This summer I started our very first edible garden. It came with lots of little surprises and side projects that had to be done, but things are starting to really come along.
One thing I didn’t realize is that some plants have to be started indoors. And if you want them to bloom at the optimum time, you have to start them weeks before gardening season begins. Sooooo, my tomatoes and lavender are a little behind schedule. Oops.
Also, our soil doesn’t seem to be great for growing from tiny seeds. I tried to plant poppies and foxglove, both of which have seeds that are super small, and neither grew. I may look into why that is, or I may just say “screw it” and buy plants from the store next year.
The tomatoes are starting to sprout… it’s slow going. Once I got them outside they started to take off, so I’m hoping for some yummy heirloom tomatoes next month.
What is growing beautifully are the pumpkins! Miss O is excited about having lots of little pumpkins this fall and I like that they’re heirloom sized, so we can decorate with them, but they won’t be overwhelming.
In the first deer cage are some favorite treats of the local wildlife. On the right we have snap peas, in the center front are carrots, and behind them are pole beans. It’s hard to see in the picture, but the beans are starting to flower – am I the only idiot that had no idea that bean plants flower? I have some very small watermelon plants that have basically stalled out. I may try again next year since my family loves watermelon. On the right are my blueberry bushes.
I decided to use the Ultomato Plant Cage and they’re working out really well. They’re adjustable, so I can move arms and whatnot as my plants grow and they’re easy to assemble and put where I need. They also seem to be tailor made for square foot gardening since they cover about a square foot (though they’re triangles).
The next deer cage houses the raspberries. They are just starting to come up, slowly, but surely. I can’t wait to have raspberries available in my very own backyard!
The corn, is growing like gangbusters! I’m so excited about this – fresh corn is one of my favorite things about summer! I’m not seeing any ears yet, but I keep checking… like every day.
In front of the wall I’ve placed flowers, that I’m feeling kind of blah about. I think next year I’d prefer to just get potted plants and replant as opposed to growing from seed.
One thing I did do is leave space in between the flowers so I have a place to step to tend the fruits and veggies on the other side of the wall.
My most recent transplant are some roses from my father-in-law’s funeral. They were not only beautiful, but seeing them there will be a reminder of Pop Pop every time I look at them. I followed these directions (approximately), and we’ll see how it goes.
Are you doing any gardening this summer? How’s it going for you? Share in the comments.
