Last year we turned our small garden from a dump into a nice but still very empty space. We had always planned to start a veggie patch this year but we could never have imagined the current circumstances. I want to build raised beds today.
I have never grown anything completely by myself and can barely keep a plant alive indoors, but I was raised on a smallholding so I’m not unfamiliar with the harvesting/preservation part. But growing was my dad’s job and he didn’t like anyone interfering.
This is way too empty for my taste, but it was a necessary step on the way to progress. We need to be able to reach the shed easily to store our bikes so we decided to go with the boring straight path. The left hand side will be the veggie patch, the grass is just tenporary to keep the weeds out.
Beautiful transformation, and I’m excited to see the next stages with your raised beds! I really want to get some food growing.
I am growing some herbs right now, and this weekend I’ll plant a couple potatoes that sprouted before I got around to cooking them. I’m trying the method of growing them in a large bag and gradually adding more soil as needed. Next will be squash seeds (once it’s time to cook the squash I have), and mung beans.
I am low on some of the garden supplies that are necessary, but I just remembered a pile of scrap lumber I encountered in the woods, which might have enough materials for making a raised bed. Time to go find out!
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(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
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I have always grown veggies…surprisingly, they seem to just do fine pretty much on their own! I general start with small plants I buy at the nursery but not sure I want to risk going out for them just yet.
I don’t want to plant in the yard this year…we gave away all of our gardening things except for some small hand tools. I do plan on growing things in pots on my large deck…probably squash…I have tons of seed…herbs…peppers…
That looks really nice, a great idea to get rid of concrete without power tools!
We’re replacing the wall eventually because it’s no longer structurally sound so I have some time to decide what I want to plant against it. I’ve got several plans right now but one thing is berry bushes! We used to have loads of them when I was a kid and they are so expensive and way less nice in the shop. We’ve also planted against the wall of the house but it will take some years before they bear fruit.
I’m hoping to try a container garden along with my tower garden (I have a GreenStalk that I haven’t used yet). It’ll be a mix of veggies (starting small with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, and pickling cukes) and a bunch of flowers and herbs. I’m not sure how it’ll survive the local wildlife (I live in a city neighborhood, but on the outskirts)- squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, the occasional deer, and even wild turkeys. But, it’ll be a fun attempt. My sister is starting some of the seeds for me, but the rest can be direct sowed. I figure that if I have an abundance, I can happily share with my neighbors.
I went to the hardware store today to get some items to build the raised beds, but it seems half the city had the same idea. Only a limited amount of people are allowed inside at any time and everyone has to enter alone. A couple of people were really pissed off and shouting at the staff. I had no energy to witness that so I quickly went home again.
This what it looks like now. We are actually way ahead of the curve due to all outside activities canceled and a few nice weekends. We also had a half load of composted manure delivered that ended up half on the yard. Had to get that moved first. We still have some to dig in.
But peas, radishes, various greens, and potatoes are in. Seeds that we need are ordered. It’s still early here in Connection, we had snow last week…melted fast…and morning frosts.
And my advice is to plant what you can, water, weed sometimes…especially early on, And then see what happens. We’ve good years and bad. We pay good attention some years and then with a busy summer like last year, had a pitiful show. The ground hog did nomhelp at all! Ate all the leaves off the sweet potatoes. Harvest was so sad, I love sweets.
Raspberries on the right and the arbor towards the back on the left is hardy kiwis. We have qblue berries whit thhe birds get most of and in the back pawpaws. The rest is the usual tomatoes, peppers, eggplants , kale, swiss chard, Asian greens ,lettuces, beets, kholrabi, carrots, turnips, onions, sweet and regular potatoes, radishes, peas, beans, garlic, and always an experiment or two. We don’t plant much of each, but always enough of the makings for spaghetti sauce. Oh, lots of basil, oregano, and parsley.
Planting more veggies is on my to-do list. I will hopefully get around to it soon, but I’m not sure if the seeds I have on hand are still viable, and I’m not sure if I want to brave going out… although I think my local hardware store has started doing curbside pickup, so I can call ahead and they’ll have my things ready. So maybe I’ll be able to pick up a few more things for when I get caught up with my work-from-home set-up!
The transformation is awesome! What a facelift.
I started a really simple garden last year but it did not do well. I’ve amended my practices, and the beds, and am hoping for much more progress this year. We have a small yard and the neighbors’ tree shades half of it much of the day so I am limited to the back corner.
The only selling point in the backyard is the massive fig tree. We bought this house a year ago and were surprised to discover that there was a 40+ year old fig tree in the back. I must have gotten 100 lbs of fruit off of it last year. They are italian honey figs. So yummy. I made some canned fig jam and intend to do much more this fall.
Step one! I want to build 3 of those. So far I’ve spent less than€25 on supplies, but that will increase.
Also, the grapes I planted last year are coming back to life! Mr Imma is an inner city kid and he has said for months that they must be dead. But then all of a sudden within 24 hours of each other green started to appear on both plants. Isn’t that wonderful about nature?
Connecticut!
Harvest was so sad, I love sweets.
