So...after last year's garden experiment - which though not a total failure was FAR from a success....I was determined to do better this year!
In March - around the equinox - I got together with some friends to do seed-starting. It was great! We planted almost a dozen varieties of tomato, experimented with some older hot-pepper seeds, onion, leek, shallot, herbs - even artichoke.
All of our seeds started poking up around the same time - and I moved mine from the furnace room to a sunnier spot... and nothing happened. They all got to about 2 inches and STOPPED Growing. At this point it was warm enough to move them to the uninsulated, unheated "greenhouse" shaded by the lilac bush...where they did equally well. I was mentioning this to another friend a couple of states away who promptly said, "Didn't you get new thermal windows last year?" And I had the A-Ha moment - of course - the new windows blocked out all of the harmful rays - harmful for us and the furnishings - but necessary for the plants. Next year I need a cold frame or a grow light (or both!).
So, I have these seeds started, and I've borrowed some garden books on "Lasagna Gardening". At first the concept seems like a lot of work - a lot more than just putting the plants in the ground. BUT - I keep reading - and thinking about all of the rocks in my yard - and the fact that I don't have the world's best soil. AND THEN - I sprain my ankle - rather badly - so digging is really OUT.
SO - I decided to give it a go.
The concept is that you can create a garden anywhere - even over top of sod - without digging. That's not to say that it's easy or not a lot of work, because that would be wrong.
Around the same time - I decided to start some additional seeds - like cukes and squashes in containers so that they can be growing while I was getting the garden beds going.
It took me about a month to complete my 8X10 garden space.
My garden is about 8X10' fenced, with a path down the center and one crossing that about half way - in other words - a + path. So it is broken into 4 beds of about 3X4.
The first step to a lasagna garden is to block whatever is currently growing in the area by laying down a mat of wet newspaper. The first bed took ALL of my newspapers - 2 weeks worth. It also took about 5 cartfuls of compost/mulch over top of the newspapers to build the bed up about 6 inches...just barely enough.
So - I spent the next week asking friends to save me papers - and over the course of the next 2-3 weeks I finished covering the rest of the beds and planting all 4.
Ronnie has helped me many days with hauling the endless cartfuls ofcompost - at least taking the emptied cart back to the compost pile and helping push the full cart back to the garden. and both Ronnie and Evan have helped water the garden - since we're in the middle of another drought.
Currently I have:
Bed 1:
Squash&Cucumbers - pre-started ones from my plantings and some that Ronnie brought home from daycare. I also direct seeded some cucumbers in the garden, because you can't have too many cucumbers - and as insurance against the pre-planted ones dying off. Oh- and a few pole beans in the corner by the fence.
Bed 2:
Herbs - Basil, Cilantro, and Parsely- and I put down dill seed which hasn't come up yet; A few onions, a few bush beans
Bed 3:
Tomatoes, Marigolds and Peppers started from seed. Some from my trays - some from another friend - who's starts got to about 6 inches tall...just to see what happens. And some pole beans in the corner by the fence.
Bed 4:
Purchased tomatoes and peppers; more marigolds from seed and sweet potatoe starts; Garlic and shallots .
So...the experiment begins again.
The garden is planted. ...Hopefully there will be more tales to tell of harvest and consumption.
Next I need to re-visit the formal herb garden which is to become a sanctuary garden - and create some herb beds in the lower garden area.....
One step at a time.
At least I have my veggies started!
In March - around the equinox - I got together with some friends to do seed-starting. It was great! We planted almost a dozen varieties of tomato, experimented with some older hot-pepper seeds, onion, leek, shallot, herbs - even artichoke.
All of our seeds started poking up around the same time - and I moved mine from the furnace room to a sunnier spot... and nothing happened. They all got to about 2 inches and STOPPED Growing. At this point it was warm enough to move them to the uninsulated, unheated "greenhouse" shaded by the lilac bush...where they did equally well. I was mentioning this to another friend a couple of states away who promptly said, "Didn't you get new thermal windows last year?" And I had the A-Ha moment - of course - the new windows blocked out all of the harmful rays - harmful for us and the furnishings - but necessary for the plants. Next year I need a cold frame or a grow light (or both!).
So, I have these seeds started, and I've borrowed some garden books on "Lasagna Gardening". At first the concept seems like a lot of work - a lot more than just putting the plants in the ground. BUT - I keep reading - and thinking about all of the rocks in my yard - and the fact that I don't have the world's best soil. AND THEN - I sprain my ankle - rather badly - so digging is really OUT.
SO - I decided to give it a go.
The concept is that you can create a garden anywhere - even over top of sod - without digging. That's not to say that it's easy or not a lot of work, because that would be wrong.
Around the same time - I decided to start some additional seeds - like cukes and squashes in containers so that they can be growing while I was getting the garden beds going.
It took me about a month to complete my 8X10 garden space.
My garden is about 8X10' fenced, with a path down the center and one crossing that about half way - in other words - a + path. So it is broken into 4 beds of about 3X4.
The first step to a lasagna garden is to block whatever is currently growing in the area by laying down a mat of wet newspaper. The first bed took ALL of my newspapers - 2 weeks worth. It also took about 5 cartfuls of compost/mulch over top of the newspapers to build the bed up about 6 inches...just barely enough.
So - I spent the next week asking friends to save me papers - and over the course of the next 2-3 weeks I finished covering the rest of the beds and planting all 4.
Ronnie has helped me many days with hauling the endless cartfuls ofcompost - at least taking the emptied cart back to the compost pile and helping push the full cart back to the garden. and both Ronnie and Evan have helped water the garden - since we're in the middle of another drought.
Currently I have:
Bed 1:
Squash&Cucumbers - pre-started ones from my plantings and some that Ronnie brought home from daycare. I also direct seeded some cucumbers in the garden, because you can't have too many cucumbers - and as insurance against the pre-planted ones dying off. Oh- and a few pole beans in the corner by the fence.
Bed 2:
Herbs - Basil, Cilantro, and Parsely- and I put down dill seed which hasn't come up yet; A few onions, a few bush beans
Bed 3:
Tomatoes, Marigolds and Peppers started from seed. Some from my trays - some from another friend - who's starts got to about 6 inches tall...just to see what happens. And some pole beans in the corner by the fence.
Bed 4:
Purchased tomatoes and peppers; more marigolds from seed and sweet potatoe starts; Garlic and shallots .
So...the experiment begins again.
The garden is planted. ...Hopefully there will be more tales to tell of harvest and consumption.
Next I need to re-visit the formal herb garden which is to become a sanctuary garden - and create some herb beds in the lower garden area.....
One step at a time.
At least I have my veggies started!
