We have a couple of raised planter beds out in the back of the garden, which we used last year, but not with much success. This year we added a lot of soil amendment and fertilizer, and I am hopeful that things will grow much better this time. We are trying to conserve water, and I am saving every bit I can to water these plants. We are in a drought situation, and letting water run down the drain while you bring it up to a warm temperature (to wash dishes etc) just isn't done. You catch it in a big pan and use it for something else, like watering plants.
As you can see if you enlarge the photo, I mixed in flowers with the vegetables. In the bed in the foreground, we have tomato plants, marigolds, carnations, pinks, basil, and coreopsis. In the rear bed we have lots of herbs: parsley, cilantro, sage, rosemary, oregano, chives. Also peppers, african daisies, salvia, cosmos, and zinnias. It will be colorful!
In the mornings, I love to wander out there with my coffee and check to see if things grew overnight. The tomatoes actually show signs of growing, which is strange, because everyone told us we were planting too early. You are supposed to wait until night time temperatures are above 50, which isn't quite where we are just yet. The days have been nice and warm though, and things look happy.
The garden path is supposed to have white pea gravel all along it, which is a very nice look. Our white rock has been in a big heap in our driveway for the past two weeks. My husband probably has some explanation for that, but if I ask he will think I am nagging. I will give it until this coming weekend, then ask him if he thinks the rock is going to spread itself.
24 responses to “The Garden”
I looked at the height of those tomato cages and thought, she is really optimistic, and then remembered you are in California and your tomatoes will get that large. Enjoy your garden.
I looked at the height of those tomato cages and thought, she is really optimistic, and then remembered you are in California and your tomatoes will get that large. Enjoy your garden.
I looked at the height of those tomato cages and thought, she is really optimistic, and then remembered you are in California and your tomatoes will get that large. Enjoy your garden.
Looks good Nicole. We are raised gardening as well this year. we actually picked lettuce last night and it was really good. yes this drought stuff really stinks big time. I am hauling sloshing containers of water around all the time and I think it is only beginning.
Mary
Looks good Nicole. We are raised gardening as well this year. we actually picked lettuce last night and it was really good. yes this drought stuff really stinks big time. I am hauling sloshing containers of water around all the time and I think it is only beginning.
Mary
Looks good Nicole. We are raised gardening as well this year. we actually picked lettuce last night and it was really good. yes this drought stuff really stinks big time. I am hauling sloshing containers of water around all the time and I think it is only beginning.
Mary
What a lovely array of plants you’ve chosen and I know the delight it is to go outside and pick your salad ingredients or seasonings! We enjoyed growing (and eating) grape tomatoes almost more than slicing tomatoes.
A word about lettuce: plant one of each type lettuce you’re growing, a week later plant one more of each type, and keep that staggered schedule. The first year, we planted 4 of each type at the same time and couldn’t possibly eat that much salad among the four of us! It was delicious, tho, and Buttercrunch is our favorite.
Wishing you rain in helpful amounts and where it’s needed.
It’s our 43rd wedding anniversary and we’re going out to lunch!
Hugs!
What a lovely array of plants you’ve chosen and I know the delight it is to go outside and pick your salad ingredients or seasonings! We enjoyed growing (and eating) grape tomatoes almost more than slicing tomatoes.
A word about lettuce: plant one of each type lettuce you’re growing, a week later plant one more of each type, and keep that staggered schedule. The first year, we planted 4 of each type at the same time and couldn’t possibly eat that much salad among the four of us! It was delicious, tho, and Buttercrunch is our favorite.
Wishing you rain in helpful amounts and where it’s needed.
It’s our 43rd wedding anniversary and we’re going out to lunch!
Hugs!
What a lovely array of plants you’ve chosen and I know the delight it is to go outside and pick your salad ingredients or seasonings! We enjoyed growing (and eating) grape tomatoes almost more than slicing tomatoes.
A word about lettuce: plant one of each type lettuce you’re growing, a week later plant one more of each type, and keep that staggered schedule. The first year, we planted 4 of each type at the same time and couldn’t possibly eat that much salad among the four of us! It was delicious, tho, and Buttercrunch is our favorite.
Wishing you rain in helpful amounts and where it’s needed.
It’s our 43rd wedding anniversary and we’re going out to lunch!
Hugs!
Looks good, Nicole. We have been raised bed vegetable gardening for over thirty years and highly recommend it. We are no longer in drought where we live in Australia but I still collect that first water until hot in a large jug then use it to fill the ceramic water filter for drinking and cooking.
Today I picked the last tomatoes which was enough for another four large bottles of tomato sauce. Needless to say I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen but we will have enough now until next summer. We all love real tomato sauce.
Looks good, Nicole. We have been raised bed vegetable gardening for over thirty years and highly recommend it. We are no longer in drought where we live in Australia but I still collect that first water until hot in a large jug then use it to fill the ceramic water filter for drinking and cooking.
Today I picked the last tomatoes which was enough for another four large bottles of tomato sauce. Needless to say I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen but we will have enough now until next summer. We all love real tomato sauce.
Looks good, Nicole. We have been raised bed vegetable gardening for over thirty years and highly recommend it. We are no longer in drought where we live in Australia but I still collect that first water until hot in a large jug then use it to fill the ceramic water filter for drinking and cooking.
Today I picked the last tomatoes which was enough for another four large bottles of tomato sauce. Needless to say I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen but we will have enough now until next summer. We all love real tomato sauce.
Nice garden !
Like how you have a mixture of vegetables & flowers in your gardens.
We are doing the same thing here. Gardens are in and we are using our bucket of water from when we take showers to water everything. Amazing how much you can water from a bucket of shower water.
Nice garden !
Like how you have a mixture of vegetables & flowers in your gardens.
We are doing the same thing here. Gardens are in and we are using our bucket of water from when we take showers to water everything. Amazing how much you can water from a bucket of shower water.
Nice garden !
Like how you have a mixture of vegetables & flowers in your gardens.
We are doing the same thing here. Gardens are in and we are using our bucket of water from when we take showers to water everything. Amazing how much you can water from a bucket of shower water.
Like your combo garden :). We were pretty eager to plant and started last month and boy are they getting big already. Of course, that was before we have to cut back our water nearly 30%, yikes! We’re going to have to use buckets of saved water for everything and have “sea” showers!
Like your combo garden :). We were pretty eager to plant and started last month and boy are they getting big already. Of course, that was before we have to cut back our water nearly 30%, yikes! We’re going to have to use buckets of saved water for everything and have “sea” showers!
Like your combo garden :). We were pretty eager to plant and started last month and boy are they getting big already. Of course, that was before we have to cut back our water nearly 30%, yikes! We’re going to have to use buckets of saved water for everything and have “sea” showers!
We put in raised beds last year and had fairly good success, but then we had to have dirt hauled in to fill the boxes … so it came already amended. We’ll see how things go this summer. Good luck with your garden.
We put in raised beds last year and had fairly good success, but then we had to have dirt hauled in to fill the boxes … so it came already amended. We’ll see how things go this summer. Good luck with your garden.
We put in raised beds last year and had fairly good success, but then we had to have dirt hauled in to fill the boxes … so it came already amended. We’ll see how things go this summer. Good luck with your garden.
Love the raised beds
Love the raised beds
Love the raised beds