Past, Present, and Future Gardens

[Meg-in-MT]

2019 was the 1st year in our new home. My wife and I installed a raised bed garden about 300 square feet. It did well but I am looking to improve it. One thing I need to focus on more is keeping better track of pruning plants to help them grow better. IT will help to keep the tomato plants in line without taking over the entire garden!

Nice! That's a good sized one. Pruning definitely helps. What are your plans for improvement?

 

[Lizzy733]

I had such bad luck with my veggie garden.

Do squash like full sun?

I may do cucumbers too if there's a way to do them in pots and put them on my porch. I'd love some pickles

Pumpkin, Watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, squash ... they love sun, but make sure to keep them well watered daily (at the roots, not on the leaves, flowers or fruit) - a climbing frame you can train them up would help too otherwise they'll ramble. They are very soil intensive, so make sure you use fresh potting mix and swap it out each season for potted plants. They are all pretty prolific once they get started, so keep an eye out for mature fruit to harvest. Use a large pot or handled round plastic tote with holes drilled through the bottom as your pot.

 

[Kris5902]

Very nice! My garden is usually not very pretty (weeds, weeds, and more weeds), but it grows well

I missed my time frame the year before last to get my garden in and it was so depressing.

I understand... there’s a large garden here on the farm, but not for us (DH and I) to use, although I was allowed some gleanings this November and did a bunch of sauerkraut. I ferment well, but still have to learn to can. I also need a kitchen and garden again first. This year I may be allowed to do a few raised beds at another Farm or two. I suppose word got out about our garden “situation” here. The only downside is that the garden space is about 45 minutes of driving away. I’m considering it. I really miss growing my own veggies, but I’m not sure how the commute there is going to work out with everything else I’m trying to do.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

I understand... there’s a large garden here on the farm, but not for us (DH and I) to use, although I was allowed some gleanings this November and did a bunch of sauerkraut. I ferment well, but still have to learn to can. I also need a kitchen and garden again first. This year I may be allowed to do a few raised beds at another Farm or two. I suppose word got out about our garden “situation” here. The only downside is that the garden space is about 45 minutes of driving away. I’m considering it. I really miss growing my own veggies, but I’m not sure how the commute there is going to work out with everything else I’m trying to do.

Wow, that would be quite the hike to a garden. Sounds like an interesting situation you're in

I tried to grow cabbage last year specifically for sauerkraut, but I didn't get it in in time. Mind if I bug you later about fermenting? I've never done it and would really like to.

 

[Kris5902]

Wow, that would be quite the hike to a garden. Sounds like an interesting situation you're in

I tried to grow cabbage last year specifically for sauerkraut, but I didn't get it in in time. Mind if I bug you later about fermenting? I've never done it and would really like to.

Anytime! I’ve been doing it for the past five or six years. Carrots are great fermented as well. We can’t grow them well here and I ended up with a 70lb bag from the feed store for $10. I’ve done some nice mixes with them. I also do Kombucha. I highly recommend “pickle pipes” or something like them for starting out and playing with flavors.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Anytime! I’ve been doing it for the past five or six years. Carrots are great fermented as well. We can’t grow them well here and I ended up with a 70lb bag from the feed store for $10. I’ve done some nice mixes with them. I also do Kombucha. I highly recommend “pickle pipes” or something like them for starting out and playing with flavors.
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Very cool! I had to look those up. That'd save me from my memory (or lack there of). How long did that batch take? Is it like a coleslaw?

 

[Nay]

Anytime! I’ve been doing it for the past five or six years. Carrots are great fermented as well. We can’t grow them well here and I ended up with a 70lb bag from the feed store for $10. I’ve done some nice mixes with them. I also do Kombucha. I highly recommend “pickle pipes” or something like them for starting out and playing with flavors.
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I'd love to try to make kombucha! Its hard to come by where I live here in Scotland.
This year is the first year in our home here, just across the river from Edinburgh, Scotland. We move here from Germany, but I'm originally from Southern California. After over a year in a small apartment, we now have a house and a yard to call our own.
In Germany, I had to learn an entirely new way to garden that was completely different from what I grew up with. In San Diego, everything grows, so you would be forgiven to think everyone had a green thumb. In Northern Germany, there was a steep learning curve. I expect it will be the same here with nearly continual winds and lots of rain.

I'm making the most of the mild-ish winter here. Over the weekend I planted 3 roses, 2 butterfly bushes, 1 hardy hibiscus, 1 forsythia, 2 clematis, 2 crab apple, 30 clearance tulips, 5 clearance daffodils. Veggie garden will have to wait for now.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Wish I had pics of my last garden. I finally had it beautiful but it took 9 yrs to get that one the way i wanted. I moved this year and starting new. So mixed up on what to plant where!

 

[FortCluck]

Wish I had pics of my last garden. I finally had it beautiful but it took 9 yrs to get that one the way i wanted. I moved this year and starting new. So mixed up on what to plant where!

That must be rough. I'm at year 5 at this house and we are going to move in a year or more.

I know this year it'll be perfect then I'll have to start over once we get our land

 

[Kris5902]

I thought I was working on a 20-30 year home, we were only there for 7 years though. Yes, you will always get it “perfect” just in time to move. I’m hoping that the farm will stay my forever home, but we have had some ups and downs here for sure