2008 veg garden

Memorial day weekend – time to get the flats out, and into the ground! (in these parts at least)

The raised bed is full of tomatoes – three kinds, Heirlooms, Roma, and Brandywine. Using coppiced ash from the other side of the house to stake the Heirlooms, green plastic stakes for the Brandywine, and will soon be digging out the cages for the Romas – lest I forget which is which. Basil is planted in between the tomatoes, and I’ll be getting a flat of marigolds tomorrow, as I recall reading they are a good companion plant for tomotoes – warding off some of the nasties that want to get their grubby mitts on my pommes d’amour!

There are also Heirlooms in the barrels on the side of the driveway. I built the box around the six pack of 4 gallon (self watering) buckets, as previously posted. Carrots and Leeks in there.

Across the yard, I’ve got peas in two more barrels. I’ll be setting up poles, or something for them to climb in the coming days – ditto the (self watering) zucchini in the “tree” in front of it.

With the short spurts of rain we’ve been getting this past week, I haven’t had to refill any of the self watering containers yet. And my little one is all to ready to help water the rest.

All this and a hanging garden I’m hoping to get up tomorrow will bring my tomato count to 19 plants. (7 Heirlooms, 6 Romas, and 6 Brandywine. – I also gave 4 Brandywine to my parents that didn’t fit – a good score for 3 flats that should only have had 18 total!)
36 carrots, 16 leeks, 6 basil plants, 6 peas, zucchini and buttercup squash – and all this without loosing any of the lawn. Not as much as I’d been hoping to do, but a good first year back into garding for someone who’s never exactly had a green thumb.

Back in January when I was pining away for warmer days and a lot more ambitious, I was envisioning squeezing in several potatoes, dried beans, pumpkins, lots more herbs, asparagus and brussels sprouts (even though I’ve never had them), as well as flowers – edible and otherwise.

I still might try to carve out a little space to fit a little more in, without taking over the grass or the driveway.
Anyone know of veg that doesn’t really need full sun? If I could move some veg to the perimeter and get by with 4-6 hours of sun I could really fill the proverbial root cellar, and still be able to play croquet.

-- southern NH. - smack dab in the middle of 5a and 5b - with lots of shade and full sun, in all the wrong places.