In my April recap post I shared a picture of our garden. We had 30 tons of dirt hauled in the hopes that we won’t lose our garden to flooding like last year.
On Saturday, the kids and I headed to our local plant nursery to purchase seeds and plants.
We worked parts of each of the next five days (Saturday to Wednesday) to get everything planted. It is supposed to rain tonight so I think we got the garden planted just in time.
We did quite a few new things with the garden this year, besides the dirt, which not only add a little visual interest but will maximize our space.
One thing that is new is the addition of cinder block raised beds. We had lined the west and south sides of the garden with cinder blocks prior to having the 30 tons of dirt hauled in.
I decided to extend the garden to the west by adding more cinder blocks to create two raised beds, one for herbs and one for strawberries.
We didn’t worry too much about making sure all of the blocks were level so they definitely aren’t perfect. However, they should be very functional and last longer than wood.
We set the cinder blocks on their sides so the holes are facing up. Julia helped me create a pattern of yellow and orange marigolds in one hole and onions in the other hole of each block. I am excited to have color in the garden this year.
Butternut squash always took up half of my small garden spot because it vines all over. Since I don’t have my small garden spot anymore I decided to get creative.
I found a piece of deck railing in our barn that I thought might work. We set it on bricks and zip tied it to two metal fence posts.
I then planted a hill of butternut squash on each side. When the plants start growing I will train them to grow up the trellis.
I also decided to use the same concept for our cucumbers this year.
My husband’s uncle gave me some plastic coated chain link fencing that we zip tied to some metal fence posts.
The fence is about 6 inches off the ground, and I made a small hill all along the front where I planted the cucumber seeds.
I have a friend who grows cucumbers this way with great success so I am hoping for the same.
My friend did tell me to make sure not to use fencing with thin wires because it could cut through the vines.
Last year my husband and James built me a counter height garden box to plant lettuce in. We loved it and I have planted several types of leafy greens in it this year.
I also used the potato towers I made last year and filled them with two varieties of white potatoes. I am thinking of making one or two more towers because we eat a lot of potatoes.
I ditched the tomato cages this year and opted for using a hog/cattle panel that we zip tied to some metal fence posts. I planted 10 tomatoes on one side and nine on the other alternating them so that no tomatoes are directly opposite each other.
As the plants get taller I will probably use old pantyhose to tie them to the fence.
I did plant some vegetables the old regular way. I divided the west end of the garden into three sections and planted broccoli, cabbage, and peppers.
I planted the jalapeño peppers in another spot of the garden beside the lettuce box.
I didn’t get a picture of it but I planted sugar snap peas in a circle around a tomato cage (that I will add some twine to). I have never planted peas before so I am hopeful they will vine up the tomato cage.
On the east side of the garden I planted 4 rows of green beans and 1 row of corn.
The beans are planted so that there are two rows right beside each other, some space to till, and two more rows right beside each other. This has worked well in the past and cuts down on weeds between the rows plus maximizes space.
I plan to plant one more row of sweet corn in a couple of weeks. This will allow us to have corn on the cob longer than if I planted it all at once.
The sweet potatoes have been planted in a big mound and the zucchini seeds have been planted in two hills.
I am so happy to have the garden planted and I am praying things go better than they have the past two years (drought in 2012 and flooding in 2013).
Here’s a recap of what I planted this year. We already had blackberries and chives from years past.
- 16 Broccoli Plants
- 12 Cabbage Plants
- 16 Pepper Plants (8 Green, 4 Peperoncini, & 4 Jalapeño)
- 19 Tomato Plants (16 Roma, 2 Grape, 1 Early Girl)
- 1 Long Hill of Cucumbers
- 2 Hills of Butternut Squash
- 2 Hills of Zucchini
- Leafy Greens (Buttercrunch, Romaine, Iceberg, Kale, & Spinach)
- 4 Potato Towers
- 12 Sweet Potatoes
- 4 Rows of Green Beans
- 1 Row of Corn (I will plant another in a week or two.)
- Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Dill, Sage, Oregano)
- Strawberries
- Sugar Snap Peas
- 70+ Marigolds
- 70+ Onions (Red, White & Yellow)
I plan to share our garden’s progress with you each week. I’m hoping to stay on top of the weeds better this year. I have always said I grow weeds and children pretty well. 😉
Are you planting a garden this year? What will you plant?
