Well, it may not look like much now.. but hey, my daughter and I started most of this from seed! The huge plant in the front is Zuchinni, to the right are tomatoes and California greens and a bean plant (which I need to get a trellis for) In front of that are Butter lettuce, more tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, corn (on the very right), more green beans, oregano, basil, thyme, summer squash and garlic.
Completely organic! At least so far. So, how are we doing it? From what little I've read, you plant your crops in groups of different crops. In other words don't plant a row of beans and then a row of tomatoes, plant a group of beans, tomatoes, squash, carrots..etc.. and then another group somewhere else of the same veggies.. the idea being that different plants have different defense mechanisms that can help each other against certain pests.
Another thing I did was plant fragrant herbs (oregano, thyme, basil) among the groups. Apparently this helps keep pests at bay too. I also planted patches of garlic. (There are four groupings throughout the garden) to keep away critters who are offended by the smell. (Not this critter! I love garlic) And lastly, we planted marigold flowers everywhere. They are also a bug deterrent.
Other than that, I've been watering it and weeding it everyday. So far, we have enjoyed some radishes and some wonderfully fresh butter lettuce. You can't imagine the nutrients that are in a freshly picked bunch of lettuce or in a fresh carrot or any vegetable! I pick them and take them right to the kitchen to make a salad. But we are only in the beginning stages, so there's more to come!
Here's another view. It's actually not very big.. probably 10 feet by 6 feet.
Cool, huh? Well, this city slicker thinks it is!! We'll see how we do. Sorry about my unmowed lawn. :-( Hubby has been gone on business for awhile.
So how about you? Do you garden? Do you know anything about organic farming? Any tips you can give me?
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Fri May 18th,
ReplyDelete"Morning, MaryLu."
Way to go ... on your 'organic garden' !!! Truly, that is terrific ! You've done a great job, and I am sure you are enjoying "the fruits (vegetables) of your labour" !!!
Alas, I never was a gardener, and now living in an apt bldg, no hopes of a garden here. So, no tips to be shared from this 'apartment- dweller'.
All of your vegetables sound wholesome and healthy ... keep on enjoying, with more veg's to come.
Thanks for sharing, along with the pictures. Looks great !
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Take care, and, God Bless,
In Him, Brenda Hurley
MaryLu! Love your little garden. It's coming along nicely. I would love to have a garden, but the yard is all clay dirt, so not good for growing things, except for maybe strawberries. So enjoy the fresh veggies for me. Have a great weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteYay MaryLu! Great job, little farmer!
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud when you said, "it may not look like much now" - it looks way better than ours! Usually, all we can get to survive is lettuce. :-( The kale looks like it might last this year, though.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks great, MaryLu! We have started a garden too! My parents always had a big garden when I first lived in Michigan, but I didn't really care about it at that time. But now that I am much older, I am so excited about it! She is also going to teach me to can! Yay! :)
ReplyDeleteLooks great, MaryLu! Enjoy them when they are ripe!
ReplyDeleteAh.. thank you all for your sweet comments and for caring about my garden. It's not much, but it's a good start. I can't wait for the tomatoes to ripen. Yum.
ReplyDeleteSounds like most of you don't have a green thumb! Not sure I do either.. but we shall see. It would be nice to be self-sufficient at least in the area of veggies.. just in case the world goes mad.
I'd love to learn to can too.. but going to do one thing at a time..
Have a lovely weekend, all!!
I love fresh organic vegetables, but I'm going to have to stick with mostly getting them from produce stands. My mother-in-law does grow tomatoes, strawberries, and a few other veggies... but I actually don't know if they're organic. I still trust them more than regular grocery store veggies that have been shipped and refrigerated and all that.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lovely garden, despite the tall grass. And I love the stone wall you have around your yard! Very pretty :)
Brenda - your "fruits (vegetables) of your labor" line made me laugh :D
Sat May 19th,
ReplyDeleteSo glad I brought a smile/laugh to you, Sarah McBride. Happy to oblige.
And guess what ??? I too like the stone wall around MaryLu's yard ... I noticed it in the picture but forgot to mention it.
Have a great weekend.
Take care, and, God Bless,
In Him, Brenda Hurley
My wonderful hubby built that rock wall.. it's really nice, huh?
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend, all!!