You are in Blogs / rOckabLe / The Garden Project /

Category: The Garden Project | Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 6:58 am

---

We bought our house about 2 years ago, rite at the begining of spring, and of course it being my first home I had big plans in mind, and being a first time gardener, I had no idea what to do or where to start.. Thanks to wal-mart and Jiffy, I started out with a couple packets of seeds, some seed starter and a small plastic dome green house... thing. My rookie mistake was not really mapping out where everything was going to go, or how it grew lol. My first garden consisted of several pumpkin vines, 2 tomatoes, (both romas i believe) sage, basil, parsley, and a watermelon seedling that never seemed to grow... after learning the unpracticality of pumpkings growing in my small garden space and the wonder with what to do with the 10 foot long vines wich, consisted of 6 pumpkins *cheesy smile*... I decided my second year garden would be better, and after reading several gardening magazines and buying many gardening books, I decided above ground beds would be the best option for me, much to my dismay (not to mention having to admit my husband was rite, for once) and loss of much money, I had to switch my plans around for this year, I have to produce something other than a handful of tomatoes and a variety of herbs, I want more than just jalapenos on my tacos this year damn it!

Enter The Garden Project:

I took apart my old garden, watered my new blank canvas, put together the green house my husband bought me for christmas (Cute and perfectly sized for our backyard at 6x8'), Came up with what I hope will be a space saving plan to plant everything a young whipper-snapper of a vegetarian can eat with hopefully something left over for the omnivours that surround me *Grin*.

My problem? I am one, the weeds are many, and the money is few.. Not to mention my husband faces downsizing which unfortunatly for us is gaurenteed by december. BAH! Garden wise thats not something im
trying to think of... Its my get away damnit! Oh yeah, my husband isnt crazy of the idea of a backyard garden, he thinks its a waste of time and money... But we'll prove him wrong this year, And hey, im already off to a good start! What I think sets my garden apart rite now is my space saving idea (which duh, im very sure im not the first persone whos thought of it, just havent seen it around here or in pics on the net so :P) of incorporating topsy turvys into the garden. I've suspended 8 TT's along the border of my garden going east to west almost rite above my wooden picket fence (I installed last year to keep my min-pin pepper from digging everything up like the year before) The structure is made out of metal pvc pipes, its about 9 1/2 feet long and has a center support. Each pole going into the ground has been burried about a foot and a half into the ground, so it stands about 7 1/2 feet tall.

In my TT's are Romas and 2 super sweet tomatoes (I believe. 1 for sure is ss100)Zuchinni (black beauty) Crook neck summer squash, cucumbers, and 2 Tomatillos, im debating putting up an eggplant but I think Ill wait and see how these turn out. Along the bottom half of my fence directly below the TT's are the peas, oh, the peas... Probably my only problem in the garden rite now, I think the window box I have them growing from mite be the problem (?) I havent had any luck with them the past 2 years.. I think I'll direct sow them next year :\ Rite next to the peas in a plot about 4x3' is the onion, thriving and lookin all chivey (teehee), the next couple of feet.. about 4-5 is empty... Im not sure what to put there... Then are my pepper boxes, 2 boxes about a foot and a half by a foot with 3 bell peppers to a box staggardededed, varietys are chocolate, yellow orange pale yellow or gold or something of that sort and classic green/red, (the first year my peppers never grew much, i proclaimed them minis and happily snacked on the 4 i recived from my mini bell plants) next are the bush bean plots, 2 side by side about a foot and a half wide by 2 feet long, I wanted poles but didnt check the packet, so bushes I gots. next to them is the corn, all humble and green, they're doing alot better and have decided to forgive me since I've planted them in ground this year. seperating side a from side b are 2 long wooden planks, end to end, at the very end is by beloved artichoke... Im pretty sure I have under estimated the space its going to need as its only been about 4 1/2 weeks and is already bigger than I thought it would be at this stage :) i have purple bush beans which are semi pole or something, trailing the fence behind the corn.

Directly across from the corn next to the artichoke is the newly planted asparagus, mary washington I believe, 6 crowns nestle inside a sligtly raised bed borderd with some wooden planks to keep the crowns from spreading (PLANNING!) I have a round stepping stone rite in the middle of the bed to aid in weeding and harvesting since its rite in the corner of the garden. Next to that I have a litte strech of carrot patch next to a small block of beets, a small pathway seperates the beets and strawberries which are too surrounded by wooden planks, directly next to the strawberries bordering the fence is a plot of napa bilko cabbage, then some Raab broccoli followed by a stretch of dino kale, the some more beets, a block of raddishes, some rosemary (potted) and pineapple sage (potted too) I have several potted peppers like habaneros (Carribean and reg.) mucho jalapeno and reg jalapeno, cayenne, jolokias, thai red, serrano, pablano and ancho.. I have potted lettuces and several basils which are also potted to place randomly where they're needed along with parsleys, mints, thymes and oreganos.

For mothers day I recieved some blueberry bushes and boysenberries too! My next task is to get those into the ground... I just worried ill make the soil too acidy or not enough and kill my bushes... At least the grapes and figs are doing well.

Besides my veggie garden I have a small orchard goin on as well. So far mostly citrus' like pink lemonades, pixie tangerines, valencia oranges, lemon, mexican lime, and blood orange, i have classics like pomagranite, nectarine and banana (super mini dwarfs which finally look like they're thriving now in my green house) when I get my front yard fence and some more money I'll be getting a dwarf avacado, some cherries, and peach, along with some kiwis growing along the fence and passion fruit..... mmmmmm...... the front yard will be devided this year too, though my husband isnt aware of it yet *bites nails* it'll be my gourd patch... Butternuts, pumpkins, honey dew cantaloupe and moon and stars watermelon will be gracing our presence this year... holy crap i cant wait!... All i can think of rite now is how much work has to be done, how much money has to be made, and how in the hell am i gonna pull it off? Please, someone tell me its gonna get easier!... after planting carrots and beets today.... will I ever feel my legs again?

So where are we? Oh, yes. Orchard, veggie garden, Green house for winter consumption, My chicken coop, yeah, mite as well throw that in there too. Though im being practical, I know that having a bird dog (min-pin pepper was stolen, long story) like Meadow (black lab) means that they'll have to spend a good deal in their coop, so im trying to make it as nice as possible, my ideal number of chickens would be 11, living in a residential area tho, i think 4-6 would be more advisable, no? plus as long as im under 8 animals im good :) legal wise that is, cant say my husband will be thrilled.. all this while still having an area for a duck or 2, a nice dog run for Mead when the chickens are out and a play area for our 4 year old daughter Brie *whew*

What the h*** was I thinking?




Last edited: Tue May 25, 2010 6:19 am

This blog entry has been viewed 266 times

---

Delly wrote on Wed May 19, 2010 7:12 am:

lol sounds like you are starting very well...I envy you being able to have a veggie garden, I am still in the process of getting permission (with detailed plans) on a garden where I live (a golf course) It has to be very specific, not impede the game of golf (I live off the 9th fairway) and it of course has to be beautiful..thus we have decided on raised planters with detailed work on the outside to make them look like raised flower beds from the golf course..they have needed some tweeks but all in all they are very nice... btw I love TT's I have several for my hanging plants and they are great! Good luck and can't wait for some PICTURES!!!!

---

Jewell wrote on Wed May 19, 2010 6:01 pm:

Your energy is boundless and it sounds like you are having fun with it all. Gardening is such a joy and I can't wait to see how it all fills-in. My yard has changed over the years so no garden is permanent. It is part of the plan I didn't know I had :D

---

Leave a Comment

You are in Blogs / rOckabLe / The Garden Project /