Getting started

Category: Getting my garden started | Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:55 pm

Hi
I'm a 66 year old retired man, living in the northwoods of far northern Wisconsin. We recently remodeled our summer home, into a year round home, were we now live fulltime. In the past I have had a vegetable garden and enjoyed both the gardening, and the wonderful fresh vegetables that it produced. Here and know, however I am faced with a couple new challenges. First, I am bothered by arthritis in my knees and other joints, making work on my knees nearly impossible, and secondly, the growing season is much shorter here. It seems to me that I need to learn some new techniques. The use of a green house, above ground garden beds, keeping the deer out, and selecting the best verities to plant. It is in these areas that I am looking for help, advice, and any good hints to make this new adventure fun and productive. About 30 years ago, we cleared a wooded area, about 60 feet wide, by 150 feet long, give or take. We used it for bad mitten, camping, a fire pit, and whatever the kids wanted. I would like to use the north most part of the area, with the longest summer sun exposure, for the garden. I'd like to start modestly, and expand as I gather wisdom and desire. Thanks in advance for your comments and help. Tom Allman "Calomaar"

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Gardenstew wrote on Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:50 pm:

Hi Calomaar, congrats on your new blog. We will help you in any way we can with your questions. A new garden, you will be the envy of many here :)

zuzu's petals wrote on Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:12 pm:

Ah, new beginnings, very exciting stuff, Tom!
Congratulations on your new home and garden.

I wonder if you are considering raised bed gardening,
to make things a little easier on the creaking joints?

cajunbelle wrote on Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:48 pm:

Raised beds would make it easier on you, and I also use a 5 gallon bucket turned upside down to sit on while weeding. I have arthritis and it is getting too hard for me to get up and down.

eileen wrote on Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:38 pm:

As the owner of two artificial knees Tom I can certainly sympathise with your arthritic knees. Raised beds are a must for we sufferers and as Cajunbelle says you can sit on a five gallon bucket to weed them.
Post any questions you like on our forums so that all our members can read them and help you out. Lovely to have you here with us.

glendann wrote on Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:08 am:

Welcome to Garden Stew.I have creaking joints also.I sit flat on the ground most of the time one day I wont be able to get up after weeding a long time.I do like raised beds.
I don't know much about short seasons as I live in Texas and our winters are rather long here.

glendann wrote on Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:08 am:

Oops I ment summers are rather long.

dooley wrote on Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:00 am:

To send a pm to one of us, go to your pm page and it will say new post. Put in our user name, a subject and type in your message. Click on submit and it will come our way. Dooley