It’s done. Kind of. Actually it’s not done. A vegetable garden is never really “done”. It’s what’s known as a constant work in progress.
So, more preciesely, it’s done more than the last time you saw it.
I welcome you to (but keep your paws off my vegetables) my Front Yard Vegetable Garden.
As you can see, I ended up leaving some grass. I went back and forth about whether or not to have grass but finally ended up deciding, even though I know it uses up a lot of water, it’s a lot of work and prone to up and dying … I like it. I mean, those things don’t stop me from owning pets so …. I’d like to introduce you to my newest pet; Blade.
It adds a nice amount of green and it’s soft on my feet. Plus it plain old looks pretty.
If you read this, you know the baskets all around are filled with seed potatoes.
The left side of the garden has radishes, beets, Kale, spinach, swiss chard, all kinds of lettuces, herbs, peas, fennel and to the far left, a couple of the heirloom tomatoes I grew. Unlike regular tomatoes from the garden centre the heirlooms will grow very tall. Heirloooms are “indeterminate” which means their height and size isn’t pre-determined. Most garden centre tomatoes have been hybridized and genetically altered to make them “determinate”. A specific size that they grow to and then stop. I knew heirlooms could grow very tall, but was shocked, stunned and kind of frightened when a reader commented that hers had grown to 14 feet. That’s not a tomato. That’s a character in a Brother’s Grimm story.
Of course the height is determined a little bit by the length of your growing season. So hopefully mine won’t go too far past the 6 ft bamboo tee pee I’m supporting them on. Eep.
You’ve probably noticed my wooden board in other pictures. Because I only have access to my garden from one side, I’ve left strips of soil that aren’t planted with anything. I can then lay the board down onto any of those strips and stand on it to weed and pick the vegetables all around me. Otherwise I’d be stomping down and compacting the soil. Works great.
The right side of the garden also has radishes, beets, peas and swiss chard. Then there’s carrots, zucchini, acorn squash, potatoes, and a spot where sweet potatoes will go once the soil gets a bit warmer.
This I am proud to announce is my first pick from the garden. A French Breakfast Radish as grown from seed. (purchased from Cubits)
The entire outside of the garden is still filled with perennials like roses, phlox, lavender and other english garden staples. BUT …
I’ve also filled in areas with rows of a variety of potatoes. They’re planted in baskets and right in the soil.
Seriously. Wherever I could shove a basket of potatoes I did. In this case the potatoes have lupins on one side, peonies on the other and …
Peas right behind it.
The general look of the garden is organized but not pretty, perfect, cutsie. I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun it is to come out and see how much everything has grown overnight. In a few more days I’ll have more radishes to pick and the lettuce is just about ready to use tiny bits in salads.
I’M FREAKING OUT. It’s so very, very exciting.
I grew 80% of the plants myself from seed, like the heirloom tomatoes. The two at the front are Black Krim (a dark, almost black tomato) and Costoluto Genovese (a large irregular shaped, scalloped tomato).
As the tomato grows I’ll just loosely tie it to the tee pee to keep it from toppling.
The basil I grew from seed … the parsley I did not.
This big, puff of a bee was with me ALL day. He didn’t bug me, I didn’t bug him. It worked out.
Buttercrunch lettuce. Grown from seed.
Mixed heirloom carrots. Seeded in garden in April.
Freckles Romaine lettuce. Seeded in garden in April.
Red and Green leaf lettuce. Seeded in garden beginning of May.
Red and yellow onions. Planted from dutch sets in April.
MY POTATOES ARE ALREADY GROWING!!! Planted in baskets beginning of May.
French Breakfast radishes. One of the many radish types I’m growing. Direct seeded into garden in April.
And finally … one of the plants I bought at the nursery ’cause I just couldn’t help myself. I love growing everything from seed, but there’s comes a time in gardening when you’re sick of waiting and you want some INSTANT gratification. I got it in the form of celery.
I planted the majority of it in the garden, but decided to throw this one in a topiary cage. Just for fun. It’ll probably die.
But until then … I will sit, relax and enjoy looking at it.
This isn’t every plant I’ve stuck in the ground, but the majority of them. I also have jalapeno peppers, green chile peppers, zucchini, a few more tomato plants, a bunch of acorn squash, some fennel (did I already mention the fennel?), and the plant I’m probably most excited about … a Bay Laurel. Yup. Growin’ my own bay leaves.
This long weekend in Canada I got everything planted other than the Sweet Potatoes which I’ll put in next weekend when the soil has warmed up a bit more. And then … it’ll be done.
Wait. No it won’t. I already explained that.
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wow karen that is so awesome! kudos to you, that is a ton of work! who went up on the roof to get the aerial view..you or the fella? lol good job girl!
Marilyn – The fella’s afraid of heights. HAH! Just kidding. I just climbed up on a ladder is all. :) ~ karen
Karen, this looks freaking amazing. Nice job.
Beautiful, wonderful, inspirational and all that jazz! I love that you did grass even if you have to name it. You still have a front yard that looks normal but all those wonderful vegies growing everywhere you look. I expected raised beds for some reason but this is much nicer. How are you going to hill up your celery? It wants a basket, too. The baskets are just beautiful. Around here you see the potatoes growing in old tires, piled high. Baskets are so much prettier but pricey unless you have found them at the $ store. LOL I’m happy to see you have added some herbs but where are your companion plants? They are such a pretty touch and so useful. Your tomato cage is a work of art and it looks like it’s ready for the tall maters. Here in KS it’a contest between the gardeners and mother nature to get the first tomatoes by July 4th. What is a realistic goal in Canada? Have the girls seen it yet? They are good bug disposers until you start bearing fruit but usually by the time you have to fence them out the bugs have all hatched and been eaten. They were never allowed in the strawberry patch though. For a species that is supposed to be color blind they sure could zone in on a red spot among all that green and go right for the fattest berries. I’m looking forward to the next update. As usual, you are amazing!
Looks great Karen!!! Whose tree did you climb for the whole garden shots??
this is AMAZEBALLS!!!
This is fantastic! I am a big garden geek and loooove the look of veg gardens. It will be so beautiful once it starts filling in (and exciting).
I must get some of those baskets for potatoes. I just got my seed potatoes but honestly not sure where to plant- our yard isn’t small but only a small portion is sunny enough. I have bigger growing ambitions than sunny space. I love this idea for potatoes.
Best of luck growing! It looks like it will reward you with lots of beautiful food.
Looks fabulous!
LOVE IT ALL!!! I think it is brilliant! (and…crap. I haven’t even planted yet. This weekend….)
AMAZING! What a transformation. Your garden is beautiful as is your photo presentation. I’m stunned by the amount of vegetables you planted in your space. I have slightly over an acre and haven’t planted a garden because it seems so overwhelming. You showed how I can take a portion of my property, not be overwhelmed, and make it worthwhile to grow my own. Thanks!
The garden looks fabulous! Can’t wait to see the bounty of goodies you harvest!!! I’m not able to dedicate time to a garden, but I’m eager to grow my own herbs. FYI: Here in Georgia, the bumblebees are always very curious of what we do outdoors… never getting in the way, just watching. Oh, and 14 ft. tomatoes is like one of those corny B movies… Attack of the Killer Heirloom Tomatoes.
Your garden is beautiful and so well organized. I can tell you’ve put countless hours into design and execution of your plan. I’m amazed at all the plants you’ve started from seed. I hope you post photos often so we can track the progress.
I know what you mean about going out everyday to see how things have grown while you were sleeping. So exciting.
Did the radish taste amazingly delicious?
XXOO
Deborah – It did! Dipped it in salt. It was really good. :) ~ karen
Beautiful, beautiful job! Wow! I’d be gazing over your fence for sure…stalking your veggies (so to speak!) I can’t wait to see an update when it’s all lush at the height of summer. wendy
Looks wonderful! I like the grass you left. I LOVE going out …several times a day…and looking at my garden too. And then when you finally get to “harvest”….(I say that all the time….makes me sound farmer-ish) ….and eat it….NOTHING BETTER! So excited to follow along…and excited for you.
Lovely! I am trying to grow a garden for the first time this year, and my plants are not doing very well. I think it is the dirt. Did you amend yours? It looks like wonderful dirt! Next year I will.
Also, I planted carrots, but how do you tell if they are ready to harvest if you can’t see them?
Thanks for sharing pics of all your hard work! It is truly beautiful. It is a fantastic feeling to be able to walk out your door and pick something to eat!
A Newbie Farmer in NC
Bridget – You definitely need to amend your soil. Mine was already really good, but I still added compost. If you want, you can top dress with compost right now. Just buy or get a few bags of it and literally just spoon/shovel some around the plants. You can dig it in a little if you want, but you don’t have to. It’ll help. ~ karen!
You can also make up a “compost tea” and water your plants with it.
Looks fantastic Karen. You guys did a great job, can’t believe you are harvesting already. Great shot of the bee.
Also, don’t know why but I can only see one comment, the latest.
Incredibly exciting to see as I am still planting some veggies. Our fun plant last year was Stevia, used as a sweetener. The kids got a kick out of the fact that the leaves taste sweet. I just drop some in tea or use the leaves as a garnish for sweets like cake or cupcakes.
I seem to have best results growing my lettuce in part shade lthough the rest of my veggies arecibo full sun. How much sun do you give your lettuce?
Jan – You’re right, lettuce can definitely take partial shade. Mine is in full sun because I have a corner where I’m going to seed (thanks for reminding me) again that’s partial shade. Full sun is O.K. for the spring but by summer even just the heat will make lettuce bolt and get bitter, let alone being in full sun. ~ karen!
This is so exciting!
I don’t have a garden just a deck with a long (30 ft) built-in planter (about 2 ft wide and 2 ft deep). Now there are mostly flowers in there from the previous owner of the house but also a grape-vine and some herbs (parsley etc. and hot peppers). I also planted strawberries and although they flowered, there were no fruits.
This is the first time I’m growing anything (I’ve been known to kill cacti) and I really want to learn more about growing food in containers – it just makes me happy to think of growing my very own vegetables. Hopefully next year (I’ll start preparing for it in the fall).
You still have plenty of time to grow, at the very least, some tomatoes in a container(s)! Not much is more satisfying that your own gorgeous and delicious tomato to get your gardening going!
Wow, it looks amazing. Almost makes me want to have a garden of my own.. almost. If I was retired and had the time to tend it, I’d love to have one. Keeping up with my flower garden is hard enough. Enjoy sitting there watching things grow :o)
It looks BEAUTIFUL! You did a really wonderful job with the yard and I love the creativity you used in finding place for your seedlings. I can’t wait to see how it looks at they all grow.
It is so exciting to watch your very own garden grow and mature! It is such a great sense of satisfaction to grow something so wonderful, so nutritious and so tasty! Good thing I live a few provinces away, otherwise I would be raiding your garden under the cloak of darkness . . . just a few things here and there! Happy gardening you farm girl at heart!
Karen, your garden is beautiful! Love the neat rows that will turn into rounded, fluffy (but still neat) rows as time goes on. And the radishes – we love ours too. Just sowed them plus a whole mess of other stuff this weekend. I’ll never stop being amazed at how you can put this teeny tiny seed in the ground and it grows into a whole dang plant!
Karen-It just looks fantastic!! I love planting from seed. It’s always amazing to see what comes from some of the tiniest seeds. Can you imagine what this place will look like in another month???? Maybe you can start a produce stand. and fresh eggs. You need a cow.
Truly impressive! You are a really hard worker.
Karen, your veggie garden looks wonderful! Enjoy all the bounty that is coming your way!