Summer Gardening
06-29-2018, 04:54 AM
#32
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Va.
Posts: 5,752
DH and I have had veggie and flower gardens for as long as we’ve been together (37 years). We use raised beds for our veggies, strawberries, and blueberries as well as some of the herbs. Right now we have 6 raised beds that measure 3 feet square, 2 that are 3’x6’ and one that is 3’ x 1 and 1/2 feet, as well as large pots made from various buckets and plastic tubs. We plant collards, various kinds of kale, chard and beets for greens. Lots of tomatoes, slicing, sauce and cherry tomatoes, pole beans and bush beans, cucumbers, okra, squash, various kinds of chili peppers and bell peppers. We also have blueberry bushes and ever bearing strawberries. All those are in the raised beds and or pots. I usually transplant the collards into shade at this time of year As they’re not as tasty when it gets hot, but haven’t gotten around to that yet. Because we pick the collards from the bottom up, we manage to keep them going for several years per plant (they don’t mind our winters and produce new growth pretty much all year round). No melons this year, rabbits or squirrels have gotten every single one for the last couple of years. Forgot to put in Lima beans this year!
Also have a teeny tiny water garden (roughly 3’ x 5’) that’s filled with water lily, pickerel weed, water iris, water mint, thalia, water hyacinth some underwater oxygenators and about a gazillion tadpoles thanks to the Cope’s Gray Tree Frogs that live in our elm tree.
and some roses, crape myrtle, gardenia, forsythia, very old holly bushes, winter honeysuckle, japanese honeysuckle (invasive, but it keeps our side yard from eroding into the street), wild clematis/ milkweed vine that we let grow because it has tiny little almost invisible flowers that can perfume the entire yard when it blooms!, and maple, choke cherry, elm, cedar and magnolia trees. Hostas, ferns, bearded iris, hellebores, etc.
much as we love all the ornamentals, I find that the older we get, the more we concentrate on maintaining the raised beds and teeny tiny water garden since they all much more easily managed than the rest of it.
We periodically hire folks to help us out with the rest of it when things start getting too over run with weeds, vines, etc.
Rob
Also have a teeny tiny water garden (roughly 3’ x 5’) that’s filled with water lily, pickerel weed, water iris, water mint, thalia, water hyacinth some underwater oxygenators and about a gazillion tadpoles thanks to the Cope’s Gray Tree Frogs that live in our elm tree.
and some roses, crape myrtle, gardenia, forsythia, very old holly bushes, winter honeysuckle, japanese honeysuckle (invasive, but it keeps our side yard from eroding into the street), wild clematis/ milkweed vine that we let grow because it has tiny little almost invisible flowers that can perfume the entire yard when it blooms!, and maple, choke cherry, elm, cedar and magnolia trees. Hostas, ferns, bearded iris, hellebores, etc.
much as we love all the ornamentals, I find that the older we get, the more we concentrate on maintaining the raised beds and teeny tiny water garden since they all much more easily managed than the rest of it.
We periodically hire folks to help us out with the rest of it when things start getting too over run with weeds, vines, etc.
Rob
06-29-2018, 04:56 AM
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Dakotas
Posts: 2,978
Originally Posted by SusieQOH
You will all think I'm crazy but I love to weed! I just love cleaning things up outside. It's very relaxing for me.
06-29-2018, 05:02 AM
#34
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Dakotas
Posts: 2,978
I was on a “Tour of Gardens” and when I stepped through the backyard gate of a newer house, it was amazing. Not a blade of grass. All into garden and most of it was vegetables and fruit trees. Rest was flowers.
06-29-2018, 02:56 PM
#35
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,244
Ktarsha, I love cone flowers. I need to get some for my garden.
CJo, I used to grow roses in FL too. Tea roses. They were a lot of work but so beautiful. I have roses here in OR.
I am working with them. We will see.
Can Mitch I also have raised veggie beds. It is new to me this year. Tomatoes and basil together. Also a special cucumber and celery. One is only for pumpkins since they need 4'. You can put two of them together but they need the space. I still want to get a a zucchini because fresh zucchini is the best. I can't wait for basil and tomato sandwiches. Yum.
I hope to hear back from you all.
CJo, I used to grow roses in FL too. Tea roses. They were a lot of work but so beautiful. I have roses here in OR.
I am working with them. We will see.
Can Mitch I also have raised veggie beds. It is new to me this year. Tomatoes and basil together. Also a special cucumber and celery. One is only for pumpkins since they need 4'. You can put two of them together but they need the space. I still want to get a a zucchini because fresh zucchini is the best. I can't wait for basil and tomato sandwiches. Yum.
I hope to hear back from you all.
06-29-2018, 03:01 PM
#36
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,244
Hmmm, we have a pond. I would like o try some water things in there. Right now there is a bit of algae it does a have a cycling water feature but I need to learn how to treat without chemicals because I have a dog that drinks out of it even though he has lots of water.
I have raspberries. I want to grow a thornless Blackberry but I am new to my garden so I want to catch up before I add anything so fall and spring are my planting times.
Your garden impresses me. Mine is mainly a perennial flower garden and then I have some herbs in pots. Then I have two raised beds for veggies 4 x 8 and 4 x 4. I love the look of the flower beds so I am keeping them.
I need to plant more greens but unless I get a few starters, I will need to wait until next year. Do you do fall and winter gardening? I want to experiment with some things that grow better in fall for late harvest.
I have raspberries. I want to grow a thornless Blackberry but I am new to my garden so I want to catch up before I add anything so fall and spring are my planting times.
Your garden impresses me. Mine is mainly a perennial flower garden and then I have some herbs in pots. Then I have two raised beds for veggies 4 x 8 and 4 x 4. I love the look of the flower beds so I am keeping them.
I need to plant more greens but unless I get a few starters, I will need to wait until next year. Do you do fall and winter gardening? I want to experiment with some things that grow better in fall for late harvest.
Originally Posted by rryder
DH and I have had veggie and flower gardens for as long as we’ve been together (37 years). We use raised beds for our veggies, strawberries, and blueberries as well as some of the herbs. Right now we have 6 raised beds that measure 3 feet square, 2 that are 3’x6’ and one that is 3’ x 1 and 1/2 feet, as well as large pots made from various buckets and plastic tubs. We plant collards, various kinds of kale, chard and beets for greens. Lots of tomatoes, slicing, sauce and cherry tomatoes, pole beans and bush beans, cucumbers, okra, squash, various kinds of chili peppers and bell peppers. We also have blueberry bushes and ever bearing strawberries. All those are in the raised beds and or pots. I usually transplant the collards into shade at this time of year As they’re not as tasty when it gets hot, but haven’t gotten around to that yet. Because we pick the collards from the bottom up, we manage to keep them going for several years per plant (they don’t mind our winters and produce new growth pretty much all year round). No melons this year, rabbits or squirrels have gotten every single one for the last couple of years. Forgot to put in Lima beans this year!
Also have a teeny tiny water garden (roughly 3’ x 5’) that’s filled with water lily, pickerel weed, water iris, water mint, thalia, water hyacinth some underwater oxygenators and about a gazillion tadpoles thanks to the Cope’s Gray Tree Frogs that live in our elm tree.
and some roses, crape myrtle, gardenia, forsythia, very old holly bushes, winter honeysuckle, japanese honeysuckle (invasive, but it keeps our side yard from eroding into the street), wild clematis/ milkweed vine that we let grow because it has tiny little almost invisible flowers that can perfume the entire yard when it blooms!, and maple, choke cherry, elm, cedar and magnolia trees. Hostas, ferns, bearded iris, hellebores, etc.
much as we love all the ornamentals, I find that the older we get, the more we concentrate on maintaining the raised beds and teeny tiny water garden since they all much more easily managed than the rest of it.
We periodically hire folks to help us out with the rest of it when things start getting too over run with weeds, vines, etc.
Rob
Also have a teeny tiny water garden (roughly 3’ x 5’) that’s filled with water lily, pickerel weed, water iris, water mint, thalia, water hyacinth some underwater oxygenators and about a gazillion tadpoles thanks to the Cope’s Gray Tree Frogs that live in our elm tree.
and some roses, crape myrtle, gardenia, forsythia, very old holly bushes, winter honeysuckle, japanese honeysuckle (invasive, but it keeps our side yard from eroding into the street), wild clematis/ milkweed vine that we let grow because it has tiny little almost invisible flowers that can perfume the entire yard when it blooms!, and maple, choke cherry, elm, cedar and magnolia trees. Hostas, ferns, bearded iris, hellebores, etc.
much as we love all the ornamentals, I find that the older we get, the more we concentrate on maintaining the raised beds and teeny tiny water garden since they all much more easily managed than the rest of it.
We periodically hire folks to help us out with the rest of it when things start getting too over run with weeds, vines, etc.
Rob
06-29-2018, 03:03 PM
#37
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,244
Sounds pretty! I have a small patch of grass and pavers to create patches through the two long kidney shaped perennial beds. The grass comes in handy when playing with dog or wanting to eat outside or be out in chairs. I could have a bigger yard but it is right sized and the flowers are fun.
Originally Posted by tranum
I was on a “Tour of Gardens” and when I stepped through the backyard gate of a newer house, it was amazing. Not a blade of grass. All into garden and most of it was vegetables and fruit trees. Rest was flowers.
06-29-2018, 03:56 PM
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Posts: 985
I live on another planet called Arizona (or Arid-zona...). Summer gardening isn't super successful because it is too hot. Eggplant, peppers, and sweet potatoes are about all that do anything in this heat. Tomatoes are planted out in late Jan/early Feb and stop producing when it hits 100, whenever that is every year. I don't currently have a garden as we just moved, but I have looked at my small yard and know where it will be. Afternoon shade is a MUST for summer. We do very well in the fall/winter with leafy greens, peas, and the cooler weather crops. I also enjoy weeding, it is quiet and therapeutic and I love seeing that I accomplished something.
Last edited by Faintly Artistic; 06-29-2018 at 03:58 PM.
06-29-2018, 04:02 PM
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Rural Oklahoma
Posts: 5,374
I also garden. I didn't get as much as usual planted this year in the veggie garden. Late start bad (cold) spring and moved my garden spot. I did get the tomatoes, peppers, cukes, and squash planted. I just got some okra planted so maybe before fall. I will get some things planted in the next few months (probably in the ground by mid /late august) for a fall garden, the greens, coles and such that I missed this spring.
06-29-2018, 07:13 PM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 1,560
We have beets and carrots in our 2x4 garden.. In our 3x6 we are going to pick our first English cucumber tomorrow. I can't wait. We also have Roma tomatoes and a red pepper plant in that one. In one bed we have 2 more cucumber plants and a cherry tomato plant. We have 2 pots with lettuce and one with kale. I get so excited, I love it.
Can Mitch I also have raised veggie beds. It is new to me this year. Tomatoes and basil together. Also a special cucumber and celery. One is only for pumpkins since they need 4'. You can put two of them together but they need the space. I still want to get a a zucchini because fresh zucchini is the best. I can't wait for basil and tomato sandwiches. Yum.
I hope to hear back from you all.[/QUOTE]
Can Mitch I also have raised veggie beds. It is new to me this year. Tomatoes and basil together. Also a special cucumber and celery. One is only for pumpkins since they need 4'. You can put two of them together but they need the space. I still want to get a a zucchini because fresh zucchini is the best. I can't wait for basil and tomato sandwiches. Yum.
I hope to hear back from you all.[/QUOTE]
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