Spring isn’t over yet! You still have time to plant!
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| My first garden…have to start somewhere |
Last year I planted my first full on, real, that’s mine over there, vegetable garden. I honestly didn’t know what I was doing. But somehow the seeds grew and I ended up with pounds and pound of tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, lettuce, okra and rhubarb. It sounds like I must have done something right, and I did. I put some seeds in the ground and let them grow.
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| Foes in the garden |
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| Friends of the garden |
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| Way more cucumbers than a person deal with! |
Having a garden in your backyard is like a key to the organic world, and you don’t have to pay as much for the good stuff! I was giving squash and tomatoes away because I had so much and we couldn’t eat it all.
During the summer all I did was to pull a few weeds and make sure it got watered during times of possible drought. I didn’t fertilize or mulch or spray anything. I guess I could have, but it didn’t occur to me and I don’t want chemicals anywhere near my garden or children.
During the summer all I did was to pull a few weeds and make sure it got watered during times of possible drought. I didn’t fertilize or mulch or spray anything. I guess I could have, but it didn’t occur to me and I don’t want chemicals anywhere near my garden or children.
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| A helper in the garden is always welcome |
This year I have expanded my growing area. I have about 10 tomato plants in a new spot. I literally tossed butternut squash seeds (that I saved from the ones I grew) all around the edges of the garden. I planted three different kinds of lettuce. There’s a new spot with bell peppers that doesn’t seem to be doing well, but at least I tried it. The one lone strawberry plant I put in last year has sent out baby plants and now there are about six plants and I ate my first berry of the season today…it was incredible and tasted like summer is coming!
If you have a patio or window box you can plant herbs in a pot and enjoy a fresh basil sandwich all summer. You might have a tiny backyard that you could put some 4×4 raised bed in and grow your own lettuce. Lettuce is the easiest thing to grow. Carrots, not so much. Radishes – easy. Onions – easy. Cabbage – not so easy. I’m a newbie at vegetable gardening but I’m loving every minute of it. Even the hoeing and the weeding. Every time I pick a salad I am inspired to keep going and next year maybe expand again.
I threw some old rotten squash in my compost heap (nothing fancy, just a heap) and guess what? It grew into the best squash ever! Apparently squash are big “feeders”, they like a lot of nutrients in their soil…who’d have thought?
I threw some old rotten squash in my compost heap (nothing fancy, just a heap) and guess what? It grew into the best squash ever! Apparently squash are big “feeders”, they like a lot of nutrients in their soil…who’d have thought?
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| First pick of the season |
Try a few lettuce seeds, a cherry tomato in a pot…just try. See what a few seeds can do for you. You don’t have to be a master gardener, I promise. I hope my short story of discovery in the garden will inspire you to grow something this spring.
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XOXO
Diana
www.thegirlcreative.com
Katie says
awesome awesome post! ive been thinking about planting a garden–now after this i really think i am 🙂 thanks for sharing!
have a great day!!!
Elizabeth says
Now I’m motivated to garden! As of now, I have a basil bonsai tree, leeks, lettuce and pearl onions growing. Some cucumbers would be lovely to try!
Sweet Peas and Bumblebees says
This will also be my second year for a garden…LOVE all of the fresh produce! Thanks for sharing all of the pictures of your garden. Maybe now I’ll be motivated to go and pull some weeks so mine can look a little more like yours! =)
Kristyn Grace says
I planted my first garden this year. They are still in starter pots as my fiance builds be a raised bed that the dogs can’t get into. I have had a lot of success with sunflowers. They don’t produce fruit or veggies of course but they are super easy and encourage me to keep going when something isn’t doing as well. I also have tomatoes, peppers, basil, cilatro, and rosemary. I’ve failed many times at lavender. any suggestions? Hopefully one day i’ll have a great garden like yours 🙂
Kat from California says
I’m going to put a few annuals out to fill in around the perenials. My perineals are lavendar, roses, coreopsis, daisys, breath of heaven, lillies and jasmine. I have a small spot near the front porch that I grown annuals like petunias. Pansies grow in the fall and winter here. I know..it’s weird. I’m going to plant some herbs in pots too. I tried to grow them from seed and it didn’t work.
I think it’s funny that your squash grew in the compost heap. We have a heap too, but our squirrels get stuff before it could root. If I was going to grow vegis I’d have to create a cage for it.
Ashley says
ooo your garden is beautiful:) im a new gardner!!!!im so jealous:)
Karen @ THEBUSYBUG says
Awesome!! Your seedlings look like my garden right now. Come on over to my blog and check it out!! TFS.