Dirt? Check! Now what?
I've been talking about wanting to grow my own vegetables for ages, but so far all I've managed is some semi-successful herbs and tomatoes in pots.
Months ago, I saw a post on "how to build your own raised garden bed" and sent it to my husband, along with the note: "I want to do this!" And I meant it, I really did. I WANT to have a little garden. I'm just not sure I'm going to be any good at it, based on my past experience in keeping plants alive.
But it's too late to back down now! I looked out the window last night and saw my husband digging up a big chunk of our lawn. He did a whole long row along our fenceline, making the place for a narrow bed that will extend to the edge of our property instead of stopping halfway, as the current flowerbed does.
So. We've got the beginnings of a garden. Now what? Help me out, Internet people!
What can I grow in an approximately 2x16 foot space that is easy, healthy and delicious?
I'm looking for fool-proof vegetables. Vegetables that will not let me down. Vegetables that are very hard to kill.
What should I plant, and how do I go about planting it?
(Just in case there is anyone out there who really knows their gardening stuff, and wants to share their knowledge with me, and wants more info about my "garden": we live in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon, which looks like I'm a Zone 8 on the Plant Hardiness map. The bed runs north-south and gets direct sunlight from the south and east all through the morning and mid-day. Starting some time in the afternoon it is in the shade from our neighbor's huge fir tree.)
9 comments:
First thing I ever gardened was tomatoes. Love them and they'll love you back. I actually have some extra starts if you're in the market. Tips on growing and loving them, too - mostly from my own trials and errors. :)
Zucchini are pretty easy and will produce like crazy. I suggest starting seeds in a pot and transplanting when they're the size of your hand or so. But you can wait another month at least before planting them--they're a late summer vegetable. Lettuce is quite easy too. Plant a few seeds every week or two and you'll have a constant supply of producing lettuce.
Lettuce! IT's hard to kill. You can forget to water it for days, and it will be limp and sad and then with some water on day five... back to life!
I second the zucchini - you can make zucchini bread with the girls!
Strawberries are pretty hardy too, and so rewardingly sweet when they're ripe.
I'd have to agree with these people. Tomatoes, Zucchini, I would add crook neck squash. :) It is easiest to go to the store and buy a good started plant. We always have success with those. Then all we ever did was water them and weed once in awhile, but once they get bigger you don't even have to weed! :) Green beans and corn you can usually just plant from a seed, but they are pretty tall, and the green beans need poles. :) Oh, thing about zucchini and squash... they will definitely grow larger than your 2' plot. :) They get huge!
If you get enough sun in that spot for tomatoes, I would try alternating them with basil. The combination is supposed to help deter tomato worms. Zucchini is a great one--lots of produce for little work. I also love bell peppers, but haven't tried them yet in Oregon. I find Sunset magazine to be a great resource--tells you what to do each month!
I'm a big square foot gardening fan. The book has been around forever, and there is an official website. It is a easy and simple system for a beginning gardener with limited space. The creator of the system gives cost and labor saving tips. Also, a portion of the book is dedicated to an alphabetical planting/growing guide.
Oh, Jen, sounds like a perfect place to build a garden! Fool-proof veggies include: tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini or yellow squash (you can train them to grow up the fence with support - it will save on space), cucumbers (again, grow them UP), peas, green beans, or any herb - basil, oregano, thyme.
If you like flowers, one of the easiest, hardiest mega-bloomers is zinnias, which like full sun and bloom more the more you cut to put in vases. Mine usually die back mid-August or so because they get powdery mildew, but they bloom like crazy in June, July and the first part of August.
Good luck, and feel free to emial if you'd like more advice. I love, love, LOVE to garden.
Happy days to the new gardener!! You've gotten a lot of good advice here, for more gardening tips, (and for advice, anytime) head over and visit me at Thorne's World! Search category: garden and gardening!
Warning: It is possible to kill an eggplant. I speak from experience.
Good luck, and I'm using the rest of these comments for tips myself!
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