This is the second blog I have started and it isn't any easier to "define" what the theme will be the second time around. Why am I starting a 1200 square foot garden at the age of 38? Is it an attempt to live healthier? A mid life crisis? A need to see things grow and nurture something? Is it a middle finger jutted into the air, aimed at the tasteless nutrient devoid produce corporate farms produce?

Unfortunately, it is nothing that rebellious or metaphorically laden. I moved back to Fort Collins in September 2015 after 15 years living in the Rockies at 9500 ft. Why I would give up the dream of living in the mountains, watching the sunrise over snow capped 12,000 ft peaks out my front door?

Basically, I was tired of all the damn snow and cold weather. Waiting patiently for our last frost date in Mid June to plant peas, protecting my plants from snow with fleece blankets in July and realizing that daytime temperatures in August were too cold to ripen my plants laden with green tomatoes transformed from frustrating to downright depressing.

So I convinced my mother, who lives 7 miles from me, to tear up 1000 square feet of her property to make a bigger garden. She had 2 raised beds, a reasonable 200 square feet or so, of space for growing a variety of kitchen vegetables.

February 15: View of the Garden  (straw bales on north side for wind block)

 So why a blog? Well, most of the "gardening blogs" are filled with advertisements for expensive gardening products and generic vague information about improving the soil and growing organic flowers. Who cares if my zinnias are organic if they don't end up in my salad? What can I learn from someone with a perfect climate, a fenced off garden and 20 years of experience. I learn by doing. I learn by researching, screwing up and doing it differently the next time. I want to chronicle the successes and failures, each plant we grow, each soil amendment we add and how much it all costs.

We might talk about cooking our vegetables and the weather (and hail) or post pictures of compost piles and hand drawn garden schematics. We might delight at germinating peas or scavenging supplies for free to build trellises. We will surely  bitch and moan about hail, weeds, raccoons, desiccating heat and wind or so many dang tomatoes we don't know what to do with them (hopefully).

Sooooo, why a blog?  Because I couldn't find one that was helpful to growing vegetables organically on the Front Range and I hope that this one might help you. It's really that simple. So, here goes.

February 15: View looking Northwest of the Garden (mulched with leaves for winter)