I always admire people who can grow green things, rather it’s plants or flowers. I have always been a colossal failure at gardening. But I’m also persistent!
Two years ago we tried a small 10 x 10 garden, spent about $100 on supplies and I got 3 cucumbers and one green pepper that was the size of my thumb. I told John, “This is the most expensive green pepper you will ever see!”
Last year we ditched the garden idea and just visited the Farmer’s Market. That was fun and we enjoyed the bounty of food that we bought there. This year I wanted to try gardening again. Here is my youngest daughter (16) and I planting seeds in peat pots.
I introduce you to my newest attempt at gardening. My neighbor brought his tractor down and saved us a LOT of time by tilling up this very large garden. It is 16′ x 30′.
You notice we only planted marigolds so far. Here’s the rest of the little plants waiting to go in next weekend! We have tomatoes, bell peppers, banana peppers, squash, zucchini, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and zinnias for pretty!
Wish us luck!
Question: Any gardening tips for me? Fertilizer ideas? Ways to keep bugs away? Diane
Best of luck in your growing endeavors!
I love growing plants, but they never seem to do well. This year I started seeds inside and planted them outside a few weeks ago. The problem with this is that I was a bit over anxious and planted too early in the season – still too cold. I am hoping a few plants survive until May. If not, I will replant.
Julia
http://jewliagoulia.blogspot.com
Diane you have a lovely BIG garden to grow veggies…Have never tried myself..I grew up on a farm and my Dad was very successful with what he planted and boy did it taste so much nicer than anything bought at the shop.
Good luck this year….
Have an awesome weekend…am still alone, hubby had to stay one more night in Munich, will be home tomorrow midday…its stunning weather this side thankfully.
You got ambition!! Look at the size of that garden…:) I grow roses and plants not veggies so far. I tried to grow tomatoes with no sucess:(
As for advice keep up with weeding and keep the bugs under control.Youll have to decide if you are going the organic pest control way or pesticides. Get some advice from succesful growers in your area such as your neighbors.
All your weight lifting should help with your gardening & vice a versa as well. Have a great weekend!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..I Give You Roses Enjoy! =-.
One word: mulch.
In the rows use grass clippings, straw, and even strips of old carpeting if you can get it. Almost anything to prevent weeds from sprouting and prevent moisture loss. Also most plants prefer big drinks of water, less frequently, rather than lots of shallow drinks.
Talk to them. Or better, sing to your plants. Crazy? Yeah, but it makes gardening more fun and (I think) the plants don’t mind a bit if you sing off key.
Keep on top of weeding. (Pull em when they’re sprouts.) I love to weed first thing in the morning when the air is still, the sun is not too hot, and the world is just waking up. It really is a form of meditation for me, a nice spiritual break from the hectic tasks of everyday life.
HAVE FUN!!!
I am trying to enlist the help of all the older kids with the weeding. I like your ideas of weeding first thing in the morning – much cooler then too. At least if I do talk to my plants my neighbors can’t hear me because they are a decent distance away!
How very brave of you to try again. I don’t have a green thumb either and once turned my neighbor down; she wanted me to water her plants while she was out of town. I was like if you want them alive, please ask someone else.
I love the picture of you and your daughter on the deck.
.-= ‘Drea´s last blog ..Are You Locked In? =-.
Some trips from past experiences- wait to put your seedlings in the ground until they have 2 sets of true leaves going.With your tomatoes and peppers put a tablespoon of Epsom salts in the hole before you put the plant in- epson salt is magnesium and tomatoes and peppers do very well with this boost.Another tip would be to plant a few basil plants with the tomatoes- it is a companion planting thing that helps the plants thrive.Water and weed in the mornings, and keep the squash and cucumbers planted on opposite ends of the garden or the plants can cross pollinate ( and the result is inedible). And no matter what, under no circumstances plant more than 3 hills of zucchini. And if you do plant them check on them every day when they start bearing fruit or you will find watermelon sized fruits lurking behind the leaves. Best of luck- I really miss my garden !!!
.-= Diane´s last blog ..An ordinary day, PCOS and weekly weigh in =-.
Those are some fabulous tips!! We planted a garden one time years and years ago and the only thing that grew were zucchini that time! And you are right – we did lose some behind the huge leaves!
I read your blog all the time but have never commented. You look great planting that garden – love the big glasses!
My advice is to fertilize the soil before you add the plants. Then fertilize regularly – ask a garden center which is best for your area!
Looking forward to seeing what your garden produces!
Yay! A garden!
To help with pest bugs, get some ladybugs to release and a praying mantis (your kids will probably love these). To help control slugs, keep a pie tin upside down in the garden and then the next morning you can collect the slugs that will be drawn to it.
For nutrients, stop by Starbucks. They have bags of used coffee grounds for free that you can sprinkle into your garden. I love getting this in my garden bed!
.-= Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..Flashback Friday: The Pixie edition. =-.
My gardening tip is to keep my far far away from it. Ha! I have a black thumb. Good luck with your garden, looks like you have lots of cool stuff to plant.
.-= Carly´s last blog ..Run Addicts =-.
You went from a box to a whole garden. Awesome. Have fun, I can’t wait to see your progress.
.-= Michelle @ Eatingjourney´s last blog ..My Life In Pie =-.
Good luck and good for you for giving it another shot. Looks like fun! (And hard work).
.-= LAF´s last blog ..It’s raining… =-.
That’s a BIG garden! I’m feeling quite the underachiever with my 4 plants. Then again, I’m not feeding a small army.
From what I hear, you can spread newspaper around the plants before adding mulch. It will help with weeds.
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..My (Current) Top 5 Exercises =-.
My advice is to watch the rabbit situation – we have so many rabbits we can only grow vegetables if we put up a rabbit fence! A couple of years ago I had planted two large packages of green bean seeds and they were doing very nicely – 4 leaves on each little plant. Later that day I noticed not a single leaf remained – the rabbits had eaten every single leaf. I still chuckle when I think of those rows of bare stems! Good luck with your garden! Your little boys might enjoy trying to grow pumpkins, also a few sunflowers are fun.
I would love to be able to garden, but I have killed everything I’ve ever tried to grow. I now stick to artificial plants!
.-= Chad´s last blog ..My First 5K: Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt! =-.
I had my first garden last year. It was about as big as yours. I called it my experiment having never planted vege’s before. We used peat pots, waiting until a few had started to sprout. We used ladybugs in the garden for the bugs but I got very lucky. We had an over abundant garden…We had over 20 pumpkins and enough zucchini and yellow squash that we put it out for the morning walkers to just take. I called it the miracle garden! Just lots of love and since it was my “experiment” I just did my best and did my garden “check” every night! Got my seeds for this years today!
.-= Jules – Big Girl Bombshell´s last blog ..Making our World a Better Place =-.
I have no tips for you but I love it that you are going to grow your own veggies.
My granny had a hugh garden and she would grow anything in it and we ate from it too and it was so much better tasting than veggies you buy in the store.
So if it all comes up you will enjoy it so much. Good luck.
here animals are a much bigger factor than bugs! I would have to have a fence in order to have (literally) one leaf left. Not a fancy fence – but stakes pounded with mesh or chicken wire wrapped around it. and then pegged to the ground so they couldn’t get under. And it has to be a couple feet high or they go over.
I planted 500 bulbs (with bone meal, human hair, hot ground pepper) and did not have one left – very fat squirrels.
I can’t plant ANY annuals the bunnies eat them (without a fence).
.-= vickie´s last blog ..Congrats card from 2006 =-.
i’m sorry, i have no tips for you, but i’m anxious to see how all your hard work pays off! good luck!
We attempted our 1st veggie garden last year with dismal results…tomato blight and other headaches. Still going to try again…just LOVE the idea of being able to pluck fresh veggies right out of our backyard!
Don
I just ordered plants to do some container gardening this year! Not sure how it’s going to go – I’ve got a LOT of critters around here. I plan on putting chicken wire on the ground (supposedly the deer don’t like to walk on it), and use vinegar spray on the plants. We’ll see what happens!
.-= Jenn @ Watch My Butt Shrink!´s last blog ..The Night Light =-.
What a beautiful back yard you have! All I can say about gardening is good luck and way to go green! Garden tomoates are sooo good..way better than any store bought!
.-= sian-girlgetstrong´s last blog ..Moving is the Best Medicine + Giveaway! =-.
Diane, I say good for you for trying again! Looks like a great start!
Me, I can kill a cactus so garden stuff is really not my thing!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Sunday Walking w/Friends – Reunion Pics! =-.
best of luck! I’m just working on roses this year, since we pulled out a large tree and have more sunny garden space now.
.-= Sunny´s last blog ..Outback SUCKS! =-.
Wow – I am impressed – that is an ambitious garden! Good luck to you – with so many helpers I bet you will have a bumper crop of veggies. The great thing is, they will be so fresh, healthy and you will know exactly what went into growing them.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Giraffe Project Meet-Up! =-.
That’s fabulous, Diane! I can relate to the most expensive pepper quote only for me it was a tomato
But who’s counting when it’s a labor of love!
Good luck! It looks like you are off to a good start!
.-= Kat´s last blog ..Spring Challenge Update =-.
That is a big garden! I can’t wait to watch it grow! You will have the best veggies this summer!
.-= Reese´s last blog ..Some Saturday Thoughts =-.
Diane, I do have a few tips for you, but most of them cannot be used this late in the year. If you are interested, shoot me an email, and I will send you back some tips for next year.
.-= South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Ran Into an Old Friend =-.
Wow that is fantastic!! I cannot wait to see the pictures after everything is grown and lovely. I would love to do that but we have such bad clay like dirt that I would spend a fortune getting the dirt transplanted and ready. I need to try your back-up plan last year and hit the farmer’s markets this summer!
.-= Brenda Kaye´s last blog ..Happy 96th Birthday Memaw : Our Favorite St. Patrick’s Day Girl =-.
Wow! Your property is beautiful. Look at all that space! As for tips? Just yesterday I threw a bunch of (purchased ‘n pretty) rocks into my garden bed. Because after 6 years of trying, I finally give up.
.-= Yum Yucky´s last blog ..100 Calories of Greedy Pleasure? =-.
late to the party on this one but could not come by and STEAL all your readers’ tips
without letting you know.
In black thumb’age,
Miz.
.-= Miz´s last blog ..New Two Fit Chicks & A Microphone podcast. =-.
Good luck with the garden this year. My only tip: stay up on the weeding as it can get discouraging if you fall behind.
.-= John´s last blog ..I’m Back =-.
Here’s a few:
SMALL garden
Till or dig in compost/humus/composted manure
Try the square foot gardening method
Visit daily to pull weeds and water if needed
Tomatoes are prolific but rewarding
Pumpkins are a blast and save money on the other side (they take a lot space)
Planting raspberries will give you something to nibble when you visit the garden
Gorgeous, big backyard!
Good luck! I love to garden but I do better with flowers… much of my produce gets fed to the bunnies.
.-= Larkspur´s last blog ..Sore =-.
This worked great for my winter plants-We bought a hose bib timer and a thing to allow 2 hoses to a bib and attached a dripper hose and ran it thru the two boxes we have-
Garden got watered without me having to think about it and I tried to pull weeds first thing in the morning.
Good luck with the gardening! What a great way to get fresh veggies and herbs. I wish I had that yard to do my own – lucky!