Three weeks later, I spent hours breaking up the clods and clumps of grass before smoothing the surface with a rake. Then I mixed potting soil, organic fertilizer, and mulch together and worked it in with the existing dirt. We were ready to plant!
Over Memorial Day weekend, I planted zucchini's, cucumbers, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, basil, and tomatoes. A few marigolds help repel garden-eating bugs.
We weren't sure how the vegetables would respond to the soil and the location. So far, they're thriving. The garden took up little room, allowing me to mulch the entire thing. In one month I've picked three stalks of grass and one weed. Obviously the weed killer in early April made the biggest difference, but the mulch helps tremendously. Next year we'll skip the initial weed killer. I'm sure I'll be pulling more weeds.
Here are pictures from the day I planted them. (We also arranged potted flowers.)
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| Zucchini and cucumber plants in the corner of our garden. |
Basil and pepper plants.
Here are pictures I took over the weekend (four weeks later).
Jalapenos will be ready soon!
The "little" zucchini plants in the corner grew quickly!
Love how full the potted arrangement became. :)
We've had a LOT of rain this summer. I saw these cute little mushrooms popping up and had to take a picture. :)
Gardening can be a lot of work, but I've done very little out there in the last month. It's so fun watching all the plants and blossoms grow. We have three zucchinis almost ready to pick. The tomato plants are huge, but it will be a while before we get any of those.
Do you garden? What are your secrets? If not, consider a small garden like ours--it's been fun and easy!
Have a wonderful day!
Your garden looks great. Is the dachsie the measuring stick for when the zucchinis are ready to pick?
ReplyDeleteHa, ha! She is now, CJ! Too funny!!
DeleteThat is so pretty! Do I garden? Umm...I try. LOL We'll leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteSame here! Some years are MUCH better than others! :)
DeleteThat's awesome. I don't have a green thumb. I have one little flowerbed that I keep up. That's where my skills end.
ReplyDeleteOne little flowerbed is all you need for a smile! I love flowers!
DeleteCool! I don't garden, but I do like plants...and I LOVE outdoor work. So if I ever have the space and time to garden, I think I might enjoy giving it a try. :)
ReplyDeleteWe've had larger gardens, Melissa, and the weeds were too much for us. I highly recommend "landscape gardening." It's much easier to deal with!
DeleteI want to garden, but I have to wait because the only spot with enough sun is where they kids' play area is. Our youngest is seven and I'm trying to convince her she doesn't need the swings anymore, but cucumbers...now THOSE she'd love;) LOl. It's not working so well! Yours looks beautiful--what will you make with your zucchini or will you just sautee them up?
ReplyDeleteIt IS hard to garden if you don't have natural sunlight. Cucumbers can grow on trellises if you ever feel like trying them!
DeleteI make zucchini's in a million ways. Zucchini muffins, fried, roasted, in a chowder--you name it! Everyone gets sick of them by the time fall comes around, but I've always loved them!
Jill, I love your garden! Looks like there's room to expand next year. Isn't zucchini terrific? Lots of love, for very little effort. String beans and cukes are like that, too! We live in a townhouse, and the sunny backyard is mostly deck. I'm a container gardener, but have had a lot of success - you should see the tomato plants in my earth boxes...they are taller than me already!
ReplyDelete~Kathy
Container gardens can yield a lot of produce! Plus, they're easy to weed and take care of. They need a little more TLC on the watering side, but they're worth it. I'd love to see your tomato plants! Yum!!
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