[Davey7549]

Decided to till up the old garden this year, (All grassed over.... what a job) and start anew in 2003 with my garden. Had one every year for many years but gave up since it seemed no one appreciated fresh veggies or the work it takes to get there. Anyway I thought I would share the layout I choose this year for my garden. The garden is all first\second tilled, fence posts in place and waiting for compost tilling. All that can be started in flats are and within a week or so should be peaking there little sprouty heads out.
Don't know if anyone else appreciates the freshness of home grown but I sure do so I threw this subject out to see who else enjoys the gardening challenge and to see if they have suggestions of layout.

Dave

[angelize56]

Dave: Your garden is going to be a nice one! I live in a townhouse so all I do is plant flowers out front and a patch of tomatoes out back! Don't have a green thumb! My Mom did however. She always had her garden looking so nice...she layered the veggie plants by how tall they'd be and what grew fastest. The tomatoes and zucchini were delicious!

A friend sent me a Jackson-Perkin rose bush to grow....I planted it on the patio and nothing came of it for awhile. I thought it had died! Now it is huge and will be blooming lovely pink roses this year. I swear it looked like a little dead plant and I had given up on it! Glad I didn't toss it away! I have a spot out front below my mailbox about 6 feet by 4 feet....any idea for a bush that won't grow too tall I could plant there....could a lilac bush go there? It's so bare looking there!

Good luck with your veggies! I love fried zucchini! Take care. angel

[Rep]

Davey - Looks great. although I no longer hace a vegtable garden, for many years I did. I once started growing asparagus from seed. Yes, took about three years before I could harvest, but worth the wait.

Once lived the hippy life on a farm back in the early 80's. Had a huge garden. Waaaaay too much work. But good memories. except the chicken butchering day. No, that is part of the past and hopefully never in my future.

But a small, easily manageble garden? I could see it again.

thanks for sharing.

PS - We will all stop by in the fall for a TSG garden meal.

[moonmist]

Davey.........that looks ambitious .......so....the beans.......yellow or green........or both?? My Dad usually does a garden every year, the yellow beans are my favorite. I loved to go and just pick them and eat them straight out of the garden.......dont even cook them.......delicious. Unfortunately this year with Dad away, there will be no fresh veggies for us Good luck with yours !!

[valley]

Dave.....very nice plan! My husband Carl is an avid gardner. He does most of the planting and I do the harvesting and canning. He has a natural green thumb.....he is out there every day, inspecting each plant, rejoicing over every new inch of growth.....I tell ya....it drives me crazy sometimes. He is meticulous and manages to keep it weed free without chemicals. Our planting season wont be for a couple more weeks yet, til the threat of frost has passed.

Our garden is about 100X50 ft. We put it right where a hundred year old manure pile sits. The veggies crank in it. We alternate some of the stuff every other year. We grow extra rows of tomatoes one year and I put up 60 qts or so, as well as chili sauce....then the next year, we plants extra cukes and I do pickles. We also did the giant pumpkins for a couple of years but they kept taking over half the garden so we quit. One recurring problem we have is green peppers! For some reason, they stay small and bushy but never bear peppers.

Our regular crop is corn, tomatoes, beans, peas, beets, carrots, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, peppers (non-bearing!), garlic, potatoes, onions, horseradish, rhubarb and chives. Plus we have 7 apples trees and a pear tree...with no partridge Only one apple tree has given us apples so far. A few more years yet but then we will have hot buttered cinnamon applesauce that is free! Right now, we are still stuck buying then by the bushel.

I will try to draw some sort of layout to show you how its set up. Its a big event at our house too so keep posting here as you grow. I'll be interested in seeing your progress!

[valley]

Originally posted by davey7549:
Don't know if anyone else appreciates the freshness of home grown but I sure do

Yes, I forgot the most important thing. The taste! My kids will go right out and pick a cucumber when they're small, rub the pickers off on their shorts and eat it, skin and all. You just cant buy veggies this fresh in a store. And they taste so much different. A lot of work but so rewarding.

[Davey7549]

Angel
A regular lilac would be much to big and hard to constrain but a there are different varities that remain dwarfed and quite pretty. May want to have a look at the Jung Seed site or even sign up for the catalog. I am sure you will find the proper item to your liking.

Rep
I know what you mean by allot of work with large gardens. I maintained one 70 x 100 one year virtually by myself and felt I was married to it. Had more fruit than I knew what to do with or could give away. I canned over 150 quarts of various items and grew very tired of the process after a whole month of weekends at it. I am sure a small garden would rejuvinate your desire.

Moonmist
So sorry your Dad is away and cannot continue his garden this year. They can be a great blessing but allot of work getting there. Seems to me you should take over where Dad left off and enjoy what he had taught all of you.

Valley
What can I say but you certianly know how to make a man jealous! Just wish the garden was a family affair here but alas it is not. Funny thing though all in the family love to eat the fresh produce.
---------------------------------------------
If anyone wants please post pics of your gardens as they are maturing. Sure would like to see them.

Dave

[angelize56]

Dave: Ordered the catalog. I looked under lilacs...how do you tell which are dwarf and what zone am I in??? Take care and thanks! angel

I see lilacs bloom around Memorial Day.

[RT]

You know you will be rewarded for your efforts, davey.

Absolutely nothing like a tomato still warm from the sun - I live for summer just so I can make a tomato sandwich with expensive mayo, a few grains of Kosher salt, a grind of pepper or two, on fresh bread (home made if possible)...you have to eat it standing over the sink! Makes me happy!

Val said " the taste..." that's what it's all about, but no chemicals is a big plus.
The thing that really amazed me when we tried it was the taste of home grown potatoes, really different than what you normally buy - really delicious. Easy to grow too. They don't even need soil, if you can get "seed potatos" just lay down newspaper and bury them in straw! It works and they come out clean.

We've never had much luck with root veg like beets and carrots, but great luck with herbs. Try a growing some sage and rosemary and you will have a Thanksgiving dinner to remember.

[Davey7549]

Angel
Here is the link to the dwarf Lilac's I mentioned. Most are of the Korean variety and should grow up to 4 to 6' tall depending on climate and soil. What I like about this variety is its bushy nature and is considerably more full than its American cousin which we used to seeing. Here is a more in depth of the Dwarf Lilac.

RT
I know what you mean about homegrown potatoes but didn't know you could grow them in newspaper! Will have to try that!
We have several large potato farms in the area and stock up on taters in the fall for storage and use over winter. At 6 bucks a 50lb bag one cannot go wrong. The farms, one of which is Kincard, grow the large red variety and private label them for sale throughout the states. If you look at the bottom of the bags on Red potatoes you may find their name. What is great about fresh potatoes is how moist they are and their unique flavor.

As far as Chemicals the only fertilizer I use is Fish Emulsion which is 100% natural. My preferences is no chemicals to boost production unless it is necessary and emulsion is my choice.Here is just one example of it but it is manufactured by many firms and usually available at most garden centers and even some larger chains. Years ago when I did allot of fishing I used to bury the filleted carcases in the garden and also till in all coffee grounds, egg shells, or any left overs from the table that is easily degradable.

Dave

PS: Moonmist..... missed your question about the beans! They are the green variety since I am the only one who eats the yellows. Yellows are also my favorite but greens are close behind.

[littlemar]

I usually try to get my garden going every year. I may just do a little one since I end up doing the planting, weeding and picking. I will be busy and gone a lot this summer so I don't need to come home to an overgrown garden.

I will have the tomatoes, spinach, green beans and peas. I'm also thinking of pumpkins again this year. And I agree with everyone that the taste of fresh veggie's can't be beat.

[mtbird]

Very nice garden Davey Mine is just a small one this year. Mostly tomatoes and peppers, but I really love them ! Especially those Sungold Cherry tomatoes

[angelize56]

Thanks Dave! A question....my mailbox is probably about 5 feet from the ground. Is it ok to plant a dwarf lilac there below it? Are they much to take care of? I'll post a pic later of the spot I'm talking about. Thanks for the links! Looks like a lovely bush! Take care. angel

[Shadow Bea]

Davie, What a wonderful Garden! I wish I still had time.. sometimes LOL.
When I was growing up We always had a huge vegetable garden! In fact most of our food for the winter came from that garden we would can a lot of it .. Store the potatoes Then when summer vacation came we would go to The Okanagan Valley in British Columbia and spend a portion of the summer picking fruit which we would then take back and Can. most of the rest of the summer was spent harvesting and caring for our garden. It was hard work and the whole family participated in the process of supplying food for our winter consumption.. We were poor My mother was a young widow and this was one of the many ways we survived. I believe now, that even though I sometimes resented it as a Child.. It taught us a valuable work ethic and survival skills that few get these days.
I no longer plant a vegetable garden .. but what I learned from it has been invaluable! Your Layout is very NICE!

[Davey7549]

Mary
Seems some people are inclined to enjoy working with the Earth and watching its plenty grow and some are not alas. They sure do enjoy eating it though! Maybe later in the summer we can display Garden pictures. Sure would like to see everyones treasure.

Debe
As you see one whole 11 foot row of Cherry tomatoes! I like taking a small pint several time a week when I am traveling and having snacks along the way! Yummy!!

Angel
The dwarf will grow to 5 foot so you would be required to trim back the tops of the bush every fall after leave drop to insure proper height if you place bush directly in front of access to box. Not know the layout you may be able to hedge on both side of box and still have a lovely display.

Bea
IMHO I believe many of us never had the opportunity to make do with what we could grow, pick and can for the Family. If you think about it is really our heritage we are taking about and not so much being poor. I believe the poor who till the soil to produce in harmony with the earth for their family are the richest people alive today! No matter how terrible the times get they are always opptumistic and mostly have smiles on their faces.
You stated Work ethic and survival skills........ How true!!! There are majorities who would not know how to survive if the large food stores were not there. Most times I prefer to deal directly with the Farmer for our families needs but alas that is not always possible anymore since the small farmer is loosing their farms or abandoning them for development\ better paying positions.
Here are some of the items I look for directly from the farmers:
1) Fresh Eggs (They taste so different and are terrific!)
2) Farm grown Poultry (You know the one that run loose picking gravel in the driveway for digestion use!) They are the greatest, fresh and natural!
3) Brussel Spouts (Found a Farmer that grows and sells. Got fifty 3/4 stalks for $25.00.) Allot of work cleaning those little buggers and blanching\freezing but they are supurb!
4) Califlower (Many truck farms have these) Lange in Windlake Wisc. sells by crates resonable and you can clean, lightly blanch and freeze. Not as great as fresh but still yummy!
5) Any meats when I can I purchase directly from the small meat shops such as Sorgs in Darien Wisc. There meats are grown locally by farmers or themselves.

Well have to head off to work my pager is going off so they are wondering where I am!

Dave