This year I decided to do something new in the garden. I planted corn earlier in the season in a large, circular, felt garden bag. Corn needs lots of nitrogen-rich soil and organic matter like compost. I planted TRUE corn, the kind that the original Americans used, because I wanted my children to see what corn that hasn’t been scientifically altered is supposed to look like. It’s called Painted Hill, and it is USDA certified organic. The kernels are a gorgeous rainbow!

They might be hard to find, but you can purchase them online here. It’s not too late for you to pick up some seeds or purchase some seedlings that can give you about a month’s head start in the growing process.

As you can see in the photo below, I’m growing vining beans next to the corn. Beans and corn make great planting companions, because the beans reintroduce nitrogen into the soil as the corn sucks it up. Corn makes a good support for the vines to crawl up on. Native Americans have grown the “three sisters” together for centuries–corn, beans, and squash. The squash covers the soil along the corn and repels rodents that don’t like walking through the spikey squash vines while the corn shades the squash from the intense summer heat. If you’re growing food in a small space like me, you definitely want to use companion gardening techniques. I recommend reading, Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening.

Meanwhile, the tomatoes I planted in February are officially taller than me.

I have a several different varieties but I’m the most excited about this Black Beauty!

I’m hoping to get a lot of juicy tomatoes, because I’m planning on being a juicing, saucing, and canning machine! Not to mention that our apples are extra large this year…

Which makes me so super excited that the folks at Hurom gave me a chance to review their slow juicers, and I like it so much I think I might kidnap it.

Here’s a video with my initial thoughts:

https://youtu.be/LaWQ3nzxyHU

Cheers!