Next project: the vegetable patch
Although spring is a month away, it's time to get the vegetables started. Just as summer bodies are made in winter, summer gardens get started then, too. I couldn't care less about having a summer body but I do like home-grown vegetables.
When I first moved in, the front garden looked like this:
I decided to grow vegetables at the front although once I got digging, I discovered vast quantities of rocks, stones and sundry rubbish in the soil. There was a lot of cleaning to do and I only had time to sow cabbage before winter so I had only got half of it dug up. Last year this time, I was still recovering from my shoulder injury so heavy activities like digging were out and I had to make do with a half dug-up patch.
Now it looks like this:
Oh dear, I let some pelagoniums run wild and now it looks like an even bigger mess than before but at least there's no more grass and fewer stones up to where the line of rocks is. The rocks are just a few of those going to be used to make walkways between small beds that I have planned. The entire growing area is roughly 10 square metres and I want to divide it up into semi-raised beds which I can rotate crops in.
In our climate, we can grow crops like spinach and cabbage in winter but they grow so slowly, it's barely worth it unless you plant large quantities of those and the spinach in the foreground hasn't done very well. I also had a big problem of a lot of tree roots which were sucking all the water in the soil, causing the vegetables to struggle. The problem trees have been removed so hopefully the vegetables will have an easier time this year.
In order to get the ground preparation moving, I have sowed some seeds in seedling pots today so I am forced not to procrastinate over finishing the digging. Digging soil causes a fair amount of backache so I can only do a small amount at a time but it's a little warmer so I have a window of opportunity to work outside now.
Once the beds are complete, I will sow beans and zucchini directly in the soil. I like growing tomatoes, cucumber and butternuts on the compost heap. I'll try and squeeze in some sweetcorn as well.
I like your selection of seeds. All vegetables I am deeply fond of, especially the eggplant. Planting the butternuts in the compost heap is not something I had thought of but it makes sense. I shall try that next year. Thank you for mentioning that.
I always thought that compost heaps were the natural abode of pumpkins, they come up by themselves
great to see @nikv .. the best thing to do in this season and love to see doing such nice work from you are not only the good blooger also a house manager
Thank you
I wish good luck in gardening!
This is considerable work.
I'll wait for a photo of the harvest of your vegetables :-)))
I wish a good planting, germination of seeds and a good harvest!
Thank you! You will definitely see progress pictures
:-)))
Nothing can beat homegrown tomatoes!
I like my zucchini the most
We are going to get our vegie garden going too, there's nothing more exciting and rewarding than growing your own produce. I look forward to seeing your progress posts🍅
Show us yours, too!
Ok, I will😊
It seems your seasons are the opposite of mine. Always fun to start plants.
Yes, I live in the Southern hemisphere
So much hard work, gardening isn't as easy as it seems. Well done, try getting someone rub your back ☺
No, but if you do it right, you only have to do the bad digging once. That's what I keep telling myself, lol
Great idea im ready to do the same
Show us when you do
Maybe that is why my spinach hasn't been growing. We are in the middle of winter and I had bought a heap of spinach still with their roots intact. I had taken off all the bigger leaves for eating and left the middle part and roots for planting. It has been weeks and it hasn't grown or died. ....
I can't wait to see your veggie garden. Remember to take photos of the progress and share it with us.
Give it time: if they haven't died, they may start growing now
Ok, Ill leave them as they are. They appear to be alive still.
I co-exist with the author of this post. Much must be done to improve this land plot for planting cabbage.
It will be done