken run and, more recently, pigpen.
So, we looked to the area between the kids’ playsets and the animals to do our planting. It’s a perfect spot — nearly full sun all day, 
good soil, within reach of the garden hose.
We’re definitely starting simply on the gardening front. A dozen heirloom tomato plants, a few peppers, several squash and six cantaloupe plants round out our selection of productive plants.
My husband, John, dug holes in the lawn, we removed the sod, and mixed the existing soil with a large shovelful of the rich, pig- and chicken-manure-enriched dirt from the animal pen before planting the seedlings.
If we have enough tomatoes, I’ll use this spaghetti sauce canning recipe to preserve some for the winter months ahead.
How does your garden grow?
awesome! my garden is little, too. i hate digging up sod…there’s got to be an easier way! i have a list of things i want to get and one of them is a tiller!! I have plans for a larger garden next year alongside the house in a sunny spot, but i’m thinking it may have to be a little closer to the water hose. good luck with your garden..keep us posted!
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:14 amLooking great! We have a tiny ‘kitchen garden’ right by the house and used to have a very big garden about 100 ft away. We let that go the last few years as we’ve been REALLY busy (with our country farm and a baby!). I’m actually just now getting ready to till up the sod again out there and get planting. This is inspiring me to get the ball rolling!
June 2nd, 2011 at 12:50 pmI congratulate you on starting your new backyard garden. Never underestimate the value of a small garden. In 2008 I had a garden that was 15′X 25′ in size and grew an astounding 342 pounds of fresh vegetables. I kept accurate records and I must admit that it was a very good year, weather wise. Plus I have been gardening for over 40 years and have learned some “tricks” of the trade, if you will. Keep up the good work and be sure to “Google” french intensive gardening. It is the method I have used for years for increased yields and a wonderful gardening experience. Keep in mind that vegetable gardening is a gamble. Some you lose, some you win. One thing is for sure…You can’t win if you don’t play!
June 12th, 2011 at 1:38 pmThis was my first year for a vegetable garden too.
Good luck on your produce.
~Lynn
July 10th, 2011 at 2:11 amI just found your blog, and I really like it.
My wife and I are also being our homesteading adventure, we just bought our 1.5 acre plot last March. We dug a rather large garden, but I’ll warn ya, the grass looooves to come back…so get used to weeding.
I hope you begin to update a bit more, I’d love to keep up with what you are doing.
August 3rd, 2011 at 3:32 pmI usually have a robust garden, but the heat this year has really did a number on my veggies. I am already planning next springs additions!
August 9th, 2011 at 8:20 pmI also just found this blog; I am looking forward to reading more! On another blog the author wrote about putting bales of hay down where they wanted to plant a garden in the coming year. They left the bales there for one year and then removed them come spring the next year. The hay had killed all the grass and the weeds and left the soil with a lot of organic matter. I only wish that I could find that blog again.
August 20th, 2011 at 6:21 pmI have never been a fan of mowing lawns – it seems like a lot of energy expended just have short grass with no other productivity. The solution I found was to invest in sheep. I get a couple of lambs every 2nd year which keep our half acre section mowed, and provide a good supply of meat. So I can see exactly where you are going with the garden conversion.
October 27th, 2011 at 5:47 pm