My Houzz: Backyard Farming for a Kansas City Family
A backyard garden provides a family of 5 with organic seasonal produce. Here's how they do it
“Some people enjoy cooking, organizing, cleaning, but for me, it’s gardening,” Lindsay Michael declares. She’s a gardening enthusiast who lives just outside of Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, Andy, and their three kids. “I love to have my hands in the dirt. It’s therapeutic to my soul,” she adds. The Michaels bought their home in 2014, and it came with plenty of land for a garden and some chickens plus room for their children to play. With practice and some gardening trial and error, the couple slowly turned their backyard into their personal dream edible farm, growing radishes, peppers, tomatoes, chard, beets, cucumbers and other vegetables.
Sowing and reaping are some of Lindsay’s favorite parts about gardening. “To me, gardening is spiritual,” she says. “I also really love that I’ve been able to save money on store-bought produce and instead provide my family with homegrown fruits and vegetables that we planted together. It’s pretty special and rewarding. Nothing beats taking a bite out of a freshly plucked cucumber or radish.”
Lindsay grows a variety of organic vegetables in her garden, all of which she started from seed. Radishes, peppers, tomatoes, chard, beets, beans and cucumbers are some of her favorites, as they are low-maintenance and easy to grow, and provide an abundant crop come harvest time.
“Radishes are hands down my favorite vegetable. I eat them faster than my garden can grow them,” she says. “Same with cukes. This has been my first year growing them, and I can’t get enough. We have seven tomato plants, 10 pepper plants, a variety of lettuces, chard, okra, squash, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and an assortment of herbs.”
“Radishes are hands down my favorite vegetable. I eat them faster than my garden can grow them,” she says. “Same with cukes. This has been my first year growing them, and I can’t get enough. We have seven tomato plants, 10 pepper plants, a variety of lettuces, chard, okra, squash, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and an assortment of herbs.”
“You’d be surprised how easy it is to grow vegetables from seed. We usually pick some of our favorites — tomatoes, peppers, greens — and always select a few new things to try. You can pick up seed starter kits at any plant store and simply plant as directed, water and watch them take off,” Lindsay says.
As she’s been gardening, Lindsay has also learned a lot of garden lore. “Root vegetables you plant directly in the ground. Radishes are fun because they germinate within three to four days, so gardeners love to use them as row markers,” she says. “Botanical Interest is a great seed brand, and Baker Creek Heirloom seeds are some of my favorite as well. You can also let your plant go to seed at the end of a season and save them for the next planting season.” Here, Swiss chard is just getting started again after previous stalks were harvested.
As she’s been gardening, Lindsay has also learned a lot of garden lore. “Root vegetables you plant directly in the ground. Radishes are fun because they germinate within three to four days, so gardeners love to use them as row markers,” she says. “Botanical Interest is a great seed brand, and Baker Creek Heirloom seeds are some of my favorite as well. You can also let your plant go to seed at the end of a season and save them for the next planting season.” Here, Swiss chard is just getting started again after previous stalks were harvested.
“I’m a hands-on kind of gal — I kind of learn as I go. It’s safe to say I’ve killed a plant or two in the process,” Lindsay says. “I will, however, say the book The Joy of Gardening by Dick Raymond is basically the bible for gardeners. Every garden-loving human should own it.”
Lindsay loves sharing her harvest with others. “Of course, picking the newly grown vegetable is a joy, but I really love sharing it the most,” she says. “To get the kids involved, I’ll have them help me make a little care package, and we will deliver vegetables as well as wildflowers to some of our neighbors and friends. It’s just as much a gift to us to be able to share with them as it is a gift to them to receive.”
Lindsay loves sharing her harvest with others. “Of course, picking the newly grown vegetable is a joy, but I really love sharing it the most,” she says. “To get the kids involved, I’ll have them help me make a little care package, and we will deliver vegetables as well as wildflowers to some of our neighbors and friends. It’s just as much a gift to us to be able to share with them as it is a gift to them to receive.”
The chicken coop was already on the property before Lindsay and Andy moved in. It was a huge selling point for them, as they always wanted to have free-range chickens.
“Funny story, we originally looked at the house next door, and my husband sent a photo of the coop in our now yard. We both decided it was our coop goals and, long story short, it’s now our very own. The previous owner was a builder and did a beautiful job. Our chickens live fancy,” Lindsay says.
“Funny story, we originally looked at the house next door, and my husband sent a photo of the coop in our now yard. We both decided it was our coop goals and, long story short, it’s now our very own. The previous owner was a builder and did a beautiful job. Our chickens live fancy,” Lindsay says.
The chickens provide the family with about 12 to 20 eggs a week. The kids love to walk out to the coop in the morning to bring in fresh eggs.
Pictured here are a few of the happy-free range hens that roam the backyard. “Chickens don’t require a ton of work. I have a love-hate relationship with them, however, because ours are free-range. They made it close to impossible for me to grow my wildflowers in the backyard this year, something I was really excited about. We do keep our back garden fenced in, or they would go to town on the greens.
“The reward, though? I make a lot of quiche!” Lindsay says. The couple thought about adding some other animals into the mix and once had a pig named Marla. “That lasted a whole week. She dug holes all over my yard and almost destroyed the back door to the screen porch. I think we will stick to chickens and our ginger cat named George for the time being,” she adds.
“The reward, though? I make a lot of quiche!” Lindsay says. The couple thought about adding some other animals into the mix and once had a pig named Marla. “That lasted a whole week. She dug holes all over my yard and almost destroyed the back door to the screen porch. I think we will stick to chickens and our ginger cat named George for the time being,” she adds.
Lindsay isn’t about perfection when it comes to her garden and believes in the motto “just have fun.” Others might have beautifully organized rows of raised beds or a pristine weed-free manicured garden, but she follows her own method. “I don’t weed daily because of motherhood, and it’s very hot and humid in Missouri in the summer. I like to pick dead leaves and check for pests daily. I might even speak to my plants from time to time,” Lindsay says.
“While I do appreciate a weed-free garden, I think it would be a shame to avoid gardening with the fear of not being able to maintain one. One of my favorite things about having my own garden is just that. It’s mine. Every year I try new things, new plants, flowers. Some of them flourish, and some not so much,” she adds.
“While I do appreciate a weed-free garden, I think it would be a shame to avoid gardening with the fear of not being able to maintain one. One of my favorite things about having my own garden is just that. It’s mine. Every year I try new things, new plants, flowers. Some of them flourish, and some not so much,” she adds.
Lindsay tends to her garden daily. “If you are ambitious like me and decide to make two giant gardens, it’s a lot of work — I won’t lie,” she says. “It all depends on how much time and effort you decide to put into your garden. For me its cathartic. The reward is always worth the work.”
“Since we have chickens, our soil is quite magical. To grow gorgeous produce, you need gorgeous soil. We use organic matter like grass clippings, newspaper, compost and coffee grounds as well,” Lindsay says.
The family has a compost bin that they put to good use. “Just keep a small closed container in your kitchen for your scraps if you want to start small. Gardens love to be fed,” she says.
The family has a compost bin that they put to good use. “Just keep a small closed container in your kitchen for your scraps if you want to start small. Gardens love to be fed,” she says.
Lindsay is also intrigued by the topic of plant companionship. “I am fascinated in the idea of different scents warding off pests from other plants and the entire art of pairing plants to enhance the beauty and growth of one another. There’s a life lesson there,” Lindsay says.
She adds that plants are similar to humans in that they thrive and grow when surrounded by friends. For example, she says, beets love growing close to broccoli and carrots. Radishes do well with lettuce, and tomatoes with basil, parsley, garlic and asparagus. The list goes on, and she says it’s quite fascinating to explore plant companion charts when prepping a garden.
She adds that plants are similar to humans in that they thrive and grow when surrounded by friends. For example, she says, beets love growing close to broccoli and carrots. Radishes do well with lettuce, and tomatoes with basil, parsley, garlic and asparagus. The list goes on, and she says it’s quite fascinating to explore plant companion charts when prepping a garden.
“As we become more aware of our food system, more of us seek to have more input into how food is grown, treated, harvested, then handled before it’s placed in our local grocers,” Lindsay says.
“I won’t say growing organic is the easiest, because the easy way is spraying pesticides to keep the bugs away,” she adds. “I use things like diatomaceous earth and cayenne pepper sprays. For that, you have to be more on top of checking your plants and weeding.
“What I get in return for all of that hard work is knowing not only where my plants came from, but being able to watch my daughter pick a cucumber from my garden and eat it without hesitation of what chemicals may be on it,” she says.
“I won’t say growing organic is the easiest, because the easy way is spraying pesticides to keep the bugs away,” she adds. “I use things like diatomaceous earth and cayenne pepper sprays. For that, you have to be more on top of checking your plants and weeding.
“What I get in return for all of that hard work is knowing not only where my plants came from, but being able to watch my daughter pick a cucumber from my garden and eat it without hesitation of what chemicals may be on it,” she says.
“For as long as I can remember, my favorite feeling has been the warmth of sun on my skin. It’s been in the past few years and recently becoming a homeowner that my husband and I have been drawn to slow down, raise chickens, grow our own food and cultivate land that one day we will pass to our children,” Lindsay says. “I guess it’s just been in the past few years that I’ve really started to fall in love with all things green. Growing up, my granny always had a garden, and I’d like to think that she instilled that fervor into me at a young age.”
Carrots from the garden, freshly plucked and washed.
“I’m always learning new things from my garden. I’d like to think every year I improve and get better at it. This year my garden is better than last year. When I’m older, I’d like to think I’ll be one cool gardening granny,” Lindsay says.
She encourages first-time gardeners who are nervous about growing their own vegetables to just start growing. “Dig some dirt, plant seeds, water and watch it grow. Start with a tomato plant in a pot if that seems easier for you — I promise the reward in growing your own food is worth it,” she says.
More
To Get the Food They Believe In, These Urbanites Grow Their Own
Lush, Foodie Abundance in a Small Urban Garden
She encourages first-time gardeners who are nervous about growing their own vegetables to just start growing. “Dig some dirt, plant seeds, water and watch it grow. Start with a tomato plant in a pot if that seems easier for you — I promise the reward in growing your own food is worth it,” she says.
More
To Get the Food They Believe In, These Urbanites Grow Their Own
Lush, Foodie Abundance in a Small Urban Garden
Who lives here: Lindsay and Andy Michael; son Kyler, 13; daughters Hayden, 11, and Poppy, 4; their cat, George, and a few free-range chickens
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Garden size: 50 square feet (about 4.6 square meters)
When Lindsay, pictured here, and her family moved into their home, there was a 50-square-foot garden in the backyard. It took plenty of tilling and reworking, but it yielded a great fall crop. “This was our first spring in the home, and we decided to till up another 50-square-foot garden in the front yard to get full sun, since the backyard received partial sun,” Lindsay says.
The soil in Kansas City is rich and perfect for growing vegetables, but it’s quite a bit of work to dig through. After a lot of sweat and many hours spent digging, Lindsay had the garden ready to go, and it’s proving to be incredibly productive.