The Garden is Growing!

Over the weekend I was in Columbus for the TNNA trade show, a.k.a. "the big yarn show." While I did enjoy myself and the show was productive (updates on what I bought later,) I am glad to be back home. Our lovely housewarming gift from my parents came: this awesome 6' x 3' raised garden bed frame, plus dirt, vermiculite and peat moss to make the Square Foot Gardening Mix. It was the best gift!

I ripped up the grass under the bed and mixed the soil by hand. Then, I laid out the grid, using cotton yarn, which will probably disintegrate, but Mission Falls Cotton (color #207, in case you're interested) was more readily available than nylon twine.

Then, I mapped out where I wanted my plants to go, and put them in. This entire project took me about 6 hours. I am hoping it will pay for itself in bounty, but I know it will bring me many hours of pleasure, working in my little garden.

I have zucchini, cucumbers, scallions, peas, beans, lettuce, peppers and tomatoes. Amazingly, all my seedlings fit! Following the Square Foot Gardening basic rules really does allow you to pack an impressive number of plants into a very small space.

Peppers!

Lettuce! We are eating salad from the garden!

Using planters that were left and ones I had, I created a little herb garden just outside the kitchen door at the exit to the back yard. I have chives, two types of thyme, flat leaf and curly parsley, dill and oregano. I had so many basil seeds that I tossed them haphazardly into a container back at our old house, and they all sprouted. Now I have about 40 baby basil plants!I've divided up and transplanted the seedlings into a bunch of little pots to give to my neighbors and friends. Unintentionally, I have become an urban basil farmer!

I spent $125 on plants and landscaping. I think I may have to buy a few more bags of topsoil for the back yard beds, which aren't finished yet. At most, I estimate it should be about $20. Before we left, I dug up all the bulbs I planted at our rental house, so I will have daffodils for springtime. I am hoping to tap into a friend's garden for some more perrenials to go along the back yard fence. I have many basil plants to trade! So, I am overbudget, but still, I think I made out like a bandit.

Here is what's in the front garden...

• Window box: left by the previous owner and filled with 3 petunias ($9.) I'm taking my mom's advice in picking off dead blossoms daily, so they last all summer.
  
• Ruler planter: made by me and Jeff about 5 years ago from vintage rulers. We saved it for our first house. It's filled with an old rosemary plant and a mini rose bush we got for a housewarming gift.
• Pots: pansies from last year, bleeding heart dug up from the woods at our old house.*
  
• Bed in front: I have no idea what the ground cover is there, but I'm glad it's low maintenance, thriving and flowering cute little purple blossoms, so I'm leaving it! I put the two shrubs I got for buy-1-get-1-free in that bed ($18.)

• Planter: wildflowers grown from seeds by Evan (25 cents) in a planter I have had for ages.
• Front Bed: Free hostas from my friend, 2 day lilies ($10 total) and 3 Lemon Drop perennials ($1.40 each.)
• Side Bed: Free hostas from the woods and from my friend, 2 day lilies ($10 total.)
  

I'm very pleased with my first gardening adventure in our new house!

*Our former landlords are very nice in that they said I could take anything from outside the house. I'm happy to save these lovely plants from being bulldozed!