Do You Have A Garden?

[Freedom]

What a great thread -- I LOVE seeing all the photos! We have some talented 'Green Thumbs' here!

My neighbors in RI put in 2 of these raised / elevated gardens, for vegetables. Jet.com - Prices Drop As You Shop There is a similar set up by Outdoor Living Today. The vegetables are waist high, no bending involved. https://www.hayneedle.com/product/o...en-bed-8-x-12-ft.cfm?ltype=child&tid=OLT028-1

Last Autumn I did a huge landscape project - 3/4 of the yard is no longer grass; I went with xeriscape. Native, drought tolerant plants, and I also required that they be dwarf varieties so I will not have to climb a ladder for pruning. I thought I was taking on a little project to keep me busy for about 2 weeks. HA! 2.5 months later . . . . I did take photos at every step along the way. Here is a link to my project photos, in photobucket -- scroll down, there are 6 albums. Most of the pics have captions below, it will take a good half hour to go through the entire thing. I am looking forward to seeing it this year! Landscape Project by Sandra Sammartano

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I have 3 raised beds for veggies. I plant my tomatoes separate in large nursery pots. I'd really like to come up with a trellis and 2 pot system for cucumbers but I haven't gotten there yet. I don't know how some people manage to get them to grow UP the trellis properly. I've had some go up but the rest get tangled so fast before I can turn them to grow up too.

I'm still weeding but I have my peas planted for the year. I just got that bed ready first. I'm actually about to go outside and work on weeding but I'm fighting the sleepies.

I'm planting a little shade garden area under our tall privet hedge too. The hedge was here long before our house and at one corner there is a nice little, almost hidden area. I thought it was a nice place for my kids to play; but I found some bleeding hearts and it's taking off from there. I need some more plants but I haven't decided on what kind yet. I really dislike hostas so we'll see.

I have tulips and daffodils but the rest of my flowers go in pots of window boxes. I plan to get one hanging plant to go with the hummingbird feeder I keep on a shepherds hook. Our front yard needs some landscaping. My lilac bushes didn't survive so I want to replant those sometime. My irises and daylilies are coming up but no blooms yet.

 

[AbbysMom]

The front and one side of the house has been weeded, edged and mulched, so you get pictures of those gardens.

 

[mokapi]

I had a gardening FAIL this year. My first time trying to plant anything...I rototilled a little side bed to turn into a wildflower garden. I planted a few different varieties from 6" pots, and then I sowed a pack of wildflower seeds.

All these weird tomato-looking wildflowers have been sprouting up. I realized at about 7 p.m. last night that the tomato-looking wildflowers are just TOMATOES, because I added compost to the bare soil, and some seeds from the cherry tomatoes we snack on (and occasionally compost) must not have been totally composted!

So now my wildflower garden is full of tomatoes, and I feel like the dumbest gardener on the face of the planet. Oh well.

 

[foxxycat]

AbbysMom that's a ton of work! It erased what I wrote!!!

My yard looks like a rats nest now that flowers have passed.

yesterday I tried to weed but sweat dripping in face annoying me so will wait while the weeds grow like crazy.

I think tomato plants are pretty! And who knows? maybe some flowers will like growing next to tomatoes? I planted some tomato plants in small garden-half I laid down sideways and only left the top up=the other half I didn't bury as deep=the ones sideways are now bigger and greener than the tall ones=the tall ones are too spiny and I will have to dig it up and turn them on it's side but I don't want to disturb them. It's been 2 weeks now. someone told me to bury the tomato plants on their side with just the top sticking out=it worked=makes a bigger root system and now two of the 6 plants looks very healthy-the other 4 don't look as good...grrr.

 

[Mother Dragon]

The front and one side of the house has been weeded, edged and mulched, so you get pictures of those gardens.

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Those photos are gorgeous! Everything is so lush and green. I know it took a lot of work to get it looking that good. It sure paid off!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Can I come wander through your yard AbbysMom ? Everything looks beautiful!

I had a gardening FAIL this year. My first time trying to plant anything...I rototilled a little side bed to turn into a wildflower garden. I planted a few different varieties from 6" pots, and then I sowed a pack of wildflower seeds.

All these weird tomato-looking wildflowers have been sprouting up. I realized at about 7 p.m. last night that the tomato-looking wildflowers are just TOMATOES, because I added compost to the bare soil, and some seeds from the cherry tomatoes we snack on (and occasionally compost) must not have been totally composted!

So now my wildflower garden is full of tomatoes, and I feel like the dumbest gardener on the face of the planet. Oh well.

That sounds like a win to me!

 

[bengalcatman]

Update.
Started like this...

Now looks like this..

We are getting tons of radishes, peas, squash, cucumber, zucchini, onions and broccoli. Tomatoes and peppers will be ready soon. Really happy with the results, loving the fresh veggies. Next week we are buying a vacuum sealer for freezing stuff and going to try canning - be nice to have a supply to carry us over the winter.

Only disappointment was the carrots. For reasons that I can't fathom: no carrots - great big carrot plants - but no carrots. Considering this was our first effort I am not concerned. Will try another carrot variety next time.

 

[denice]

That looks like a huge success especially for a first effort.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I think carrots take time. The tops grow first then the root. My Grandfather always said to just brush a little soil away to check the tops.

I really love your setup! DH and I had to fence in 2 of our beds. SomeBUNNY! Bit all the leaves off my 2 eggplants and was nibbling at the few cucumbers I've had! Then I went and ripped my favorite pants on the fencing.

 

[Norachan]

Wow, some really beautiful gardens! I'm ashamed to show you mine. I have control of the little space from the deck to the tree line. Beyond that it's a thick jungle where fearsome beasts lurk.

 

[AbbysMom]

I had a gardening FAIL this year. My first time trying to plant anything...I rototilled a little side bed to turn into a wildflower garden. I planted a few different varieties from 6" pots, and then I sowed a pack of wildflower seeds.

All these weird tomato-looking wildflowers have been sprouting up. I realized at about 7 p.m. last night that the tomato-looking wildflowers are just TOMATOES, because I added compost to the bare soil, and some seeds from the cherry tomatoes we snack on (and occasionally compost) must not have been totally composted!

So now my wildflower garden is full of tomatoes, and I feel like the dumbest gardener on the face of the planet. Oh well.

I've had that happen in the vegetable garden from tomatoes from the previous year. I actually got some decent tomatoes out of them.

Those photos are gorgeous! Everything is so lush and green. I know it took a lot of work to get it looking that good. It sure paid off!

Thanks! We still have a looooong way to go.

Can I come wander through your yard AbbysMom ? Everything looks beautiful!

Sure, as long as you stick to the front and one side.

Update.
Started like this...

Now looks like this..

We are getting tons of radishes, peas, squash, cucumber, zucchini, onions and broccoli. Tomatoes and peppers will be ready soon. Really happy with the results, loving the fresh veggies. Next week we are buying a vacuum sealer for freezing stuff and going to try canning - be nice to have a supply to carry us over the winter.

Only disappointment was the carrots. For reasons that I can't fathom: no carrots - great big carrot plants - but no carrots. Considering this was our first effort I am not concerned. Will try another carrot variety next time.

That looks fantastic!

Wow, some really beautiful gardens! I'm ashamed to show you mine. I have control of the little space from the deck to the tree line. Beyond that it's a thick jungle where fearsome beasts lurk.

I'd be ashamed to show you my backyard, so it's all good.

 

[mokapi]

bengalcatman Your setup is EXACTLY what I wanted in my backyard. Perhaps I can show it to my guy and he'll be able to construct one similar!! Re: carrots, I believe that tubers/root vegetables are harvested in the late summer. We have some carrots growing across the street, and I'm being mentored by a very green-thumbed aunt/uncle combo who don't seem at all concerned about the lack of a carrot at the end of a carrot top "this early in the season"

 

[mokapi]

@Winchester I'm wondering if your squashes aren't thriving due to a lack of proper pollinators? No squash bees = no squash!

 

[IndyJones]

We just put in some bee balm hoping to get some butterflies and hummers. Haven't seen anything yet but they are still small.

 

[AbbysMom]

We're 85% done now with "Spring" cleanup. Here are some more pictures:

The first oen is just my crazy flowering tree that "hums" when it flowers from all the bees in it.

Excuse the painting on the house. We are in the middle of an apparent 10-year plan to repaint it.

Twelve yards of mulch down and three more delivered yesterday. We are on the home stretch.

 

[Norachan]

Wow, that's beautiful Karen. I love your new blue glass garden ornament.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Beautiful! You should try bee-keeping with that tree!

 

[muffy]

Everyone's garden looks wonderful. I'm so jealous.

Muffy

 

[AbbysMom]

Beautiful! You should try bee-keeping with that tree!

One of my friend's just started with beekeeping. They have the suits, etc. I've seen the hive once.