This year, we are growing, or attempting to grow, vegetables from seed. Here the scheme is to keep the cats away by letting the seedlings start above their eye line. Tomatoes cherry and Rutgers, sweet peppers, basil, parsley, and dill started last weekend. Perhaps a bit late.
sewn in pots: beets, lettuce, carrots:
Radishes, planted two weeks ago; chicken wire scheme working like a charm so far. No squirrels or cats.
Lettuce mix appearing on cue:
Finally, plot 18 at the community garden a few weeks ago. D has turned in manure and mulch, and is planning on doing so again today. Some of the plants we started are to be transplanted here (or seedlings purchased, if the seeds don't sprout). D has already met several other gardeners here, and has had quite a convivial time. We were 7th on the waiting list for this 25 x 3 foot plot, so I was surprised to get a call in February saying we could claim it if we wanted. The CSA we had been sharing just got too expensive for us this year; we've had a downturn in our own economy, so we are looking forward to the sweat equity involved here. The result will be that much sweeter.
Two excellent sources of information and recipes. I recommend them both.
sewn in pots: beets, lettuce, carrots:
Radishes, planted two weeks ago; chicken wire scheme working like a charm so far. No squirrels or cats.
Lettuce mix appearing on cue:
Finally, plot 18 at the community garden a few weeks ago. D has turned in manure and mulch, and is planning on doing so again today. Some of the plants we started are to be transplanted here (or seedlings purchased, if the seeds don't sprout). D has already met several other gardeners here, and has had quite a convivial time. We were 7th on the waiting list for this 25 x 3 foot plot, so I was surprised to get a call in February saying we could claim it if we wanted. The CSA we had been sharing just got too expensive for us this year; we've had a downturn in our own economy, so we are looking forward to the sweat equity involved here. The result will be that much sweeter.
Two excellent sources of information and recipes. I recommend them both.
32 comments:
tut-tut, I've heard of these community gardens. I think they're wonderful. Some teens did it round here, last year. It was quite a successful project. You've got a nice size plot to work with, and the chicken wire is a good idea, for a start. Keep those pesky critters out. 'Tis later on, that you'll need a fencing of some type. Good luck and grand harvest!
"Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow..." It looks like you're well on the way. Good work!
Best of luck!
I was going to do that, when I last had a garden. I might get an allotment but haven't a clue how to go about getting one. if you don't have them stateside then it's a bit of public land, divided into strips for growing vegetables (or anything else you like) rented out by the year... the sort of thing old pensioners use
I'd really like to try for fresh herbs in pots...
wow. nice garden. sure you will have a lot of fun when all is grown. will have to steal the wire idea as i fed more deer than family last year.
I've been humming the garden song for the last bit.... as roy posted it!!
best of luck with all the seedlings. when we lived in cleveland heights we lived right across the street from the community garden and had a plot. how I loved that.... unfortunately there isn't one in walking distance from our current house. definitely something to work on!
now I only plant flowers and herbs - I just can't beat the west side market and our local farmers market when it comes to quality of produce....
We have a community garden right across the street from our house in Brooklyn--I love to check out the new growth as I pass.
Grown with care and then eaten at night by deer and other wild animals...
Good luck to you with your garden. We are attempting pumpkin and watermelon, ourselves. Eep!
We've been planting and sowing today, it is the most marvellous thing ever to do; over here there is a huge upsurge in interest in allotments and veg growing (you may have heard about Hugh FW's landshare scheme? Brilliant idea). It is lovely to look round the world through blogs and see so many people enjoying one of the simplest and most rewarding things in life - not just for pensioners either!
They look great! I wish you the bst of luck with your garden lol
My granny has been planting for years so I know that it is hard work, what you did :-)
Happy Theme Thursday
xoxo
Great post and garden!
Wishing you good luck too!
:)
Oh, this really makes me miss my garden. We had quite a large one for years. Nothing like a home grown tomato! Good luck on the seedlings. I never tried growing from seed. Fun!
they're growing! plants are amazing.
Oh goody - someone I can commiserate with this year! Glad to see the chicken wire is working and that you're putting stuff out. I also dropped the CSA - but spending almost that much putting my garden in. Looking forward to hearing more about the community garden.
Looks like you have a good start. Enjoy the harvest of your labors.
What a great project. We have a number of nice community gardens. I love the people that are there. Looks like you are coming along nicely. Time to go work on my yard.
I enjoy a good vegetable garden. The last good crop I had was bok choy, grown with a class of first graders.
looks like a great garden. The one time i decided to grow vegs from seed, the hampster escaped and ate all my seedlings the week before they were ready to go into the ground.
Sadly we had to eat the hampster or we would have starved.
Seeds, little plants and a miracle. No foodmarket involved. That is the best (and only?) good part about vegetables ! Good luck :o)
I really must get cracking this winter and till a little of my own land for vegies although some grow so well in pots. Nice anti-cat mechanism there!
Community gardens are a wonderful idea. My Mum had an allotment for years until she was too frail to manage it. And now my daughter and her partner have just bid for one. I'm looking forward to more fresh veggies next year.
OK just where do you live? planting already!!!!
Here in the frozen north we don't plant until the 3rd week in May...and even then we can have a frost!
But we still are able to grow lots as long as they have a short growing season.
I have a community garden next door and I am going to be digging in the dirt this summer as well!
i wish i could grow my own vegetables or flowers. but it would never work - i have a black thumb!
'The results will be that much sweeter'... looking forward to the pics of the garden as it progresses.
Zucchini by the truckloads around here...
My brother in law in UK has an allotment, and he grows just about everything! I think I shall dig up some of my back yard this year and put in a veggie garden. Very ambitious I know.... lots of back breaking work, But I'd like to try.
Hope you are goping to keep us up to date with your gardening progress.
Best of luck with your garden as well! Many of the things we're planting (like kale) I learned to love when we received a CSA share (also outside our budget now).
Everything looks so green there already, I can't wait to catch up!
It looks wonderful! Keep it all warm tonight -- it's supposed to get pretty chilly towards morning!
Looks like you are off to a great start. Growing your own always makes one more appreciative of all organic food. I can't wait to see the garden as the season progresses and to electronically "enjoy" harvesting and eating the produce with you.
Hi! Tut-Tut,
Thank-you! for sharing pix of "how" your garden will "grow". I also hope to follow the progress of your garden.The day (weather)looked perfect to be outside planting.
Thank, you for sharing your pix of you garden!
Deedee ;-D
Useful advise........+ I have given my cat "The Hard-Word"!
Me, too! Well, mostly fromseedlings, but still. I'm looking forward to the crop.
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