Anyone have a garden going this year?

I’ve never had a garden (as in growing fruits and vegetables), yard work is one of my least favorite things to do.

 

I've heard charring posts before planting them can be helpful, wonder if a similar approach would work for raised bed lumber?

 

I would imagine that it would work, burn the outside just enough to form a decent layer of char but not so much that you make the wood brittle and if your using it for direct soil contact don't remove the char on that side, the char is what is protecting the wood.

Here is a quote from Science Daily," "Charcoal fertilization can permanently increase soil organic matter content and improve soil quality, persisting in soil for hundreds to thousands of years," Mingxin Guo, Ph.D., and colleagues report." referring to a site in the Amazon that is 1500 years old and still has charcoal in the soil from their farming practices.

 

Once again I'd love to have a few tomato plants. And once again I probably won't do it. I will, however, mooch fresh tomatoes off of friends and family.

 

You should try it, it doesn't take much effort if you only have a few plants, especially if you put them in pots. There's just nothing like growing your own, I think the sense of accomplishment is what really makes it taste so much better.

 

I was thinking I may have a couple of cherry tomato plants in pots this year. I could have them on the front porch and snag a few on the way out.

 

Didn't quite finish yet, but you know how it is, other stuff gets in the way, a million jobs to do.. : D

 

It's progress, it'll get done. You did quite a bit, are you working alone or do you have someone to help. I had a lot of help from my husband and my 2 kids, I couldn't have done it without them.

 

Reclaiming my yard, one section at a time!

 

I love the pebble borders, Moon : )

It is me and my partner at our place, but he's been busy building a woodshed and various other things, so the digging is my job at the moment.

 

Thank you, our yard is a compromise, my husband likes everything neat and orderly but I would like a more natural, permaculture sort of yard. So we have a few main, winding paths and just some smaller access paths between the lower rock beds. These landscape plans I made are not all finished yet and a few things have change a little bit since I drew them but it gives you the basic layout.

the shed has not been built yet and the circle by the stairs will be a patio surrounded(I hope) with a curved brick wall for a bit of privacy and to block the wind a bit.


This is just a close up of the main walkway with the raised wooden garden beds and the small rock beds that are next to them outlined but I haven't finished drawing in the beds around the trees. Also, the raised bed closest to the stairs is a bit smaller than the plan, I just haven't fixed it yet.


It is a lot of work, especially for just one person! Make sure you take lots of breaks, don't push yourself too hard. That's when you get hurt and then you can't do anything for awhile. I've done that before... a lot.

 

Just a few tomato plants. I would hate for the possums, raccoons, squirrels, and rats that live beyond the fence to go hungry. They enjoy all my tomatoes every year. Then they eat the lemons and oranges in the winter.

 

lol, I have made peace with all the wildlife here, I just accept and expect to have to share, there is usually enough for all of us... except I have still never gotten to eat a single pear of my pear tree.

 

I live in a concrete jungle
No I will not

 

There are lots of city gardens around, you could just plant in pots if you want to grow something. I recently saw a video where they planted in-between bricks in a brick paved courtyard, it was amazing... and weed free!

 

There are rooftop gardens in NYC
My building does not have one
but others provide fresh food directly
I couldn't grow mold on bread if I tried

 

You do not want to know what kind of preservatives are in store bought bread...

 

I like the infinity sign too : )
Cool plan.

The other thing I'd like to see is a different approach where you and husband split the garden down the middle, haha.. Neat on one side, wild on the other : P

I tend to be more to your thinking.

 

Also, let's just take a moment to celebrate worms!
I saw loads of them while digging today and would like to thank wormkind for their excellent work making the soil good.