Monday, May 9, 2016

2016 Garden is Underway


It is finally time to plant!  And as usual, I am sad that I did not start seeds inside a few weeks ago, but it all works out in the end.  We love to buy plants from our favorite local orchard.  Really, they do a great job and I don't have space to start seeds inside with all my geraniums.  Haha.  I also can direct sow a few things.  One winter I will start seeds inside.  It is a promise!

This year, I have 2 cherry tomatoes, 1 pepper, marigolds, catnip, lavender, mint, oregano.  The herbs are perennials.  I am going to direct sow cilantro, basil, pole beans, bush cucumbers, and dill.  I will have several containers in addition to my garden box. I really need more boxes.  :)



I love the Square Foot garden method, it is so compact, yet bountiful.  Here is a peek at last year's boxes.  



I learned a lesson about having too many tomatoes when there is only one tomato eater in the house! We did enjoy lots of cucumbers, enough to make refrigerator pickles several times.  My son is looking forward to more.

I will miss not planting sunflowers.  They took up so much room and I need the space for my pole beans this year.  Sacrifices one must make!


15 comments:

  1. wish you a successful growth of the garden! Here, no tomato lover (just me). I sowed latyrus and another flower (name forgotten). In large pots. And we have strawberries. For the other things I have to go to the store. I would like to buy red beet plants. I enjoy your blog about simple pleasures! Warmly, Aritha

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  2. Oh, I love your little sq. ft. garden Jenn. Neat as a pin, and the soil looks exceptionally black/rich. This year is our sabbatical for the land, so no garden, square or otherwise, which is a good thing else I should have been planting last week. I do want to mix some kale in with the flowers somehow, we will see. My Jeff says this is the year he will build me my green house... I'm not holding my breath, but maybe, but it's been so many years on the honey-do list that I kinda don't care anymore. The girls are getting older, so perhaps if they marry within the next 5 yrs, I will then want a much smaller home and so I'll be leaving it anyway... or perhaps the LORD will return, teehe.

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    1. I know how you feel. There are things I want to do here, but now that Jeff is working back up north where we came from, I think we are going to move back north after Ryan graduates, if the LORD allows. I think we are gypsies. :)

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    2. REALLY??? I didn't know Jeff was working back up north of you? When did that happen? For the same firm? Hmm, yes, maybe a quaint cottage near Lake MI?

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    3. He's at a big-time dream firm on the north side of Indy, so no lakeside cottage, yet. This happened before Christmas. A recruiter sent an email and a week later he was hired!! They are an awesome company, what he has been trying to find forever. If he had not taken the job south, he would not have had the experiences they were looking for. But I do wish we could settle down one day!!

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    4. Oh, CONGRATS to Jeff!!!! So is his firm even north of where you lived before?

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    5. No, it is just 20 minutes east of where we were living. Sigh. BUT, he never would have gotten this job without the experience he needed from taking the job south, so it is all worth it. I don't relish the idea of selling this house and moving, kind of wish we had rented! But we did not know what we know now. Live and learn.

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    6. One never knows the future. So does Ryan graduate this Spring? Are you starting to look for a place?

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    7. He graduates next June, so we have a little time to think about things. Houses are starting to move around here rather quickly. I am praying that if it is to be, it will be!

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    8. Well, we know God's hand is in Jeff's career, so he will direct you with housage too! Btw, our neighbor's house just went on the market today, but it would be a big downgrade for you all, but, it has lots of room for chickens and kitties. :)

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  3. Love the small garden! You've inspired me alongside a day with sunshine here. We've had such cold weather here that I haven't even thought garden yet.

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  4. Lovely and very inspiring! I checked that book out from the library to do our new raised bed garden this year, but I have a feeling it'll be put on hold until next year with hubby's back injury. Oh, well, I'm grateful for our good local farmer's markets--they'll have to do the work for me this year! :-) I am planning on some veggie pots for the deck along with the flowers. Should scratch the gardening itch.

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