Here is a quick video update..... carrot harvest!

Basket of Carrots

Watermelon, Cantaloupe and Squash

 I harvested most of the carrots today, there are still a few small ones growing so I will have another harvest in a few weeks or so.  I had no idea how easy it was to grow carrots, you have to be patient though because they take a while to grow.

I added some Mel's mix to where I took out the carrots and planted a few Roma Tomato plants and Habanero Pepper plants too.  You can't grow too many tomatoes or peppers!!  I've never grown Habaneros , hopefully they're as easy as the banana variety.  I put in the Roma's because my goal is to have enough to make some good sauce, maybe even do a little canning.  Is that ambitious enough???  Yup, I think so.

I harvested my first ever cucumbers today also, very exciting as I've heard many horror stories from other gardners about problems with worms, etc....  so far so good here.

The eggplant are finally producing and I have my first Japanese variety to try on the grille this weekend.  The Black Beauty's seem to be holding their flowers and I am anxiously awaiting some fruit to appear.

Baby Watermelon

 

Lots of blooms on Watermelon plant

 To the left is a picture of a watermelon!!!!  I am so hoping these do well as this is yet another first for me.  How cool will it be to pick fresh watermelon and cantaloupe from my garden to enjoy and share!!!  These plants have my full attention and I will do everything in my power to keep them healthy and happy.

Happy Gardening!!!

Mary

Squash

Cucumbers, Japanese Eggplant and some Romaine lettuce

Pot of Carrots

Garden Video - 5/26/13

Square Foot Garden update

I haven't posted since the raised garden beds have been completed and I decided to try Square Foot Gardening.  So far I have to say, it's been my best ever gardening experience in all my years of home gardening!  The concept of  Square Foot Gardening is "grow more in less space", and "space" is something I just don't have here so this concept was a perfect solution to my space problem.

I've already grown and harvested broccoli and radishes and FYI, radishes are FUN to grow!  I had 8 broccoli plants which produced enough for about 3 meals, not as much as I would have liked,  buy hey, I've never been lucky growing it in the past, so I'll take it!   We had a late frost and the eggplant was stunted but has recovered and is now producing.  I tried Snow Snap Peas for the first time, after reading how easy and prolific they were, I am disappointed as I believe they have powdery mildew and have basically stopped growing and need to be removed.  The Green Onions are coming along nicely as well as the carrots, which I am amazed that I am even growing CARROTS!!  I am also growing romaine and mesclun lettuce, there's nothing better then fresh salad with dinner, right out of your garden!  I had no idea how easy lettuce was to grow and will be growing much more of it next year.  Green beans of course, are the EASIEST veggie to grow, I have a total of 16 plants in 2 squares and believe we'll be eating them thru the end of the summer.

Other first time veggies I'm trying this year are cucumbers, cantaloupe and watermelon..... not too worried about the cukes but wish me luck with the melons!

Happy Gardening.... enjoy the new video and pictures I posted today....

Mary - The Ambitious Gardner  :)

Raised Beds complete with gate and chicken wire fence

Broccoli

Broccoli and Eggplant

Add caption

Carrots coming up

More plants

New Raised Bed for melons

Cucumbers

Lettuse

Radishes

Red Onions

Hot Pepper Pots

Salad with Nastursims

broccoli

hot peppers

nice squash

Zucchini

Raised Vegetable Garden

After more than three years of unsuccessful vegetable gardening, either caused by the poor soil here or that pesky rabbit, I have finally decided to invest hard earned money, blood, sweat and tears into building raised garden beds.  I started my research about a month ago and feel educated enough to actually pull this off.

I started purchasing needed supplies a few weeks ago and built two 8 x 4 foot boxes about 7" high.    I cleaned out the spot were the boxes will be placed and dug out a 6" trench around the perimeter for the rabbit proof fence.   Planning the fencing alone was exhausting!  I didn't want to spend a fortune but I definitely wanted something that would keep out that freaking rabbit.   I finally decided on Chicken Wire with metal posts.  The most inexpensive choice.   If buried deep enough, it should work... fingers crossed!

The soil was another issue that took many hours of research and found it to be more economical to have a few yards of quality gardening soil delivered.  To heck with hauling 50 plus bags of assorted top soil, compost, etc. to the back yard then have to manually mix it up!!  Forget that!!  Two plus yards of fine looking garden soil was just delivered today!!  I'm so excited....

Since the boxes butt up against both the shed and our back fence, I had to install three sides of the chicken wire fencing today.  It took me a few hours but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  It's pretty taught and straight, not as pretty as the other options I was considering, but oh well.  I can always add decorative, pretty stuff later on.

Of course it had to start raining today, luckily I was pretty much finished with the fence but really wanted to get the boxes in place...... maybe tomorrow..... too bad the weatherman says RAIN!

I'm going to start taking progress photos too and will post soon....