BJ and I worked hard last weekend to get everything planted in our little garden. You may remember our garden from last year- it was basically us sticking a few vegetable plants in the ground to see if they would grow- which they did, sort of. Well this year we went big. We got an expert.
My fabulous friend Renee is a Master Gardener and lover of all things that grow (that is an understatement). She graciously sat down with me and helped me plan out our raised beds to get the maximum amount of vegetables possible in our small space. Renee is so fabulous, she brought graph paper to plan out our space and gave me insider information on how to make these plants flourish!
Renee works at Joe’s Garden so she helped me pick the best vegetable starts out of the bunch, loaded me up with compost and greenhouse soil and sent me on my way.
Here’s what we did:
BJ filled our beds with 4 Way Garden Mix.
We finished off the beds with 1 bag of Smitz Compost and 1 bag of Greenhouse mix.
I used the map from Renee and I made to place my veggies in their proper rows giving them enough space to grow.
Using a tape measure I placed the plants in their proper locations and then I planted away, removing the plant start from its container and sticking it in the ground. Here are the lettuces.
Onions, leeks and garlic.
All ready to grow, grow, grow!
My beds are 4 and a half feet by 6 and a half feet. Here are all of the things I have growing: kale, brussell sprouts, strawberries (2 kinds), red onion, leek, garlic, yellow onion, Walla Walla Sweet onions, raddichio, gourmet salad mix, spinach, French Crisp lettuce, Romaine lettuce and fennel. I planted artichokes by the shed. I also planted 2 small boxes with peppermint, spearmint, thyme and chives. I plan to add tomatoes, peppers, a zucchini, cucumber and basil when they get in season in a couple months. I’m here to prove that even if you have a small garden you can get a lot in it if you plan it out.
If you have questions about your garden let me know and I’ll ask my expert.
I have to get on my soapbox for a second and tell you why we’ve decided to plan a garden. I have never considered myself interesting in yard work or gardening (my parents can attest to this) but the older I’ve gotten the more I’ve learned about where our food comes from. It is so important for our health and the health of our planet that we eat food from sustainable sources. So here I am planting a garden and raising chickens!
One book and one movie that changed my life: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan and Food Inc. (you can get it on Netflix or Blockbuster). I highly recommend getting informed on this issue, it will change your perspective dramatically.
