Introducing Our 2011 Garden

We Todd finished planting our garden.  I have to give him the credit because he planted everything but one row of pole beans.

I loved the fact that he used my guide I drew up for planting.  He told me he was going to use it but I did not realize he was going to take the piece of paper that had the plan drawn and stick it in his pocket.  He would pull it out to use as a reference every now and then to plant more.  I love the fact that he let me have a say in it.

This year we are trying something different.  Last year we let the garden go and the weeds grew well.  We figured there would be more weeds this year then ever.  We also did not prepare the soil like we have in the past for Winter.  Todd does a lot of research in the Winter on how to improve for the next growing season.  We also attended a Gardening 101 Class at the Pioneer Coop.  I thought it was funny because most of the facts he told us, I had heard from Todd this past Winter.  We saved pizza boxes and any type of box that is corrugated to add to the garden this year.  We placed the cardboard down where ever we did not plant.  This will have two purposes.  First it will act as a weed barrier and second it will decompose and become wonderful compost to enrich the soil.  We are also hoping it will help some diseases since the soil will be more enriched.

On top of the cardboard boxes we then placed top soil mixed with compost.

Here is the completed garden.

Far left next to the fence are sugar peas and shuck peas.  The front two rows to our entrance is more peas.
Directly left of the peas on the left side are 3 celery plants, next to this we tried Chinese Cabbage.  Not a good thing for us, since we did not research it first.  We did not plant during the right part of the season.  The hot weather made it mature way too soon and it did not grow very big.  Next to the Chinese Cabbage are several pepper plants. The back part are several tomato plants, we have Beef Steak Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, and Large Red Juicy Tomatoes.  The last row next to the fence is a row of pole beans.

The area far left side of the garden near the fence in the front we have bush beans as well as long the fence line farthest in the garden.  The area with no compost or boxes we are trying the 3 sister crop planting.  It will be corn and pole beans that will use the corn stalks as poles.  Down below the corn and beans will be squash.  The squash will act as a weed barrier for this sections.  The three crops will provide each other important nutrients that the plants should thrive.  On the back side of this section of the garden we have 6 broccoli plants and 6 cabbage plants.  Next to the fence in the back we have cucumbers and zucchinis. Todd needs to build a trellis for them, the fencing we use for the peas and beans will not be sturdy enough for the cucumbers and zucchinis.

 A close up of the 3 sister crops.  All are coming in, sweet corn, pole beans, and squash.

 A close up of the pole beans I planted and the broccoli and cabbage plants.

 One of our new items this year...Eggplant. (The tall plant in the center.)

 Sections of the Shuck Peas that were planted some time ago. We actually have some peas on the vine.

 Typically in the tractor tire garden we have planted squash, zucchini, and cucumbers.  

Due to the pesty bugs they did not thrive. 

Todd thought it would be a good idea to try something different in them.

3 of the 4 we planted our onions in them.

They are doing great.