Custom Garden Design: Creating a Homestead Garden for the Family
The First Step to Creating a Homestead
I’m always excited when a client has a big vision for their garden, so when I heard the word homestead, I couldn’t wait to dig in. We met the Wiemer family and had a beautiful conversation about their garden goals. The Wiemers shared that they wanted to have more control over the quality of their food and wanted to involve their children in the garden to teach them where their food comes from. This family’s commitment to sustainable living resonated deeply with my own gardening philosophy, and so we got to work.
While the Wiemers had a vision of garden to table living, they had very little gardening experience. So when they moved to their new 35-acre soon-to-be-homestead, they did what we all would do and Googled “how to start a homestead.” Believe it or not, the amount of information on YouTube and blog posts was overwhelming and often contradictory.
That’s where I came in. Since the Wiemers were relatively new to gardening, I developed a step-by-step action plan to build their confidence and their homestead. Now remember, their property is 35-acres, so we broke this project down into phases to complete over several years.
Client: The Wiemer Family
Location: Burlington, Wis.
Custom Garden Design Details:
10'x12' L-shaped cedar raised bed
4'x8' cedar raised bed with a kid-friendly shorter bed height
Locally-made custom moon arch
Two 4'x10' cedar raised beds with custom panel arches
This organic kitchen garden is a key part of a major lifestyle change for the whole family, and they want their children to be completely involved in the gardening process as they turn this property into a homestead. So we designed a mini raised bed for a kids garden. One of my favorite parts of designing kitchen gardens is unearthing the details that make each client unique, and creating a garden that reflects their vision.
Do you have a unique vision for a kitchen garden? Let’s make it a reality!
Garden Installation Process:
With so much space to utilize, we broke this homestead project down into three phases to avoid the overwhelming this client. Focusing on one phase at a time allows newer gardeners to concentrate on learning and honing their gardening skills with a proper set-up before moving on to the next project.
Phase 1: In Fall 2021 we installed a 10’x12’ L-shaped cedar raised bed kitchen garden + a 4’x8’ cedar raised bed with a specialized lower height so the kiddos could have their own garden.
Usually we take care of every step of a garden installation from start to finish, but this family wanted to get their hands dirty and did their own DIY prep for the kitchen garden. Then, we assembled the cedar raised beds on site.
Phase 2: In Spring 2022 we installed two 4’x10’ beds with panel trellises for additional growing space.
The Wiemers learned and practiced their gardening skills, so they were more than ready when we came back to install additional raised beds. These beds included panel trellises for vertical growing, which is great for veggies like peas and beans.
Phase 3: Long-term goals include fruit tree crops with orchard maintenance. Who knows where else this homestead might take us along the way!
Homestead Highlights:
“We really appreciated visiting Katie and Matt’s garden at Oglesby Gardens. Seeing their kitchen garden in action made the design process so much more tangible. Also, hearing about their trial and error was helpful. Katie helped me realize the journey that is involved with gardening and cooking, and she’s extremely personable and transparent. I felt very comfortable from the moment I met her. I loved that she provided us with the opportunity to help build the actual garden. Planting the first batch of garlic once the beds were complete made me so happy."
-- Jenni Wiemer
These clients approached the project with plans to expand. Going in with the mindset that gardening is about the journey helps you enjoy the process just as much as the end result!
After we installed this garden for Jenni's family, she joined my garden-to-table membership and now we get to trade garden recipes, share tips and tricks, and catch up on each other's lives each month. The friendships that I have made along my gardening journey are a bonus I didn't really expect. We have cultivated some meaningful relationships with each other in the membership (in addition to delicious homegrown veggies) and it makes me so happy to feel grounded in my community!
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