Jerry's Garden
Hi! I'm Jerry.
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We love our hobby farm in Grant, MN, which is just west of Stillwater. It is beautiful country out here and still close to town - the best of both worlds!
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And with the space on the farm, I have lots of room for doing the thing I've loved to do since I was a kid - gardening and growing plants!
I retired from IT a few years ago and now I get to garden full time : ) !
About Jerry's Garden
For me, gardening is fun, rewarding, challenging, satisfying, and therapeutic! My wife JoEllen tells me I was born to garden! The whole growing process -from seeds to plants to harvest - still lights up my day!
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So, we moved to Grant in late May 2009 from a city lot in New Brighton where I'd outgrown my garden space. I was excited to start creating my new garden space!
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I must have had a lot of energy after work and on weekends in 2010 because I built my first raised beds that spring and my first greenhouse that October! So, with my new greenhouse, I was ready for spring 2011 for starting plants for the garden.
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In that first spring I realized I didn't have enough garden space for I all was interested in growing! So the following year, I doubled my garden size! And then after a few years - for a few years in a row - I made the garden bigger and then bigger again and then again!
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For many years, I was gardening only for family and friends. And, like many gardeners, I gave extra produce to friends and neighbors - I was growing way more than my family could consume! One day, a dear and thoughtful friend suggested I open a produce stand! What a great idea! I built my produce stand the following spring!
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Several years ago, when I wanted to try several new tomato varieties, I started many more seedlings than I had room for. So, I held my first tomato plant sale. For a few years, I kept it rather small. In 2021, I built my first soft-sided greenhouse and soon discovered I needed a second one! And because I had those new spaces, I could sell so much more than tomato plants! And, like my garden, my plant sale has grown significantly in the past few years.
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My garden is my happy place. During the garden season - except for lunch breaks and naps - that's where I like to be.
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It's important to me that my happy place also be a safe place. I eat from my garden, my family and friends eat from my garden. So, I grow using organic and sustainable methods because eating chemical-free food with the best flavors matters to us.
What goes on during the year on my farm?
Seedling Starting
Feb. 1 is when I start planting seeds for the garden year! Peppers are first on the list! Over the weeks, I grow thousands of seedlings both for my garden and the plant sale. Seeing plants sprout and grow and creating life - what a great way to spend the last days of winter!
Spring Planting
I generally start planting outside between March 15 and April 27 (last average frost in Grant) - these are the cool weather crops like cabbage, spinach, lettuce, kale, etc. Warmer weather crops like tomatoes & pepper are planted the middle of May.
Plant Sale
My annual plant sale starts around May 1 - herbs, flowers, and vegetable plants! And I enjoy visiting with fellow gardeners! I'm proud to sell varieties that I have found to be great tasting, do well in my garden, and are typically not available at regular retail stores.
Gardening Workshops
In the future, I will start offering hands-on workshops in the garden. My workshop ideas include
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Seed starting
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Garden soil
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Growing tomatoes
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Garlic growing
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Raised beds
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Intensive gardening
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Kids gardening
Garlic Harvesting
Garlic harvesting is a process! It's planted in the fall and ready for harvest around mid July. First the bulbs are pulled from the ground, then it's bundled and hung for curing (drying). Once it's ready, after at least a few weeks, it's cleaned and the top and roots are cut off. Then it is bagged and finally ready for sale.
Annual Open Garden
Almost a decade ago, we decided it would be fun to open the garden to friends, neighbors, and customers during a prime vegetation weekend. So near the end of July, we host a garden event for garden tours, vegetable tasting, talking about all things gardening, and connecting with friends old and new!
Planting for Fall Harvest
In late June and early July, I start a second or third planting of many vegetables which are then harvested on or shortly after first frost. Other veggies are done with their growing season around that time, so it opens up those garden beds to be filled and productive with these succession crops.
Garlic Planting
Garlic is one of the few vegetables that is planted in the fall and harvested the following year. Yes! It over-winters in the ground! Bed preparations start at the end of July which includes adding manure and tilling new beds. I use a hand template to keep the bulbs evenly spaced for healthiest growth and productivity.
