Garden Friday

Welcome to Garden Friday!

We are slowly making progress 

on our new additions to the fall garden.

This large cardboard box was just the right size

to help me fill in the new extension of the veggie garden.

Cardboard is often the first layer when utilizing the lasagna

or sheet mulch method of bed construction.

It acts as a weed deterrent, kills the grass underneath

(so, no need to dig it up), and forms the foundation

of materials that break down to feed the soil.

Corrugated  cardboard can be acquired from stores

or saved from new purchases,

then layered directly over grass and weeds.

Voila!

That's the start of a new planting bed.

The cardboard was covered by the (free) mulch

we got from the power company.

There are still some areas to cover,

and this method will continue to be used.

 These logs never got mulched by the tree trimmers,

so we decided to keep them intact and use them as is.

We will be exploring the technique of Huglekultur

in the new bed we will be creating later today.

These logs will be the base of that bed.

(More on that project next week.)

 We will also be employing these cool concrete blocks

with which to create the bed.

I can't wait to show you how easy they are to use!

 Meanwhile, back in the current beds,

we are getting a nice assortment of goodies.

This year's garden was a huge experiment,

as it's the first real growing time since we've been in our new house.

Come springtime, with the hope that the beds will be established

and the irrigation system installed,

we hope to increase both the variety and volume of crops.

Most of what we grow is only eaten by me,

(my boys are rather picky),

so I grow what I know I can eat.

I'd like to bolster our harvest

so that more veg can be donated to local food banks.

okra blossom

I've surprised myself by eating okra in sauteed dishes.

Up to now, pickled okra was the only way I would eat it.

If picked small, it is rather tasty,

and I am not bothered by any sliminess.  

The pumpkins are starting to find their happy place.

Flowers show us that we're on the right track!

This sweet lil' Sugar Baby watermelon

finally acquired these fetching stripes,

so it was harvested, despite its small size.

The melons did fine on the arched trellises,

so I'd call that a success.

Next season, we plan to sow many, many more melons.

 Another first-time venture,

was growing these turtle beans.

What a blast it is to see them change

from green (just like a string bean),

to beige, brown and then finally, speckled pods.

It's exciting to know that we will have dried beans in the cupboard

that we've grown ourselves for use all winter long.

With the garden in transition,

I'm looking back and feeling fairly satisfied with our successes.

I've learned so much already about gardening in our new state,

and there is so much more to learn.

I am blessed to be surrounded by folks who are

willing to share what they know.

Have you tried anything new in your garden this season?