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.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
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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Melissa
I love your garden. It looks amazing, and I'm excited to see what works, as I think we have similar climates (we're somewhere between zone 4 & 5, on account of micro-climates)... so if you can do it, I'm more inclined to give it a try. Beautiful work. Just awesome!
deneen
recently bought a book 'the front yard garden' but kind of punked out & didn't do it. Your garden has rekindled my somewhat delusional ideas that I could do this!!!
Mickey Arbour
In a word....awesome!
Joan
Fabulous garden! Your slow moving bee friend is a Carpenter Bee.....he is looking for wood to bore into and the queen will lay eggs. Like salmon, they return year after year to the same spot boring deeper...laying eggs. They like soft woods, Like the cedar trim on my house.....so don't make friends he is just using you for your wood!
Karen
Joan - THAT makes sense! He was here last year and drilled a hole on the underside of my porch railing! You wouldn't believe the sawdust he left behind! And ... he's doing the same thing this year! :( ~ karen
ellen
Very pretty! I am going to try to steal your board idea instead of the permanent stepping stones I was considering, although I may not be able because my plants are too big and close together. No plant enjoys compacted soil.
Diana
Hey Karen,
I think you can be proud on you!! Well, I am proud, when I see how many love you put in your vegetabel!!!
I have only 5 plants of Tomatoes, 2 cucumber salads and a lot of strawberys!!!
Next year there will grow Hokkaido pumpkin and Zucchini...
I`m on my way!!!
AmieM
I know you have probably mentioned this before, but where do you get your timelines for planting dates? both from seed and from seedling.
Karen
AmieM - You know what? With all the information on the Internet etc., I find a book that I bought when I was a teenager most helpful. Sadly it isn't published anymore. Also I just "know" with most things. Look up your "Zone", (I'm apx. zone 6) and then just start Googling. There are cool weather crops which you've really missed the planting date for in Zone 6, but cool weather crops can also be planted at the end of July/start of August so you harvest in Oct./ Nov. (peas, spinach, kale, beets, etc.) Just google your zone and research it. You'll find a lot of conflicting information, LOL, but just go with your gut. ~ karen!
Emma
This garden is amazing and inspiring! Nicely done.
Sherry (BTLover2)
Incredible, Karen. That's a lot of hard, hard work but the rewards are going to be so worth it. I'm impressed as always. Looking forward to seeing your produce (and I don't mean that facetiously)!
Langela
You suck!
J/K The garden looks perfect. Here's a fun thing to try next year for smaller, direct seeding seeds like carrots and radishes.
http://annieskitchengarden.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-22-2009-home-made-seed-mat.html
It works really well and gives you some "gardening" to do in the winter as they can be made well in advance of planting time. It's also a cool way to keep your rows perfect.
Again, great job on the garden. I love the green grass, too, only I wish it wasn't so perfect so it would look like a normal person's garden. But then again, you aren't quite normal, are you.
Karen
That's hilarious! Great idea. Thx. Langela. ~ karen
Barbie
Girl.....Your gonna have yourself some mighty fine salads this summer! Looks FAB! Can't wait to watch the progress.
Gwen
Well done, you! Firstly, how the hell did you get that picture of the bee? He sounds very obliging.
And, if your find your tomatoes are trying to go past the top of your teepee, you can pinch off the center runner to stop them from growing vertically any longer -- or you could cut it off, and plant the bottom in some soil -- will give you a new tomato plant, since any part of the plant that is buried will develop roots.
May your garden grow, and grow! :)
Reg
What a beautiful vegetable garden. It is pretty and you should be very proud of your efforts. I'll look forward to updates on the progress and harvesting stuff when ready. Oh wow, I hope some things show up in your Weeks Menu. I don't grow veg because nothing will survive the three very large Black Walnut tress in the yard. Even finding shrubs and flowers that thrive is difficult.
Traci
Love it!!! I have a VERY smalll front yard garden, just a strip between my driveway and the sidewalk to the front door but I completely get your excitement! Everytime I find a new veggie growing...SQUEE!!!!!!
Diane
Ahhh it looks fantastic. I'm so jealous. Especially all that lettuce. Now if only I had a garden....and a green thumb.
marilyn
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!
Karen
Marilyn - The fella's afraid of heights. HAH! Just kidding. I just climbed up on a ladder is all. :) ~ karen
Jonna
Karen, this looks freaking amazing. Nice job.
Gayla T
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!
Kim Merry
Looks great Karen!!! Whose tree did you climb for the whole garden shots??
angela
this is AMAZEBALLS!!!