Hi,
Sorry to hear about your new condition but oddly sometimes these things are
a blessing in disguise. Look at the changes you've made to the good
already! Keep it up and you'll be fine.

The first thing I'd recommend for your gardening is to wait another month or
so before doing anything. It's only March and Winnipeg isn't much different
from here. I know you didn't get as much snow as we did in Ontario this
winter but it's still way too early for outdoor gardening in Winnipeg. End
of April or beginning of May should be better times to start.
In the meantime, get out some paper and draw up a design of what you hope to
have. My yard isn't nearly as big as yours but it's a constant work in
progress. Start smallish, learn year to year. This should be a work of art
that is never done. Bear in mind too that being so far north, there are a
lot of plants out there that will not grow well in Manitoba. I'm still
learning that for here!
It will take you a fair bit of time to get the soil and plot in good growing
condition, making it workable, removing stones, etc.
If you're looking for veggies, start with the basics... peas, beans, beets,
carrots, lettuce, onions, radishes.... these are all very basic, easy to
grow. I usually end up with enough beans and carrots to last through the
whole winter.
Let us know how you make out this summer. Best of luck to you!
--
Tammie
Zone 2b-3a Far Northern Ontario
http://community.webshots.com/user/_tammie57


"Rev. J. Toad" wrote in message
news:3e807db2.258099250@news...
Hey there folks...

Just in time for spring, a month ago I was diagnosed with type 2
diabetes. Besides getting into an exercise regimen for the first time
in my life, this has necessitated a complete 180 in terms of my
eating. Gone are the days of frozen & packaged food, I cook everything
myself now. It's only been a few weeks, but I feel great.

Having read about how cool it is to grow and eat your own food, I'm
eager to try it out for myself this summer, especially since I'm in a
massive personal evolution right now and I'd like to tack on as much
good new stuff as I can.

So here's what I've got:

-a MASSIVE yard, which I hate mowing, and thus want to dedicate as
much as possible to vegetables, and maybe a few flowers.
-a burning desire to do this.
-absolutely no idea how to get started.

With this in mind, are there any good websites or definitive print
tomes I should check out? The snow is almost melted (I'm in Winnipeg,
Manitoba), so I should probably start this week sometime. I'll either
rent a rototiller or hire someone to clear out a big patch.

Also, if anyone is from this area and knows the best stuff to grow in
this soil/climate and can give me any area-specific pointers, much
appreciated.

So, if anyone can give me any advice on getting started on this, I'd
be muy grateful.


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