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The Garden


Flowers
photos from Meadowbrook Farm

Year Round Lettuce and Spinach in Containers


I'm dreaming of:


I'm dreaming of... defined, non-muddy, weed-free, spacious pathways like the ones shown here from My Everyday Graces. Her post tells how she got the mulch for free.



I'm dreaming of... raised beds, arranged with a plan in mind, in an enclosed area to keep out deer - and it should be pretty. I can't remember my source for this picture, but I'll keep looking


Here's another good wonderful example found on Home Design Decorating.
 
... and another found on Sunset.
Also see Sunset's Perfect Raised Bed.

I'm dreaming of... a garden the deer can't get to.  Here's an interesting idea from The Tucson Gardener.  I think a high fence would be more practical for us.

 Beekman 1802 has a ton of ideas about Raised Bed Covers.  I am really enjoying browsing their site... lots of good ideas!


Also from Beekman 1802 - a post on trellises


I'm dreaming of... fun, interesting, pretty trellises.  Here's a good one found on Garden in a Minute's Flickr page.


Lots of people sink PVC pipe in 2 or 4 spots in their raised beds to use as trellis supports.  I found this example from lantanascape on Garden Web.  Her trellis is made from electrical conduit.


I'm dreaming of... a neat and tidy composting system from Clifford Country B&B Gardens - their raised bed garden is pretty, too.



I'm dreaming of... a welcoming entrance to the garden.  This one is at the Ash Lawn home of our 5th president, James Monroe.  We may need two entrances.

 Of course Martha Stewart has gardens suitable for anyone's dreams! Her fence would certainly deter the deer .



Raised Bed / No Till Gardening:

"Soil compaction can reduce crop yields up to 50 percent. Water, air and roots all have difficulty moving through soil compressed by tractors, tillers or human feet. Plows, tillers or spades are the usual answers to this problem. But gardeners can avoid the problem by creating beds narrow enough to work from the sides. Organic matter can be increased greatly without getting bogged down, because raised beds drain better."
  • Planting a Garden the No Till Way - from Jami at An Oregon Cottage "...I have very few weeds the entire remainder of the season. Honest! I don't need to cultivate, I never have any problem finding the seedlings because of weeds, and I can leave for a week and not come back to chaos."
  • Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Design and Planning - Vegetable Gardening Online
  • No Till Gardening - Oregon State University "...the no-dig method... Not only does it use less water, she says, it discourages weeds, improves the soil, and reduces labor for tilling and weeding."
  • Build Your Own Raised Bed Garden - from The Pioneer Woman "...I have raised vegetable beds around my house, and I love them so much I add a couple every year."
  • A Simple Raised Garden Plan - from Raised Bed Gardeing Blog "...Raised beds produce a variety of benefits: they extend the planting season; they reduce the need to use poor native soil; and they can reduce weeds if designed properly. Since the gardener does not walk on the raised beds, the soil is not compacted and the roots have an easier time growing. The close plant spacing and the use of compost generally result in higher yields with raised beds in comparison to conventional row gardening."
  • Block Style Layout in Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens - Colorado State University 
  • Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens - Squidoo "...it is relatively easy to attach a framework of flexible PVC tubing to a raised garden bed over which you can place either clear plastic to create a greenhouse effect to extend your growing season even more, or some netting to prevent pests from getting to your vegetables..."
  • How to Build a Raised Bed - interesting plan from Erin Covert


Planting Guides and Charts:




Seed Starter Containers:
  • Make Seed Starter Pots From Newspapers, Method 1 - Slide Tutorial 
  • Make Seed Starter Pots From Newspapers, Method 2 - Get the newspaper moist, using two containers that are the same size, line one with the newspaper and press in with the other container. Remove the second container and let the newspaper dry. Use this to plant your seeds, and when your plants come up and are ready to plant in the garden, you can plant the newspaper pot and all. The newspaper will decompose over time.
  • Save eggshell halves for starting seeds. Use a tack to poke a drainage hole in each half then place the eggshell halves into an egg carton. Fill each shell with potting soil then add seeds and water.When it is time to plant seedlings, squeeze the eggshells to crush them then put the whole thing into the ground. 
  • Cardboard or Styrofoam egg cartons can be used to start seeds. Fill each cup with soil then plant seeds. If you use a Styrofoam carton poke a hole in the bottom of each cup for drainage. 
  • Yogurt Containers
  • Cardboard coffee takeout trays are perfect and work well as seed starter pots.
     
Source 1



Reminders for Next Year:

  • Hang the trellis fences higher so it will be easier to weed.
  • Dad wants to try Romano beans.
  • Try at least two no-till raised beds.
  • Space the rows further apart!!!
  • Space the plants further apart.
  • Mulch when planting.
  • Plant less.
  • Do something about the deer.

Garden Markers:

Fun Idea from Scraps and Scribbles


    Worm Farms (Vermiculture)


    Ordering Seeds:


    MISC: