Sunday, July 19, 2009

Veggie Garden

This spring, when the snow finally melted, my husband and I built a raised vegetable bed. Actually, I made it, but he carried some of the wood and handed me the drill when asked. I like building and putting things together so this works out. We filled it with a combination of bagged compost and bagged topsoil with some slow release fertilizer mixed in. SInce I built the bed with cedar and we purchased all the soil for it, we aren't really saving any money on vegetables this season.

New Veggie Bed

We put in some seeds and hoped for the best! It was already kind of late in the season, so I bought potted tomatoes from the garden center. I am amazed at how well the zucchini is doing! I harvested some last week and gave most of them away.

Squash Blossoms

The zucchini is so happy, it has taken over and covered up the lettuces and the strawberries. I think I need to make a second vegetable bed! Our beans never got larger than about 3 inches. I think rabbits feed on them every day. We also have some chives and some carrots. The corn seems to be doing okay. Despite the fact that my entire extended family is from Iowa, I really don't know much about growing corn.

This is our first year trying this sort of garden. Next year I'm going to do lettuces in a separate small bed. Some of the varieties get really bitter as they mature but are delicious in the early stages. I also will plant more nasturtium because I love them and some of those little orange flowers that keep the rabbits away. I forget what they are called. I grow herbs in pots that are right outside my patio doors. I used to have a patch of mint, but that turned into an entire bed of mint and then part of a lawn of mint, so now I grow that in a pot too. Fresh mint on a dessert is a delicious touch.

Zucchini Harvest

5 comments:

Glenda said...

We did our first raised beds this year, too -- it's been great fun. I highly recommend doing lettuces next spring -- we had them growing like crazy until it got too hot here, and boy do I miss being able to walk out back and cut fresh lettuce. We did carrots too, which were nice while they lasted.

Orange flowers -- marigolds, maybe? We intersperse them around our tomatoes and dill.

Jenny said...

Your garden is very pretty.

I recently saw the coolest container idea for growing lettuce, green onions and herbs. If you have a shed or garage to use, you can hang guttering off the side. Here is a link:

http://lifehacker.com/5229896/gutter-gardens-grow-produce-without-taking-up-space

I think this is so clever!

Happy gardening!

IamSusie said...

Glenda- Marigolds! That's the flower! Mom has good luck spraying wolf pee on her garden, but that sounds unappetizing for my veggie bed.

Jenny- Those gutter things look great! I think you'd have to be vigilant about watering them multiple times a day in the hot part of the summer. That's what I hear about that Topsy Turvey Tomato thing that was popular this spring. I can't use the gutter garden because I have vinyl siding and you shouldn't just nail things into vinyl siding. I have plenty of room on my lawn for more pots and beds!

Little Penpen said...

Hi Susie! I googled "aunt martha's" last night and found your blog. I'm getting ready to make an embroidered baby quilt for my first grandchild, who is due to arrive in March. I love your blog and enjoyed reading through many of your old posts. You will now be a "favorite" read of mine. :o)

Peg Graham said...

Susie- my garden bit the big one! Your veggies turned out great! hints?

hugs-Peg