After we had the retaining wall & fence replaced last winter, I was finally able to realize my dream of a vegetable garden. I showed you how I built a large raised garden bed complete with gates to protect it from bunnies.
We did two plantings of the garden last year, one Spring and one in August for Fall plants. While we didn’t harvest much from the Spring planting, the Fall planting brought us a lot of jalepenos and broccoli. Yum!
So this year, we’re trying something a little different, and I wanted to show you our plan.
Last weekend, I went up to Lowe’s and bought some soil amendments to freshen up the bed. I picked up 2 bags of Miracle Gro Organic Raised Bed Soil, 2 bags of compost/manure, and a large bag of compost. Once we removed all of the old plants, broke up the soil and added the amendments, we had a fresh bed to plant!
We had a few plants that were still going strong, so we left those. That included an herb, one carrot, and some green onions.
I’ve always read that you should not grow the same plant in the same spot year after year, so we rotated them a bit. I moved the climbing structure to the right side of the bed, and we planted some green beans under that. We also moved the jalapeno & bell pepper to the right side of the bed. I’m hoping that being away from the huge tomato plants will give enough sun to actually grow some bell peppers this year. They are my favorite!
I planted a cucumber plant on the right side. Last year, we got a lot of little yellow flowers but no cucumbers. New this year, we decided to try a strawberry plant!
On the left side, we planted a cherry tomato in the corner, and a roma tomato in the middle. We harvested a bunch of roma tomatoes last year, but only a few cherry tomatoes. I’ve read some tips about how to get these to pollinate better. I hope that by placing the cherry tomato in the corner, it will get enough wind to help produce more fruit.
This year, we decided to scale back on the herbs a bit. We have a cilantro and basil. We also have a plant left over from last year that I can’t remember what it is. I’m going to have to go back and look at my pictures. I think it’s rosemary, but I could be wrong.
We planted carrot seeds again, though these have not been successful in the past. We planted some last Fall, and we have one carrot that is still growing and is a decent size!
My son came home from school with a cabbage plant that all of the 3rd graders received. So he planted that one.
Finally, I love my little rain gauge! I’ve always wanted a real, legit weather station, but until then, this guy will have to do. I noticed when I took this picture that it was broken, so I need to swing by Target and pick this one up! Its under $2!
We really love having a garden in the yard. Home grown tomatoes just taste so much better! We’ve decided to scale back a bit on the rest of the yard this year since we’re trying to save every extra penny for the kitchen remodel. It will be nice to have a veggie garden AND a nice kitchen to cook in!
What are your favorite plants to grow in a vegetable garden? What grows well where you live? Tell me in the comments! I’m always looking for new tips and tricks for my garden.
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