I'm joining Heidi's Country Garden Showcase Blog Hop this week! Hop on over to My Simple Country Living to see what everyone is planning for this year or in Heidi's case...already DOING!! Please join in with other gardeners from around the country so that we can all share our trials, tribulations and successes!!
I really haven't been gardening very long. The past two summers, I grew veggies for us but primarily to sell at the Farmer's Market. I have learned a LOT about gardening here in the high desert! I really like the Square Foot Gardening technique but what I really LOVE about it is the use of the boxes to plant in. Mine aren't really raised beds but rather designated beds that don't get walked on so the soil stays nice and loose. One of the things I noticed early last summer was that the squash plants that were planted in the boxes were doing much, much better than the ones that were not. I believe it is because the boxes help to hold the moisture in. We built boxes around the three squash plants "outside" and they really took off! This year, I am going to plant exclusively in boxes. I'm also scaling the garden way back this year and I will only grow produce for us, not for the market. This is because of my Farmer's Market bread baking business! :) I need to take stock of my stash of seeds and see what I need to order. I have found that drawing up a garden "plan" helps me remember what was planted where last year to help with crop rotation. I started my pepper, eggplant and tomato seeds too early last year and had to transplant them twice before it was time to set them out so I'm going to wait until March to start them this year.
By next week, I'm hoping to have some before-and-after pruning pictures of my fruit trees. This is the time of year to do that here. I'm also hoping that by joining this Blog Hop, I will be inspired to get some cold weather crops going in my garden. I had planted quite a bit (twice!) in the fall but the stinkin' grasshoppers ate the sprouts as quick as they came up!
What are you planning for this year's garden or have you already started?
9 comments:
Oh, how I love this planning stage! Right now I'm researching what I'll need to plant for growing my own chicken feed! So, I'm planning on a garden spot just for them.
-Jaime
Now you did it. I must take out my seed catelogs :-)
You are an inspiration Candy. I am still planning this week too. Interesting about the squash. I think you're on to something. Mone did fantastic last year as well, and it was my first year with raised boxes. I figured the boxes provided better aeration than our clay soil. In your case, I bet the boxes help keep moisture at root zone longer than the desert soil w/high sand content would. do.
Jaime,
How fun! I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
Jean,
Oops! Sorry! ;-)
Heidi,
I'm pretty sure it was the fact that they held the moisture better. Guess I'll find out for sure this year! LOL!!
I love it when I get my seed saver catalog in the mail. i make a list that is most obscene to look at! i drool over all the pictures and amazing names, then come back to reality and make a real list and doable list... i like my obscene list better though! no real plans yet, too early. yours sounds nice though, can't wait to watch and see too!
I haven't even started thinking about a garden yet, but everyone is talking about gardens, and I'm starting to get itchy fingers.
I planted pumpkins last year. Maybe the human will let me plant something else yummy~maybe soybeans. We sampled those in her field last summer, and they are yummy too!
SweetLand Farm,
I tend to get a bit carried away on the first pass through the catalogs too! LOL!!
Teresa,
Seems once the Holidays are past, garden planning starts taking over!
Millie,
I remember your pumpkins Millie! You did an awesome job growing them! ;-)
I see a catalog that looks very familiar. I haven't ordered anything yet, but have a list of what I need to plant more of.
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