The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[ShrekDawg]

The current garden and some potential new spots and potential for expansion in the back but the only downside with the new spots or expanding backwards is how hilly it is. Also, you can kind of see where part of the garden extends further out than the other end. I wanted to extend the whole thing out to the width of the wide end but my dad doesn’t really want to take up the whole yard but idk. We will see. I really don’t think it would take up that much more of the yard especially when we have so much land. But we’ll see. There is the option to go backwards instead of extending it forwards. Or the area in front of the cars/driveway but that’s pretty hilly/uneven, idk why. Maybe erosion or something? Or on top of the big hill but we usually use that for other stuff but I think there is more than enough room for a garden up there. Once we move the boats of course.

But the other downside of this side of the yard is it is often shadier than the back of the yard because of all the trees. So it’s colder and less sunny so idk if it would work for the garden. But it still gets a good amount of sun so it might be fine. The top of the hill I think is sunnier than the area in front of the cars. But the other downside is that it’s not prepared or anything. So I would need to do a lot of stuff to make the soil better or at least mix stuff in when I plant or something. Whereas the other spot is already mostly prepared and very fertile since there chickens used to be there. But I’m also not even sure one garden is big enough with all the vegetables I am planning on growing this year.

Also, cameo from the chickens

Sorry everything is a bit of a mess, need to pick up around the chicken area again and everything is also dead and ugly cause of winter.

Also, we are planning on expanding the chicken run likely to the dog house, so another 12 feet or so, or making it wider. And then the dog house I might fix up and use for storage or as another coop or brooder or something or may just get rid of it.

And I need to measure the exact length and width of the garden but the chicken run was 6x12 so it’s at least that big plus the little garden on the end and the wide part. So I will measure.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh and that stump is where the Yellowjacket nest was last year. As you can see, a little too close to my garden for comfort.

 

[bruceha2000]

You can plant on a hill, just run the rows across it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

You can plant on a hill, just run the rows across it.

Good thinking, thanks. Do you think any of those spots look good for planting? Some of them are rather uneven as in down and back up again or little dips or whatever rather than one straight hill if that makes sense. I know it was kind of a lot of pictures too, sorry. Do you think that area right behind the current garden could work? I’m thinking that little gulley thing but I don’t know if that would work or not. Thinking I could fill it in some maybe. Or I might just say forget it and make an entirely new garden far away from wasps and yellowjackets

 

[ShrekDawg]

I think I somewhat know how @007Sean feels today. So much pain lol well, not as bad as him probably but still.

 

[bruceha2000]

Can't really tell from the pictures but in general you'll have to dig up the grass in the total area and can rake the dirt relatively flat, get a 3' landscape rake if you don't have one.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Can't really tell from the pictures but in general you'll have to dig up the grass in the total area and can rake the dirt relatively flat, get a 3' landscape rake if you don't have one.

Yeah, sorry, the pictures probably aren’t the best. Hard to see the hills in pics especially from so far away plus i took when with the ipad instead of a phone so I think it makes some stuff look bigger or closer than it is. But basically right behind it there is an area where like 2 hills meet and it’s kind of a little gully thing down into the garden.

And thanks, I’ll try to get one of those and do that. Do you think I would have to fill it in at all or just rake it?

 

[bruceha2000]

You can always make terraces. It could take a lot to fill a larger area into one flat space.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh and do you think it’d be easier to put it behind the current one or just make a new/second garden on top of the big hill in the front yard? Seems like kind of a lot of work to prep that area behind it? Especially where it’s already really overgrown and those grasses are very established and lots of roots from all those pine trees. All that competition is bad for plants too right? And there are also tons of wild raspberries there that idk how to get rid of but maybe I should just figure out how to tame them? That yellowjacket nest scares me though. Oh and also if I plant the plants too close to each other, will they cross pollinate/grow a hybrid or does that only happen second generation? Just don’t want to actually combine tomato kinds or anything. Trying to try new varieties.

And sorry for all the questions and everything, especially the dumb ones but thanks again for all the help, info, advice, etc.

 

[ShrekDawg]

You can always make terraces. It could take a lot to fill a larger area into one flat space.

That’s true and part of what I am worried about. Maybe it would be easier to make a new garden elsewhere. Idk. Will look into terraces. Thanks