Brenda Schultz

Bring on the bales!

I am fortunate to have great soil and plenty of room to build compost piles in my yard. Lucky me. But, last year, the promise of no more digging and weeding, not having to be on my knees, increased production, and very importantly, reduced leaf blight, made far too much sense to not straw bale garden. It also helped that my first daughter was getting married in September and I was determined to grow most of the flowers for her wedding. (Wow, was that fun!) I certainly wasn’t going to give up my vegetable garden and I knew that Joel’s approach was the help I needed. That was it – one year and I am hooked! Bring on more bales!

I have been gardening all of my life here in Connecticut. My garden in Monroe is going to be 34 years old. My husband and three daughters have been my constant companions and students in the garden and kitchen. I am currently planning the layout of my SBG for this year – expanding it into the area left by an 18′ x 30′ above ground pool that is finding a new home. I plan to grow an expanded variety of vegetables in bales, along with dahlias, calla lilies and other annual flowers.

I love to share my experiences and knowledge of gardening. Continuing to take gardening courses, reading, researching and talking with fellow gardeners help fuel my passion. Cooking, canning and preserving the bounty of the garden are very important components of gardening for my family. My garden was fodder for preparing healthy meals with fresh produce while I was a personal cook for 15 years. I look forward to sharing our successes both in the garden and kitchen.

Grow your own, cook it fresh, be healthy
B.