After more than thirty years of large scale vegetable gardens, this is how I grow them now and you'll not find a pumpkin in this patch.
I only have two places where veggies can be grown and there is a raised planter at each corner of the house. Being waist high, bugs are easy to spot and the beds can be easily tended. Only drawback is the amount of plants I can grow and the beds dry out very quickly. This is the second year, so I've learned a bit.
After years of tilling the soil and weeding and planting and harvesting, canning and freezing, I think I deserve these. The roadside stands will have to supply my tomatoes.
21 comments:
I am leaning towards raised beds too. Though I do love my home grown tomatoes... I haven't grown pumpkin in years. I am the only person in the house that likes them or will eat them.
Right on! Raised beds, if we had backyard access, would be the way to go for me, too.
It's more than I can manage! I tried two raised beds last year with about a 20% success rate so it's just potted herbs for now. Maybe another year I'll try. I so miss having a real garden and it's been decades. Excessive heat here just too hard a battle though I know folks in some older shady parts of town who have success. I am doing well with lemon trees and bay laurel though and I'm in second year with fig tree with fingers crossed for figs?
Raised beds are so easy and you become quite adept at watering.
Just the right size for me.
I will plant a tomato and some shishito and I think that will be it for me this year.
cheers, parsnip
I think it is the way to go, unless you go hydroponics. Seems to be gaining in popularity. My pumpkins were always to see how big I could grow them or different varieties. I had read once that the rouge d'etamps was eaten by the slice in Paris markets. It was not to my liking. I just bought a tomato in a pot/cage today and will see if it is possible to grow good ones that way.
I guess you can't take the garden out of a gardener. The rest of the place is covered in flowers.
Very interesting. I tried a lasagna garden once and it did very well, but I simply don't have anywhere for veggies. My citrus trees got nipped by two late freezes and I have been re-potting and babying them. Gardening is backbreaking work.
I've been watering them a lot already. Might have to do it daily before long.
I am doing chores in the gardens and trying not to go to the garden centers much. I can't resist all the plants there.
We've planted a few tomatoes and herbs, but with the deer problem, it's a battle of will...theirs against ours.
Roadside markets are the way to go for us.
Everything looks healthy, and manageable !
~Jo
Jo, it is always a battle at the farm. Deer will eat anything I think. An old timer told us once when we asked how to keep the deer from eating the crops and he told us to plant more than they can eat. We have too many deer for that. I've tried the soap, scare crows and pans - pretty much everything. Only thing I've heard that is a sure thing is to put a dog in the garden at night. I'm even trying a tomato in a pot to see if they can reach a decent size.
Our neighbor had two large dogs, they had the run of the garden, the deer show up at dusk and play games with them, running up and down the fence-line and both dog and deer enjoying the game as much as the other......
The deer are born here each spring, they believe it is just as much their land as ours, and now I'm convinced of that theory after all these years.
Good luck with your tomato in a pot !
~Jo
You DO deserve them..! I need one area for my tomatoes..my hat is on..we had bought a raised bed thinking it was the same height as the one we have..nope..6 inches only:( So now I am a tomato mama w/ no room ..all my garlic is in the designated veggie patches..Let's wish us potluck;:)
It gets harder to get off the ground without making groaning noises.LOL They say it is only for attention, but comes so natural for me
The last couple of years, we have not had a garden. We have an Amish family that we buy from and it works out well.
I love that you grow so much garlic. I went ahead and bought a tomato in a pot today with its own cage. I can't wait to see if I get some decent sized tomatoes out of it. I'll let you know if it worked.
Those whom don't understand it will someday. My 46 year old daughter is already starting to groan a little bit. Just bending over makes my back start hurting after a little while. No fun.
Best way to do it Michelle. I used to tell those who bought my dill pickles that they were worth a hundred dollars after all the steps I went through.
Donna - this sounds like a wonderful way to garden. Sometimes a smaller patch yields more than one thinks. Happy gardening friend.
You definitely deserve it! We have too many deer on our hill to plant any kind of food in the front yard. And not enough sun on the back deck for tomatoes. After years of trying, I've finally given up. It's off to the Farmer's Mkt for me too. Yours look like the perfect size!
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