A Different Type of Before/After
The vegetable garden is in full swing no thanks to the rabbits. Here it is the first weekend in May, right after it was planted.
And here is it is now. It is amazing how quickly it has grown. I took these same pictures a week or two ago and planned on posting those, but when I looked at them again I realized how different it already looked. So I had to go back outside and snap some more.
Beans, peas, jalapeno, and tomato plants
The Herbs (Basil, Parsley, Mint, Sage, Oregano)
Raspberries and Carrots
In this pic yo can see the lettuce (the tall purpley stuff) before I had to pull it because it was "bolting" and starting to taste bitter. (Winter is enjoying what we like to call her "hot stone massage."
Enough with the pictures, here is what I have learned from my first vegetable garden.
1. I was not successful starting seeds indoors. They grew no problem but even in a sunny window I not think they got enough light and therefore got incredibly leggy. So even though I put them outside a week to harden them off, once I planted them in the ground they fried. So if I decide to start seed indoors next year I will need better light.
2. I need a plan for preserving food as it matures. We have so much more food than we know what to do with. We are making every jalapeno recipe possible but there are still 5 in our fridge and another 5 on the plant.
3. Eat lettuce early. I knew it was a cool season annual from my reading but I did not realize how quickly it would bolt and then become too bitter to eat. We did get a lot of good salads out of it but I was so worried about it eating it too quickly that a lot of it went to waste. I am also going to maybe find something to shade it next year so it hopefully will bolt later in the season.
4. Add tons of compost even in brand new enriched garden soil. Mid season I had to add a lot more for water retention than for any other reason. The soil on it own was requiring water everyday and was developing giant cracks.
5. Check the garden for ripe fruit and vegetables everyday just to make sure that birds or other animals do not get to them first.
I am sure that by the end of the growing season that I will have a lot more "learning experiences." Considering this is my first vegetable garden, I am very happy how it turned out. And there is nothing better than getting a large portion of your dinner from the backyard.
Awwwww summer.....
And here is it is now. It is amazing how quickly it has grown. I took these same pictures a week or two ago and planned on posting those, but when I looked at them again I realized how different it already looked. So I had to go back outside and snap some more.Beans, peas, jalapeno, and tomato plantsThe Herbs (Basil, Parsley, Mint, Sage, Oregano)Raspberries and CarrotsThe Bounty-
In this pic yo can see the lettuce (the tall purpley stuff) before I had to pull it because it was "bolting" and starting to taste bitter. (Winter is enjoying what we like to call her "hot stone massage."Enough with the pictures, here is what I have learned from my first vegetable garden.
1. I was not successful starting seeds indoors. They grew no problem but even in a sunny window I not think they got enough light and therefore got incredibly leggy. So even though I put them outside a week to harden them off, once I planted them in the ground they fried. So if I decide to start seed indoors next year I will need better light.
2. I need a plan for preserving food as it matures. We have so much more food than we know what to do with. We are making every jalapeno recipe possible but there are still 5 in our fridge and another 5 on the plant.
3. Eat lettuce early. I knew it was a cool season annual from my reading but I did not realize how quickly it would bolt and then become too bitter to eat. We did get a lot of good salads out of it but I was so worried about it eating it too quickly that a lot of it went to waste. I am also going to maybe find something to shade it next year so it hopefully will bolt later in the season.
4. Add tons of compost even in brand new enriched garden soil. Mid season I had to add a lot more for water retention than for any other reason. The soil on it own was requiring water everyday and was developing giant cracks.
5. Check the garden for ripe fruit and vegetables everyday just to make sure that birds or other animals do not get to them first.
I am sure that by the end of the growing season that I will have a lot more "learning experiences." Considering this is my first vegetable garden, I am very happy how it turned out. And there is nothing better than getting a large portion of your dinner from the backyard.
Awwwww summer.....