I know, it's unlikely anyone will sit in the shade of my carrots, but I thought that quote above was nice and is closely related to gardening in general of course so...There it is.
Over the last couple of weeks I've been getting my vegetable garden beds up and running. You can see a couple posts on it here, part one and part two if you're at all interested. It's been enjoyable to roll out the process and whilst I'm not altogether new to gardening my own vegetable garden is somewhat of a first.
As a child little devil-spawn I used to help my mum and dad with their garden which was quite extensive and included a fruit-tree orchard. I was the help forced child-labour...Just kidding. I loved it and learned a lot. Of course with the 176 intervening years to the present moment many things have been forgotten and, besides, I was just a little devil then; now I'm a bigger, and older, one. What I'm trying to say is that this is all a learning experience for me and I'm digging it!
Digging it. Get it? Digging it! Oh come on, you gotta pay that one. It was a little funny right? Hmm, alright maybe it wasn't legit - Can't blame me for trying though huh?
Today I thought I'd share some of what I'm putting into my garden beds.
I've put some thought into the available space at my disposal and the size and growing-characteristics of the vegetables I'll grow plus what I'd actually eat. I stayed away varieties that run too much due to space constraints although it's not entirely possible to do so. I'm going to put some thought into an idea @andrastia suggested, being trellis-systems, to add some vertical-growth options. I envisage chicken-wire frames and will experiment with the plants that may take to such upwardly-mobile growing techniques. Thanks for the suggestion Andy. Je vous remercie pour le soin.
Below is a list of what plants I have purchased and will plant out, probably later today. I still have to set up the irrigation system also...There might be an early departure from work on the horizon today. Just saying.
Vegetables:
Apple cucumber, burpless cucumber, spinach perpetual, lettuce green mignonette, capsicum sweet mixed, red onion, radish, cauliflower, baby broccoli, baby carrots, Aztec tomato, celery, dwarf green beans, eggplant (long purple) and strawberries.
Herbs:
Triple curled parsley, mixed basil, sweet marjoram, dill and thyme.
I already have a few other things growing in pots; red jalapenos for instance, mint, rosemary and assorted other herbs so I figured to add in a few things I'd make use of in cooking and salads. I'll expand it as I need over time.
The vegetables I have selected are all things I'd commonly eat and come the summer I should have a good deal of stuff to harvest and devour. Most of these things have grow-times of around 6-9 weeks actually, so before too long I'll be reaping a bountiful harvest from that which I sowed.
It's been really enjoyable so far, the process of thinking out and executing my plan. Of course, no plan ever survives contact with the enemy, and things are bound to go wrong but I'm ok with it. My life has been one long process of things going wrong, evaluating and redeploying differently and in between things went right too.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
I wrote about it yesterday I think but we got an awesome harvest that was of course plagued by losing the biggest piece of the harvest: a full-size tomato! Buggers those caterpillars are. He got a flick off the deck into the woods but will live another day.
Since we gave our cucumbers some vertical space to grow they’ve loved it! We get quite a bit of growth and harvest out of them now, I think we’ve picked 7 cucumbers off the plant since we improved our technique. Not going to feed a family but it’s a good snack for the little man that we don’t have to buy so we will take that!
Sounds like you’ve got a good garden setup going man, enjoying that for sure. It’s bittersweet to see your garden being planted because that means mine is on the way out! Such is life though, cycles and it repeats. Looking forward to seeing some great gardens from down under from you and Riv!
I saw that post. Pesky caterpillars! That's the cool thing about these VegePods, they have that cover that keeps the little buggers out!
I'm going to play around with the vertical/trellis thing and hope I'll be able to save some space plus promote a more bountiful harvest. (I really like that term, *bountiful harvest.). Lol.
I'll not be feeding the masses with my produce mate, but I'll gain a great deal of enjoyment I think.
Yeah it's a lot of fun doing the gardening. I get quite a bit of enjoyment out of it! It's good to learn for the future when we can figure out what's good and what's not good for our garden. Kale? Non mi piace! That's the only plant that got eaten completely by the bugs lol
The cover should work out great in the long run, though it keeps out the old pollinators.
Kale and I do not get along...Same as arugula (we call it rocket). I'm happy for the bugs to eat them into oblivion.
I've got potter French Marigolds around the bases of the pods which should attract some bees. I actually have a lot in my garden already. The covers will get left up enough for that process to ensue. I'll sit on a rocking chair on the porch with a shotgun to ward off the other little critters.
DEFINITELY go vertical.
I am growing up and that really gives more air and sunshine to almsot everything, plus more space on the ground to plant some stuff like some herbs as low cover.
Yep, I'm working on a system, probably a chicken wire A-frame of sorts. I've got a few weeks before they'll grow up enough to start needing it I guess, but it's best to get ahead if the game right?
Oh, definitely get ahead...playing catch up with unruly plants never works out.
Rascally plants! Lol.
You guys gotta think outside the "people" box - any manner of little critter & creature may use the shade of your baby carrots, it's not just about them humans.
You've got quite a selection! It may be an idea to see what will make good companions before you put them in, some plants are antisocial while others are more gregarious (some are just snobs lol) just like people. Here's a link if you get time https://www.almanac.com/companion-planting-chart-vegetables
I'm just glad you are enjoying it :)
Have a good one.
This is true of course, however you know my eye brows are caterpillars right? I'm trying to keep the vegetable garden a secret lest they get the thought in their heads to crawl off and mung-out on my veggies!
I put a little bit of thought into the companion planting thing, not a whole lot though. I'm no expert, just a knucklehead, and so I'll probably mess it all up and have to start again. It won't be the first time I screwed stuff up. If anything grows I'll be happy I guess, it's all about the process. I'll not be able to forego the market I'd say.
You are ridiculous when it comes to your eyebrows, but these comments always crack me up :)
You think this is funny?
You ought to be around when one caterpillar eye brow starts telling jokes to the other. Their laughter keeps me up at night sometimes!
Oh yes, I have read both of your posts about your mission vegetable and loved it. You know being a son of an agriculture engineer, I have tried it myself but nothing like your "Mission Giant Vegetables" though. I will do a post that will give Hivers an idea of what I did in February 2021 about 15 days before leaving Canberra.
Good lifestyle posts are always welcome on hive. ✅
Unless you are able to grow some kind of 丂ㄩ卩乇尺 匚卂尺尺ㄖㄒ丂, or shrink to the size of one of the “little people”, no.
Good selection that you’ve chosen. Did you get Aztec Gold tomatoes? I’ve never seen the name “apple cucumber” so I had to check that. I’ve eaten a couple of other varieties, but not that one.
I don't know why, but I read this as "no plant ever survives contact with the enemy" and immediately was concerned for your plants.
Super carrots might be a thing...I have special techniques (radiation)
The tomatoes are straight Aztec, so the label says. I hope they thrive like that ancient civilisation, and then I'll commit some to sacrifice...On my toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches.
No produce G-dog grows will survive contact with G-dog's knife and fork.
Believe it.
Oh, you're aiming for these carrots. I hear the fields glow at night when you use (radiation)
If your tomatoes go warrior style, you'll know they'll thrive. They might even fight you for the toasted cheese. I hope you don't lose and end up on the tomato sacrificial pyre, like so much toast.
First you must grow it. Don't forget to talk to all the plants, even snuggle them. They love that. Yes, I'm serious.
That carrot sort of freaked me out. Another thing to add to the list of reasons for bad dreams.
I'm going to recite Shakespeare's Sonnets to them.
😂 Let me add the rabbit to the equation, since I know you like them. Specifically this rabbit
No Byron in there?
Easter: Ruined.
No Byron...Maybe some Keats.
😂 Not a fan of Michael Sowa? Maybe it was just that painting. How about this one?
LOL, not a Byron fan, eh. Keats, meh.
Some Byron for your plants....
The bright sun was extinguish’d, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;
Morn came and went—and came, and brought no day …"
Legit right?
I wish I could write like this.
My plants will have to get some Byron now.
Yes, very legit. I wish I could write like that too. No dice though. I wonder what the plants are going to grow like now. Maybe you should grow some belladonna if you're going to read that bit of Byron to them.
You’ve got quite a nice variety there! I’ve been hearing about this vertical growing more and more lately. Makes me want to look into this more. Maybe our next growing season I’ll give this a go with some of our vegetables.
Lol I was “that” kid too growing up. I was always in the garden helping my parents. I wasn’t crazy about doing it but I didn’t mind. I never would have thought I’d be into growing my own food, but here I am. 😊
I hope your gardening journey leads you to a wonderful and plentiful harvest ~
Hey there! Yeah I was thinking of bending some chicken wire around a bit and using to support the actual vegetables and foliage with the view to save space through height. I've only just planted out so I'll not have to worry about it for a while.
That kid huh? Garden helper or devil-spawn? (You can say both. I was.) Lol.
I like that chicken wire idea. That method should help save quite a bit of space.
Hee hee! I’m going to stick with garden helper. 👀😜
Good choice. I'm really an 😇
Yeah, I'll play around with the chicken wire a bit, might take a while to get it right.
Lol!! I know you are. 😊😉
I hope it works for you. It will be nice reading your updates ~
I'll post my success! (And failure if it happens.)
Great!
You need Charlie Dimmock to help you. Obviously, when she was younger.
image source
Knows her carrots I'd say.
Wow sounds amazing, picking vegetables first hand is a very unique pleasure. When I was in Colombia, we had a small crop of cucumbers and they were the tastiest I've ever eaten in my life. Not only because they were planted and cared for by me, but because it does not go through as many hands as when they go to the market. You will have vegetables first hand. Congratulations !!
Growing one's own produce is so rewarding and the taste? Way better!
I think the biggest joy of growing a garden for me is actually seeing the items grow and thrive. Of course, having the veggies to eat is nice, too, but I get such a kick out of seeing everything grow.
We all do that and, hopefully, we learn and grow wise from it. I remember, as a boy, when Things Went Awry, I would get discouraged and stop. Of course, hindsight is much nearer to 20-20 than current-sight to a child. If there is one thing I could teach my younger self it would be to make more mistakes, not less, and really learn how shit works. I try to impart this upon my own offspring to limited success; parents since the dawn of time have attempted to pass their wisdom to their children and, throughout that history, their children have thwarted them at every possible instance. At least I know I'm doing that right!
So, since I'm making this comment all about me at this point, I'll offer up that next year's garden is going to take full advantage of "old time" gardening techniques. I am going to plan corn, beans/peas, and squash in one mound. The corn will grow tall, the beans/peas will use the corn to grow up upon, and the squash is apparently used to combat weeds.
You mention that you're setting up irrigation. Are you cheating and not performing a daily manual watering?
My father used to tell me that each failure prepared me to be the right person to accept success. It sank in and I had/have a fail often ethos. Seems like your kids are on the right track.
Interesting about the old-school methods huh? Mostly forgotten now, cast aside for more productive methods in the pursuit of revenue. I like old things and ways.
The nature of the pods is that they self-water to some degree although I'll be out there daily. This is designed as a hobby for myself, no different to building Lego, shooting, off-roading, camping, hiking, kayaking and so on. Just another in the list and one I'll actively engage in.
Now that's a pretty awesome contraption. I have crap for soil in the ground so have been growing above ground; to help me out I've been using the big plastic pails that cat litter comes in. I've drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage and each holds close to a cubic yard of soil. What they dont' have is a canopy or irrigator (which I play the part of). But... I have at least a dozen of these pails, they're solid, and I hate throwing them out. They do make good growing containers.
Whatever works and how awesome was it devising your beds? I'll answer my own questsh...Awesome!
This is about fun for me and I'm already having it, including chats like this which have added a new dimension to my hive-time. Thank you.
Carrots!
I mentioned on another of your garden posts that I am growing, too!
FUNNY story about my carrots in their Grow Bag. Seems a Momma Rabbit decided that Carrots were a great place to raise a family. She took up residence, and gave birth to 5 babies, in my carrots. Hilarious. OH, and the Carrot survived! Orange, Yellow, and Purple Carrot
Check out this post: https://peakd.com/sublimesunday/@bluefinstudios/sublime-hidden-bunnies
And here's my daughter, with the Babies! https://beta.peakd.com/food/@bluefinstudios/my-brother-is-wrong
Haha, well then, you know they say about rabbits and carrots! In truth I don't know what they say, but apparently rabbits like carrots. Bugs Bunny did at least. 😊
This is a funny story and I'd say it's a smart mamma-rabbit who makes home in a bunch of carrots!
Irony, she nor the babies, ever ate any carrot. they'd hop out of the big carrot container, and eat the clover growing nearby. Then, hop back into their carrot beds for the night!
Must have been a very comfortable carrot patch.