Vegetable Garden 2014 #WeekendCooking #SaturdaySnapshots
I thought it would be fun to document my garden this year for the Weekend Cooking crowd and, since flowers are a favorite photography subject, for Saturday Snapshots, too.
It’s hard to know where to start, so I went for the fantasy shot — the empty garden ready to plant.
Ready for spring planting — photo taken from the upstairs bathroom window
What this doesn’t show is how many hours of work already went into the garden this year. I removed the skeletons of last year’s plants. Rick and I vacuumed up the leaves to chop them up a bit, then raked them on the bed again for some organic matter. I hauled up seven cart-loads of compost from the compost pile (on the north down-hill side of the house) to the garden (on the south up-hill side of the house). After raking that out, Rick taught me how to use the power cultivator to break everything up and stir in all that organic matter. Then, I shoveled out paths, covered them with straw (actually, the remnants of our ornamental grasses), and raked out the beds again. Whew!
I sketched a plan for this year’s garden using the above photo for my template.
Planting plan for 2014
I have never successfully grown lettuce or spinach. My theory is that I plant the seeds too deeply so they don’t germinate or too shallow so they get washed away when I water. So, I was very excited to learn that Jung Seed had a new thing they called seed tape. I was expecting some sort of adhesive, but seed tape turned out to be seeds sealed between strips of tissue paper. Cool! And it worked — the seeds didn’t disappear before they had a chance to germinate.
Seed tape alongside the tiny lettuce sprouts from the seeds I planted a week or so ago.
Spinach sprouts — the first leaves look more like grass than a cooking green
Radishes grown from regular seeds — I’ve never had a problem growing radishes. These are terrific for a first seed experience for kids since they grow so quickly.
The blueberries started blooming!
Blueberry blossoms
This weekend, I’ll buy plants at the St. Louis Master Gardener Sale to fill the rest of my beds.
Are you growing vegetables this year? Or herbs?
Beth Fish Reads hosts Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog hop of food posts.
Saturday Snapshots are hosted each week by Melinda of West Metro Mommy Reads. Check out her post this weekend for lots of great photos around the web.
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You’re so organised! I really like your blueberry flower shot- I’ve never seen that before- fascinating.
Very cool! I’ve always wanted an herb and veggie garden…I think I’ll tackle that once the kids get a little older…no time to tend to it now 🙁
What a lovely garden! It’s obvious that you’ve put a lot of work into it, but that will surely result in healthy, abundant vegetables. Unfortunately, our yard has too much shade for a garden although I’ll probably grow tomatoes in containers (and probably some herbs too) on our deck. I’m looking forward to seeing more photos of your veggies as they grow.
Right now I’m using containers for tomatoes and herbs, but would love to have some raised beds. Looking forward to following your garden’s progress!
Nothing says spring like a garden! I haven’t had one for many years, but I recall that the tomatoes did well, and so did the zucchini. I had lots of dishes with grilled tomatoes, zucchini, sprinkled with cheese.
Thanks for sharing…and here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST
OK you got me ready to go. Weather wise I don’t plant until at least Mother’s day or after. Nighttime temperatures still below 50 here. 🙁
Your garden will be wonderful; good luck with the lettuce and spinach!
We usually have great luck with herbs, and mixed results with our veggies. Grew corn last year, but only got a couple of ripe ears that we could pick before the squirrels discovered it. (They don’t mind eating it before it’s ripe, we discovered.) We usually get good crops of green beans, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes, and at least a few from the other things we try. (It’s my husband who does most of the work for ours, though, so good for you for your efforts!)
That does look like a lot of work, but worth it.
I like your close-up shots best.
Anne@My Head is Full of Books
I haven’t gardened since we downsized in late 012. You are making me (almost) miss all that hard work!!
I’ve always wanted to have a vegetable garden, but I live in a condo and don’t have much backyard space. One of these days…
Joy, you are obviously a talented gardener. I wish I knew more about it. Cheers
I tried a garden a few years ago, in front of my picture window on the south side of the house. Everything did really well. The next year not so well, too hot up against the house. Last year, we were getting new windows, so no plans. The installers would have trampled my tomatoes. Maybe this year in pots on the deck, but I too have squirrels who love everything before I have a chance to harvest. They have to eat too, I guess. *smile*
Thanks for sharing the progress on your garden! Gardening is such hard work, but well worth the rewards. We’ve had good luck growing herbs and jalapeno peppers. If only our tomatoes would be successful, and then I could make salsa! Here’s my SNAPSHOT.
Just wonderful that your garden is blooming while we’re still having snow! All the best for a wonderful Spring and growing season. Your garden has great potentials… love your plan. I’m not a green thumb, just an amateur birder, but I love to see how other people’s gardens grow. 😉
Thanks for sharing your garden plan, it looks fabulous, lots of work but so rewarding. We’re heading for winter so the only thing going strong are my herbs and the spring onions. And our passionfruit and lime are still fruiting. Absolutely love your photos!!
I love hearing about other people’s gardens. I’m certainly no gardener myself, but we do manage to grow a great crop of tomatoes every summer.
Oh, what promise the Earth holds at this time of year! We’re just thinking about planting seeds in flats in the greenhouse and planning out this year’s vegetable beds! So exciting!
Love this!! For some reason I can never get radishes to grow, but so far this year they are doing nicely. And Spinach has never been a problem for me. I guess different gardeners have different strengths.
What a super, super idea! I can’t wait to see how your garden grows!
My garden was prepped a few weeks ago but we still have temps too cold to plant (a hard freeze almost nightly). I started everything inside but may need to start over as some of my seedlings have taken a wrong turn.
Excited to watch your garden this year, always amazing to grow produce!
Wow, I had didn’t know blueberries had such lovely blossoms. We haven’t tried to plant those, but I am inspired now!
Love your garden sketch and plans.
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