We love having a vegetable garden at our house. We have a nice spot behind our garage for one, and we have worked on it bit by bit over the 4 years in this house. When we moved in, there were little terraced beds between it and the backyard. They looked very nice, but were begging for small children to climb up them and escape. So in 2007, S took out those beds and used the landscaping bricks to build a small wall between the garden and the backyard instead. In 2008, G grew a little more so S added one more row to the retaining wall, and we also added a little more dirt. In 2009, we just concentrated on what was growing in the garden. But this year, with a beautiful early spring, S and I took a good look at it and decided to make some changes.
The plan (as of early April): Add another row of retaining bricks to the wall between the garden and backyard (last one, even though we know the kids will keep growing). Square off garden to the backyard gate (adding quite a bit to the size of the garden), continue retaining wall around the side of the garden to the garage. Figure out better composting plan. Redo and widen walkway by the garage to the spigot on the house. Add more dirt to make garden level. Be finished by Memorial Day, aka garden planting day.
Yeah, take 1 busy family, 3 small children, and a bunch of other goings-on and our garden looked like this on Memorial Day (really, we had worked on it and this was progress!):
But not to be discouraged, we kept working away when we had time. And when I say "we", I really mean S. I do believe if he had to quit pharmacy and take up another profession, it would be landscape architecture. And he would be good at it too!
Yes, this is S working on the walkway in the garden at about 10:30 at night. We got the kids down early one evening and he decided to go out to the garden to work, and when it got dark and I asked if he was going to quit an come in, he said "No, find me a light source." So an extension cord and the floor lamp it is! He worked diligently until midnight and finished the walkway and step. And our neighbors now officially think we are crazy.
See what an awesome job he did on the walkway?
Now onto extending the garden 2 feet into the side yard and building the retaining wall on the side. We had a slight change to the original plan. Instead of squaring off the garden completely, we decided to leave one of the small tiered beds next to the gate because of these:
These cone flowers were planted by the previous owners in the actual garden. We wanted it more for a vegetable garden, but loved the flowers, so we moved them next to the gate. They have been doing awful for the past 3 years so we were just going to call it quits and get rid of them. Then this year they go and do this on us. This meant more work on curvature for S, but we are happy we kept them!
S's Dad (Hi Papa B!) and Mom were here the weekend of VBS program and W's birthday, and Dad B helped S out on Saturday, which was MUCH appreciated!
They finished the wall on the side of the garden (nice and level!).
And they also used Dad B's pickup to haul in a load of dirt. We could probably use another, but we decided to go with it this year and see what compost we'll add for next year before getting another load.
We also purchased a tumbling compost bin from Costco in an attempt to make better compost (we are lazy composters and didn't turn or water our stationary bin, and then we had all sorts of chunks of leaves and sticks when we emptied it in the spring and fall). S filled the tumbler and we tumble it when we go out there every week or so, and we put all new compostable items in the black bin. Then hopefully when the compost in the tumbler is done, we will put what is in the black bin in the tumbler...and rinse and repeat...
In our heads, our second try at a goal for completion was getting everything finished by the end of June. Well, it is June 30 in this picture and we were ready for planting! Yay!
G loved helping plant the garden and is very excited about gardening in general. Nothing better than bare feet in dirt, too!
Garden planted - 5 hours before deadline. =)
Week 3 - we are doing great! Beans are up, sweet corn is patchy, carrots are iffy, but weeds are at a minimum and the other plants are growing well.
Dad, don't look at the straightness of my corn row. Embarrassing for a farm girl...
Week 4 - OK, where did all those weeds come from? I swear they popped up overnight. Ah, I guess it is the curse of Original Sin we will never get away from...
Yes, this is S working on the walkway in the garden at about 10:30 at night. We got the kids down early one evening and he decided to go out to the garden to work, and when it got dark and I asked if he was going to quit an come in, he said "No, find me a light source." So an extension cord and the floor lamp it is! He worked diligently until midnight and finished the walkway and step. And our neighbors now officially think we are crazy.
See what an awesome job he did on the walkway?
Now onto extending the garden 2 feet into the side yard and building the retaining wall on the side. We had a slight change to the original plan. Instead of squaring off the garden completely, we decided to leave one of the small tiered beds next to the gate because of these:
These cone flowers were planted by the previous owners in the actual garden. We wanted it more for a vegetable garden, but loved the flowers, so we moved them next to the gate. They have been doing awful for the past 3 years so we were just going to call it quits and get rid of them. Then this year they go and do this on us. This meant more work on curvature for S, but we are happy we kept them!
S's Dad (Hi Papa B!) and Mom were here the weekend of VBS program and W's birthday, and Dad B helped S out on Saturday, which was MUCH appreciated!
They finished the wall on the side of the garden (nice and level!).
And they also used Dad B's pickup to haul in a load of dirt. We could probably use another, but we decided to go with it this year and see what compost we'll add for next year before getting another load.
We also purchased a tumbling compost bin from Costco in an attempt to make better compost (we are lazy composters and didn't turn or water our stationary bin, and then we had all sorts of chunks of leaves and sticks when we emptied it in the spring and fall). S filled the tumbler and we tumble it when we go out there every week or so, and we put all new compostable items in the black bin. Then hopefully when the compost in the tumbler is done, we will put what is in the black bin in the tumbler...and rinse and repeat...
In our heads, our second try at a goal for completion was getting everything finished by the end of June. Well, it is June 30 in this picture and we were ready for planting! Yay!
G loved helping plant the garden and is very excited about gardening in general. Nothing better than bare feet in dirt, too!
Garden planted - 5 hours before deadline. =)
Being that we planted the garden on June 30 (very late, even up here in the frozen tundra), our plant choices and hopes for success were a bit limited. We will see how our (clockwise from top left) 2 rows of green beans (Blue Lake Bush, one row organic heirloom seeds from Mom and Dad R's garden), 1 zucchini plant, 5 pepper plants (2 green and 3 red), 2 squash plants (Butter Bush - supposed to be a bush of squash rather than a vine), 1 row of sweet corn (leftover from a 10 cent packet from at least 4 years ago), and 3 tomato plants (one cherry, one roma, one Big Boy) do this year. Oops, I forgot a picture of G's carrots. She has 2 tiny rows of carrots (also very leftover seeds from previous years).
Week 3 - we are doing great! Beans are up, sweet corn is patchy, carrots are iffy, but weeds are at a minimum and the other plants are growing well.
Dad, don't look at the straightness of my corn row. Embarrassing for a farm girl...
Week 4 - OK, where did all those weeds come from? I swear they popped up overnight. Ah, I guess it is the curse of Original Sin we will never get away from...
2 comments:
We all suffer that particular consequence of Original Sin. Great chronicle, great pictures!
Great job on the renovated garden, but now I'm tired just thinking about all the work!
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