Time to put in the 2019 gardens – yes GARDENS.
We expanded this year! Tomatoes (saucing and eating), peppers (3 kinds), zucchini, cucumbers, some beans, corn (2 varieties), honey nut squash, then more beans, onions, beets, a lot of herbs, etc.
Here are our photos!
First, we had to ready last year’s “Lower” garden
Erm, clean out, redistribute grass clippings, start shoveling in new compost. We bought 5 yards of mushroom compost this year. Last year we purchased 6 yards.
Tall Utah Celery
This is the first time we’ve planted celery. Raised this variety from seed and transplanted. Looks a little frail. I hope it survives and thrives!
I bought a “Step 2 Kneeler” when shopping at an “old timey” hardware store. Amazon used to carry it, but it seems like they don’t now.
Anyhow, a kneeler is a good helper in the garden! Knee pads are essential!
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Black Beauty Zucchini
We loved this variety grown last year… so here our a couple of our seedlings!
Double Yield Cucumbers
I planted about 16 seedlings. Mr. Gordon thinks I’m nuts. Well, he said he wanted more pickles this year!
This is another great variety that we had much success with last year.
The Lower Garden, Completed
Here is a shot of the “Lower” Garden (24 X 24 feet) with the grass clippings and all of the compost in. Planted:
- Black Beauty Zucchini
- Double Yield Cucumbers
- 4 kinds of potatoes red, white, blue, and yellow
- 2 kinds of beets
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onions
- Leeks (not sure about them…)
Introducing – New This Year! – The Upper Garden!
Our new garden space (20 X 20 feet). Much like the Lower Garden, we will use grass clippings in the rows and mushroom compost. We are saving some money this year and we are not putting a fence around it. We do not believe we had any trouble from the deer last year (they would have been able to jump our fence), and we didn’t note any ground hogs or rabbits. We did have trouble with (we think) mice burrowing underground. So, we’re just going to try and go without.
Seedlings Raised Transplanted In
So, as you know we raised beans, tomatoes, lentils, and peppers from seeds for transplanting. They are in! We also direct sowed Top Hat Corn (only planted 18 kernels to start) and more beans and sweet peas. Our Light Red kidney Beans, Black Turtle Beans, and Hank’s Xtra Special Baking Beans plants are looking a little rough, though. I will also direct sow seeds for those varieties. Starting them inside was an experiment anyway.
Upper Garden, Two Rows
Bridge to Paris Peppers, Joe’s Long Cayenne Peppers, Sweet Pimento Peppers, plus over 20 Firminio’s Plum Tomato Plants and 6 New Yorker Tomato Plants. I’m focusing on bush tomato plants this year. I only have a few tomato cages and need to get more.
TeePees for Peas and Beans
Mr. Gordon built some TeePee-tripods for our sugar snap peas, Purple Podded Peas, and some Italian Pole Beans (seeds from my Dad). Used the leftover wood that was used in the supports built for last year’s tomato plants that grew wildly!
So Pretty!
Isn’t this shot great? Upper and Lower Gardens.
A Side Garden
Off the side of the house, we sort of started a garden last fall. Sort of. Mr. Gordon planted a little garlic from a head of garlic we bought at the grocery store. He was just curious to see what would happen. So, looks like some garlic! We also transplanted in our tiny Honeynut Squash seedlings. I planted some Golden Bantam Corn (leftover from last year, it was okay), and Mr. Gordon will direct sow some Yellow Summer Squash.
A Little Circle Garden
Mr. Gordon had an idea for my cooking and medicinal herbs! Here’s the photo of the set-up…
…and here’s the diagram of the seeds I planted:
- Chives
- Flat Parsley (not sure how old those seeds were… but I thought I’d see)
- Genovese Basil
- Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)
- Bouquet Dill
- Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutita)
- Echinacea purpurea
- Tulsi, Temperate – Holy Basil (Ocimum africanum)
- Valerian, Official (Valeriana officinalis)
No idea where I am going to plant my White Sage Bush and Hibiscus!
So Here’s To a Successful and Abundant Growing Season!
May ALL of our gardens delight us, support us, and bless us!
Have you planted yet? What did you plant / sow? Please share!
Let me know you popped on by! Click in the comment box to get started!