4 Girls and a Garden

Just Getting Started

2012-02-05T14:58:00.001-08:00

majority of my seedlings have sprouted. I am glad i started them i small biodegrable pots instead of using the pellets i think it will be easier to keep the plants inside until the weather warms up enough to transplant?

So I have started...hopefully not to soon

2012-01-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

So I have started some seeds indoors, this "winter" and I use the term loosely because the weather has been really warm for this time of year and out of fear that we will completely skip an actual cold winter I have started my seeds and fingers crossed that this isn't a mistake.

The man at the nursery today told me that I should wait until mid march to plant outside but i am not sure I can hold off on planting outdoors that long.

I already have zucchini and broccoli sprouting

and my cucumbers

No tomatoes yet

My newest seeds this season

What I learned in 2011 about gardening and what's Next in 2012

2012-01-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

2011 was my first full year of vegetable gardening so I was able to have a spring and fall gardens and here are some things I learned....

~ It is important to document everything when you start seeds, when you plant, when you harvest and how everything went. ( so I will be using this blog as a journal) and what you planted and where... I had a couple pepper and tomato plants that I never quite knew which variety they where

~Fall gardening for me is harder than spring/summer its easier for me to create shade for my plants than it is to create heat.

~Greens are my best growers.

~I love gardening I could spend most of the day out in my garden if time and weather permitted.

~Youtube has been a great tool watching other peoples techniques and ideas lead me to growing garlic in buckets, building lids for my raised beds and attempting to grow vertically this spring

~Soil is important I tried to fight it my first couple of season buying bulk dirt from my local hardware store and trying to just amend it but personally i find a good compost and peatmoss mix works best.

~1 composter is not enough

Goals for my vegetable garden in 2012

To expand I think I have filled my space almost to maximum capacity I have 6 4x4 boxes, 3 5x3 boxes and a small greenhouse filled with planters but I would still like to...

~Try vertical gardening so I am going to build trellises for two of my 4x4 boxes and also for 2 of the 5x3 boxes I have up against the fence.

~Want to get at least 4 dwarf fruit trees I can't wait for our local nursery to get in the fruit trees

~To have a successful and plentiful growing season.

4 Girls & 4 Boxes

2011-10-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

So for the fall I decided to have my husband build the girls boxes since the rest of the garden is what they refer to as "mommies garden" I wanted to give the girls to pick and raise their own seeds. Being that I have girls of course standard boxes wouldn't do so we had a garden box decorating session.

I think the finished product looked great

Kayla's always happy do the watering

Kayla has broccoli and carrots

Jas lettuce and carrots

Rob lettuce, radishes and spinach
Ya has lettuce, turnips and bok choi

In the Garden This Week

2011-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

This weeks garden pics 4/27-5/1

-I am still getting a pretty good amount of collards, spinach and bok choy in my every other day picks.

-The potatoes and garlic are growing really well but I guess with those I won't know how well they've done until its time to harvest

-I have two count 'em two asparagus spears sprouting and I am to excited about that.

-I bought a few vegetable plants from the store recently strawberries, tomatoes & bell peppers to keep me hopeful until my seeds actually decide to make an appearance.

-The girls and I turned their baby pool into a pumpkin planter I divided it into 4 sections and let them each plant their own pumpkin seeds.

-I have two zucchini plants and one cucumber that I started from seed that have sprouted and are growing quite well.

I am looking for any landscaping ideas around the garden area, so please share if you have any suggestions?

What I have learned about my garden so far..

..my native soil sucks I did not run any soil test prior to planting I just amended it some with compost and store bought garden soil but it still is very thick and clay like. I think if i would have started with a better soil mixture my veggies would be doing alot better.

...I discovered Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening checked the book out from the library and I am sold I am already working out a schedule to change over my current boxes to this method.

...I also found a wonderful site My Square foot garden which has given me a couple ideas for my boxes and planting

The weather I can't call it

2011-04-11T12:56:00.001-07:00

It's the middle of April and we are still having nights where the temperatures are dropping to low for my peppers, tomatoes and potatoes to live so I out together these makeshift covers with 7 ft. 1/2 pvc pipe and plastic sheeting in hopes that the can pull enough heat to during the day to withstand the cold nights.

My greens on the other hand are doing amazing I am thinning them out about every other day so here is what I harvested today some bok choi and spinach for my stir fry tonight and some greens that I will blanch and freeze this weekend.

April Update

2011-04-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Well since march I have dug up all my previously planted fruiting plants it was to early and to cold so most of them were dying off.
My greens, bok choy and spinach are doing well and I have already been using them in some meals.
The garlic and potatoes are growing pretty steadily.
I have started some jalepenos, bell peppers, zuchinni, cucumbers strawberries and tomatoes direct sow, since I am having a hard time keeping seedlings alive. (next year I am hoping to have some sort of greenhouse set to hold seedlings.)

Week 2 March 1- March 7

2011-03-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

broccoli

watermelon

tomatoes

bell pepper

Zucchini

spinach & bok choi

collard greens

My leafy vegetables are all doing pretty good.

Moved the rest of my seedlings outdoors

-tomatoes
-bell peppers
-zuchinni
-broccoli
-watermelon

Added another bed to plant strawberries (originally i was gonna to grow the strawberries in planters)

Week 1 Feb.21-Feb.28

2011-03-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

My first week of planting I put out my leafy plants
-collard greens
-spinach
-bok choi

I also prepared my other beds and planted some root veggies
-potatoes
-carrots
-garlic

2011 Garden

2011-02-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

I am expanding the garden just a bit this year to try out a couple new things so my 2011 Garden will include..

Cilantro
Chives
Green Onions
Bell Peppers
Spinach
Collard Greens
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Watermelon
Bok Choy
Zucchini
Strawberries
Raspberries

Here is my gardening journal thus far...

Jan. 24: Started seeds inside (bell peppers, spinach, collard greens, roma tomatoes, broccoli, watermelon, chives, cilantro, green onions)

Feb. 1:
~Bought dirt, compost, garden soil
~filled raised beds and planters
~Bought blocks to build watermelon bed, added bonus blocks will double as herb planters

The space that will hopefully hold watermelons and my herbs

My garden space (3 raised beds & 2 planters)

Feb. 2
~Added fertilizers to soil
~Planted Raspberry, garlic and 3 spinach plants (wanted to see if it better to start outside or indoors)

Feb. 5
~Moved Strawberry plants outside, because of bugs (its still pretty cold at night so I am not sure how the will turn out)

Feb. 7
~Started snack pack watermelons, beefsteak tomatoes, collard greens, zucchini & boy choy inside
~Put together and set up composter.

This is my homemade Composter from last year

And this is my new, bigger composter. :)

2011 Wishlist

2010-12-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

For my 2011 planting season I am hoping to acquire a couple of these
Portable Greenhouses

and an actual composter so I can retire the homemade one I am currently using

2010-12-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

At the end of August my spinach died, which i am pretty sure was my fault so I am thinking next year a better location and more careful pruning. I managed to get 4 peppers off my plant before November but the first 30 degree night

took care of any further pepper growth. Next season I plan on starting the peppers earlier and doing a few different varieties they grew very well.

But here we are in December and I still have my broccoli plants these plants have some staying power let me tell ya but have taken a very long time to produce broccoli I now have a full head that I am planning on taking

and I a few smaller heads that are still growing

I just hope it makes it through the winter. So with the broccoli i am thinking earlier planting also.

2010-10-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

They Grow Up So Fast

2010-07-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

I feel like a proud parent watching my kids grow. :)

Here is my 1 spinach plant
(I have taken some of the leaves off of this a couple times)

my 2 broccoli plants

and my 1 pepper plant

That has started to bud
(the first few buds shriveled up, don't know what that is about any suggestions?? so I hope I actually get a few peppers)

At first I was afraid...

2010-06-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

I was afraid I that nothing I planted would grow but still I planted. I planted quite a few seeds and thus far have 5 that sprouted I couldn't be more excited. :)

I have 3 broccoli seedlings

1 Spinach

and 1 jalapeno pepper plant

I am learning as I go here so my next projects is to put together an organic pesticide to keep the bugs away I have been reading online and think i am going to try a
castile soap, pepper, garlic & oil mixture.
What do you use in your garden to keep pests away??

Progress, I think

2010-02-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

Last week I started my pepper seeds in the starter kit I picked up and today I took them out to see how they were doing and here they come wether I am ready or not

and I am not the weather is really warming up so I need to get on filling my boxes before it gets to hot so hopefully by the end of next week I will have to ready and going raised garden boxes, wish me luck.

Anyone else planting this spring? Any tips I very new to this?

Seeds Finally...

2010-02-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

So little by little I am getting my stuff together I decided to start my seeds first with this seed starter kit

These are the seeds I am going to try out .

Baby Steps..

2010-01-02T13:53:00.001-08:00

So this is my compost bucket after 4 weeks is has broken down quite a bit.
I learned so far in this process:
~ to breakdown my kitchen scraps into the smallest pieces possible there are still quite a few chunks of fruits and veggies throughout my compost
~ Also I need a bigger and actual composter :)

The home of my future garden
(the boxes that will become my raised beds that my wonderful husband put together for me)

By the end of January I would like to:

Obtain a few essential gardening tools and gloves
By soil still trying to figure out what kind and how much
Figure out what exactly what I am going to plant and purchase seeds

Essential Gardening Tools

2009-12-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

So I have been trying to compile of list of things I need to get ASAP, came across a few good sites to purchase gardening stuff and pick up some good tips:

www.cleanairgardening.com

www.gardeners.com

www.seattleamarine.net (ladybug clogs)

www.gardeningwithkids.org

On my quest for gardening information I came across a couple articles that talked about essential gardening tools and so from those I have composed a list of items I would like to start out with. So far I have aquired this...and I still need to get these items..

1. Gloves (they weren't #1 on to many list but trust me if I am going to be rooting around with bugs in the mud I need gloves.)

2. Sun hat ( I wouldn't have even thought of this one but after seeing it on a couple lists it made sense who wants to gardening with the sun beating them up.)

3. Boots ( I am thinking I may have to aquire some shoes just for gardening if I don't want to mess up any of my every day shoes)

4. Garden Kneeler ( if I am going to be outside in the dirt I might as well be as comfortable as possible.)

5. Garden rake

6. Garden hoe

I am sure there is a lot more I need so if you know of any gardening must-haves I left off let me know??

Garden Boxes

2009-12-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

I was gonna do rectangular boxes but now I have decided to do square boxes here is the materials I plan on using for each box (I am starting with 2 but would like to work up to 6 boxes):

4- 2x6 planks, each cut into 4 foot sections
12 3" nails
Weed Cloth
Staple Gun

you can find the whole design plan here..

Here are a few other links to building your own garden boxes:

DIY: Build Your Own Garden Box

Raised Bed Gardens

Progress Sort Of

2009-12-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

Since I am waiting for my husband to fix our gate to keep the dog out of the area that will be the future home of my garden I am kind of sitting on my hands but I was able to put together my own composter I will be sure to keep you posted on how that goes.

and I have been doing some reading

I will be sure to post the tips and highlights I find most helpful

Making a Simple and Easy Compost Bin

2009-12-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

1. Obtain a plastic storage bin.
Plastic storage bins are available just about everywhere, and most of us have at least one of them in our basement or garage. The bigger the storage bin is, the better. The bin you decide to use for composting should be no smaller than 18 gallons. The bin must have a lid. If you are able to obtain a second lid, this would be perfect to catch the liquid that leaches out of the bin. Otherwise, this nutrient-filled liquid will just be wasted.

2. Prepare the bin.
You need to have air circulating around your compost to help it decompose faster. To manage this in a plastic bin, you will have to drill holes in the bin. It really doesn't matter what size drill bit you use, as long as you drill plenty of holes. Space them one to two inches apart, on all sides, bottom, and lid. If you use a large spade or hole-cutting drill bit, you may want to line the interior of the bin with wire mesh or hardware cloth to keep rodents out.

3. Place your bin in a convenient spot.
Because this bin is so small, it will fit just about anywhere. If you are a yardless gardener, a patio, porch, or balcony will work just fine. If you have plenty of space, consider putting it outside the kitchen door so that you can compost kitchen scraps easily, or near your vegetable garden so that you can toss weeds or trimmings into it. It can also go inside a garage or storage shed if you'd rather not look at it.

4. Filling the bin.
Anything you would throw in a normal compost pile, you can throw into your storage container composter: leaves, weeds, fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, and grass clippings all work well. Anything you put into the storage bin composter should be chopped fairly small so it will break down quicker in the small space. Fruit and vegetable trimmings can be chopped small with a knife, or run through a blender or food processor to break them down. Chop leaves by running a lawn mower over them a few times. Crush eggshells finely so they will break down faster.

5. Maintain your bin.
Every day or so, as you think of it, you can aerate the bin by giving it a quick shake.
If the contents of the bin are staying very wet, or there is an unpleasant odor coming from the bin, you'll need to add some shredded fall leaves, shredded newspaper, or sawdust to the bin. These will dry it out and help restore the ratio of greens to browns that makes compost happen more quickly.
If the contents are very dry, use a spray bottle to moisten the contents, or add plenty of moisture-rich items such as fruits or veggies that are past their prime.
6. Harvesting and using your compost. The easiest way to harvest the finished compost from your bin is to run it all through a simple compost sifter so that the large pieces are kept out of the finished compost. Anything that still needs to decompose can go back into the bin, and the dark, crumbly finished compost can either be stored in a bucket or bin for later use or immediately used in the garden. It is also wonderful to use in container plantings.
A plastic storage bin composter can be used year-round, and is a convenient solution for those of us who don't have space for a large pile.

Tips:

1. Do this project outside. The drilling step creates quite a mess.
2. If possible, toss a few handfuls of leaves or shredded newspaper into the bin whenever you add very wet items to maintain the correct moisture levels.
3. To turn the compost easily, just give the bin a shake every couple days.

What You Need:

* Plastic storage bin, eighteen gallons or larger
* Drill and sharp drill bits
* Kitchen scraps, yard waste, or shredded newspaper to fill the bin
* Wire mesh, if you are drilling large holes

This information was obtained from About.com