Goodbye, Traditional Lawn

Our little one-acre homestead is undergoing a major transition.

We are saying goodbye to this:

And hello to this:

Yes, we are taking the plunge and turning our front yard into a survival garden. I’m sure our neighbors may look at us like we’ve lost our minds, but I’ve reached the point where I no longer care. The security of my family’s food supply and the health of my children are far more important than keeping a grassy lawn the neighbors like to see.

I am a good neighbor.  I will keep my survival garden just as neat and clean and as pleasing to the eye as I did that over-rated, expensive, green and grassy yard we’ve had for five years. In fact, I think a well-kept garden is prettier than any traditional lawn, but that might just be my preference.  To be honest, we’ve got pretty good neighbors.  One of the perks of living out in the country.  In the past year, we’ve added chickens and a goat to our little homestead, and nobody has complained, at least not directly to us. (Of course, we keep our neighbors happy with fresh eggs from time to time)

I’ve been gardening for about twelve years. I started out with a few herbs and tomatoes on my back deck at our first home. That was enough to get me hooked on gardening.  In the past few years, I’ve had a little garden in the side yard, and a backyard herb garden.  But this year, I’ve got BIG PLANS. Plans to take our gardening to a whole new level. To take our food security into our own hands…growing our own foods, canning and preserving, and saving seed for future gardens.

Here’s a peek at some of the foods we’re growing this year:

• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Onions
• Garlic
• Asparagus
• Radishes
• Squash
• Zucchini
• Eggplant
• Potatoes
• Strawberries
• Beans & Peas
• Peppers of all kinds
• Tomatoes of all kinds
• Many different herbs
• Watermelons

…and maybe even some corn! (Still need to research that a little more.) I would eventually love to add in fruit and nut trees, and more vegetable plants too. Like I said, I’ve got big plans.

Where I live in North Carolina, we are always dealing with red clay soil. We affectionately call it “Carolina Clay.” It is suitable for growing a good garden, but it needs to be amended for best results. That’s why I’m so excited about using the natural fertilizer  PROTOGROW in my front-yard survival garden. I know it will help me turn our once grassy lawn into a bountiful survival garden that will feed our family.

I can’t wait to show you pictures as we embark on this journey.

Stay tuned.