Garden Photo of the Day

Homesteading With a Community Garden

Growing and preserving food from a small space

By GPOD Contributor

Today we’re visiting with Kimberly Butler (to see more of her garden, check out her Instagram). Kimberly gardens in sunny Florida and makes great use of a community garden plot to grow lots of delicious food. If you wish you had a garden but don’t think you have the space for it, Kimberly is great inspiration!

This shot is of the community garden plot before Kimberly started gardening on it. A lot of weeds and not much else!

Just three months later, the plot is full of thriving broccoli and kale!

growing broccoliBeautiful heads of broccoli are ready to harvest.

lacinato kale
The delicious variety of kale variously called lacinato, Tuscan, or dinosaur kale. Whatever you call it, the narrow, textured leaves are notably tender and delicious, with less of a bitter flavor than other kale varieties.

growing bananas
Gardening in Florida means opportunities for some unusual crops! These bananas are from another bed in the community garden.

pineapple
Kimberly even harvested a pineapple!

growing peppers
An abundant harvest of habaneros, okra, sage, bell peppers, and jalapenos.

Baby cucumber
Baby cucumber in progress.

Mature cucumbers and summer squash made into quick pickles in reused salsa jars.

A harvest of fragrant mint and lemongrass. Kimberly says, “I would say I’m making tea, but I’m going to make some great mojitos after work today.” Sounds like a much better idea than tea!

 

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Comments

  1. sagebird52 06/23/2020

    A lot of hard work with great results, congrats

  2. User avater
    simplesue 06/23/2020

    Wow! You are amazing! I cannot believe how you grow so many healthy edible things and then cook them up into recipes.
    Sure wish I lived next door to someone with your garden talents!

  3. user-7020748 06/23/2020

    looks delicious! Will have to try that variety of kale.

  4. btucker9675 06/23/2020

    Mojitos! If that doesn't get people interested in gardening, what will? : )

  5. Cenepk10 06/23/2020

    Sweet !!!!!!!

  6. Cenepk10 06/23/2020

    Yeah ... That variety of kale.... need to try it. Beautiful too

  7. cheryl_c 06/23/2020

    I love your boldness in trying veggies that are not the easy ones, or that aren't the ones we normally think of when starting to garden. Thanks for your encouragement to those of us who are just dabbling at the vegetable side of gardening!

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