April 20, 2008

garden plan

Here’s a drawing of my current plan for my community garden plot. (It’s almost legible – my writing is not the best.) I’ve changed from rows to beds. I’m going to experiment with companion planting this year, so I hope to mix in herbs or flowers with many of my crops. Sally Cunningham the author of Great Garden Companions recommends tansy with beets. I have some nice tansy sprouts from winter sowing. What do you think about putting this aggressive (and pretty) plant in my plot? Tansy may repel potato…

April 13, 2008

my new community garden plot

My new plot measures 12 ft by 21 ft. Its in the full sun, with the exception of a nice little lilac bush just outside of the plot in the northeast corner. It is surrounded by a low border of stones. No fence yet – that’s one of the things on my to-do list. It up on a little rise, maybe a foot or so higher than most of the plots, which are to the south and west of mine. The plot itself is level. The plot is on the…

March 26, 2008

raised bed design and construction

While I wait for more sprouts and planting, I’m posting some information on my raised beds. My husband made the beds about 10 years ago from boards of 2×6 pressure treated lumber (oops! Don’t use pressure treated lumber for your gardens, although the newer types may be safe. I’ll add a link soon about the hazards of this in gardens). They measure 3.8 ft by 9 ft. I have five adjacent beds. Between each is a pathway that ranges from 15 to 17 inches wide, but you might want to…

March 18, 2008

planting records

This is my planting record for the year 2008. I started seeds indoors in trays inside in front of a big south facing window. Midway through growing I added some indoor plant lights. I did my first outdoor sowing on March 18! Peas and fava beans. I have added information on sowing and transplanting dates, planting location (home garden or community plot) and comments on crop quality (poor, OK, GREAT etc)Indoor SeedingMarch 7: Onions, Yellow Sweet Spanish (4 small trays), sprouted March 17 (10 days), POORKale, Red Russian (1 small…

February 8, 2008

garden timeline

This shows the timing of my crops last year. Harvest spanned half a year.

January 20, 2008

spring planting time line

I like to get a list of when and what to plant in the spring. Another way of working on the garden when its still the middle of winter. Also, I can get an idea of when I need to have the soil and pots and tables ready. This year I’ll use my fish tank light again as a good area to keep the soil warm for sprouting (>75F). It worked well for peppers last year. This year I’ll plant peppers, tomatoes and squashes (cukes, zukes, watermelons, pumpkins) indoors. Spring…

January 8, 2008

a plan for my new gardens

It seems like I will even have some extra gardening space this year. Very unusual for me. I’m used to squeezing in this here and that there. I don’t have the plot assigned yet, so I don’t want to be too certain about it, but I have been assured I will be able to get one. Drawing out a plan now gives me some idea of how many seeds to order. S&Pgardenplan

December 14, 2007

planning for next year

Since we are snowed-in tonight, I am starting to plan my garden for next year. This is a list of what I planted from seed this year and how it did. Also, whether I would like to plant the crop again next year and in which garden. I also was very lucky to hear from Gretta Anderson, the farmer at our local CSA, of her favorite varieties this year. (Thanks!) These are Gretta’s favorites:lettuce – summer crisp/batavian is the only thing that grows in the heat of summer, tastes great…

November 30, 2007

escarole and garden planning

Its gotten to be the time of year when I’d rather not go out to the garden. Too cold. With temperatures in the 20s and snow predicted for the coming weekend, today I picked the last of my escarole. Its been a good crop. Since I’m not gardening, it must be time for planning next year’s garden. I’ve been looking forward to this. First I’ll put together a list of what I grew this year – what did well and what did not. I need to decide what crops I…

August 15, 2007

fall planting timeline

I copied this fall planting time line from Tracey at Life in Sugar Hollow. I removed some of the fall crops I don’t grow and added others I do grow. I think Tracy’s timing for zone 7 is pretty much what I go by here in the warm end of zone 6. Peas – July 7 – August 15Kale – July 7 – September 1Broccoli – July 15 – August 15Spinach – July 21 – August 21Beets – July 21 – August 21Carrots – July 21 – August 21Leaf Lettuce…

weeks and counting until my last spring frost