Monday, January 17, 2011

Blog Carnival-Garden Plans

I have never done any of these blog carnivals and after looking at the others I am sure mine is going to be a bit of a disappointment. I don't have any pretty gardens. I mostly want vegetables although there is a neglected flower garden out front (which seems to do real well without my help at all) but then some hostas, and a rose bush all covered with 4 o'clocks and morning glories may not be your idea of a flower garden either but I do get lots of compliments on it, usually when it completely out of control in mid summer.
Anyway, the plans. First off once the snow finally melts, I plan to try to get my compost pile turned again and add in some more of that leaf pile beside it.

Hopefully I will have some decent compost to add to the gardens. Here is the largest which still has to broccoli and cabbage trying to grow in it. The snow has beat them down some. The bulk of the vegetables will go in this garden; the tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans--whatever I can fit in.
Here is the same raised bed in the first picture (take two years ago). This bed will probably have kale, lettuce and onions in it again since it did so well with those before. The new little fence around it is to keep the loose chickens and ducks out of the bed.

This is the "upper" garden because it is on a hill on one side of the house. I haven't planted in this garden for at least three years now but this year it is going to get planted again. I am thinking about making this garden into two tiers. One tier I want to have strawberries in but I am not sure what will go into the other tier yet.

Here is the newest garden addition. I know it looks kind of sad right now but I'm still working on it. It is where the washing machine drains out and I want to make use of that water. Here in Georgia a lot of my vegetables fail to produce mainly because of lack of water. I am going to remedy that somewhat in the big garden with the new rain barrel I put in. I have hoses running down to the big garden and raised bed but this bed will be watered by the washing machine drain. The plan is to dig a ditch closest to that skirting that Phil is going to fix (stop laughing..he is GOING to fix it!) and then wash water will water the whole length of this little bed. It gets a lot of sun and I am thinking of trying a few tomato and pepper plants in it as well.
Those are the gardens that are going to get planted this year. However I am really also hoping to try potatoes in buckets as well. I have never had any luck with potatoes in the garden. The soil here is just all red clay and the bucket potatoes can't do any worse than my other attempts to grow potatoes.

Here are some of the new babies and some of what will hopefully be new babies soon.

Those are all the plans I have so far. A lot more cleaning up, building, composting, rototilling and just plain work to do once we finally thaw out.




new year gardening resolutions

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at my little garden in japan

14 comments:

  1. Oh I'm ready for spring! Sounds like you've got some big plans. I'm still waiting on my seed catalogs!

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  2. I didn't buy any seeds from catalogs this year. I bought them from an eBay seller and the rest from wal-mart. I am sure I have more than enough for my little gardens. I, too, am SO ready for spring. I like snow but it has overstayed its welcome here in Georgia this year.

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  3. Becky; Despite what you say, you DO have plenty of things to write about that interest us! All gardens have potential for improvement, and it sounds like you have got loads of plans for expanding your veggie garden, and we will all enjoy hearing how you get on with this. I particularly like the idea of re-using the "grey" water from the washing machine (as long as you don't use any really nasty detergents!)

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  4. I went looking over the laundry soaps the other day to make sure that there was something that I could use. My gardens just aren't all that pretty but they still grow things, at least I hope they will.

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  5. Becky, I would kill to have a garden like yours. Even if the soil is a bit harsh, you have a lot of space and so much to work with.
    Keep us posted on how your plans go. I am sure that you will succeed in all your projects.
    Best of luck

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  6. Oh, I am sure some of them will fail, lol, but I do try. It is always so exciting at the beginning of the year, not so exciting later when battling bugs and drought etc.

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  7. It is nice to read a post from a gardener who empathizes utility. Great idea about the washing machine water. Not sure how I would do that.

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  8. I would much rather see a "home-made" garden than one that's professionally done! I always dream that this year will be the best year in the garden-hopefully our dreams and plans will come true! Best luck with your projects :)

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  9. Well last year my garden was kind of pathetic, so I don't think I could do worse, lol.

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  10. I don't think your garden plans are disappointing at all... it is so much fun looking at people's beds and hearing about all their potential! I hope your bucket potato experiment goes well, too.

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  11. Your plans look great. Maybe rhubarb next to your strawberries? It could be the pie bed. :)

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  12. I would love to be able to have rhubarb here, they sell it and I have tried several times to grow it but it would never live through he winter and come back the next year. When I looked into it I read that rhubarb needs a period of cold in the winter and we apparently don't get cold enough.

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  13. Perhaps it is because I am a new gardener, and only just created my garden last summer (in June) and then planted! LOL But hey... for what it's worth, I'm impressed! :D And I'm inspired. One of my hopes is to continue increasing in self sufficiency, and this year I plan to plan much sooner! :O I never dreamed of either planting or even just "planning" in January, until now (thanks to you :). I beleive I will plan much sooner this year... thanks for inspiring me! :D

    Hat's off to you!!!! :D
    Corine

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  14. Just posted my stuff looks like we have a lot to do....Nice blog...I have the same format....

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