So I have always been lover of vegetables...fresh...delicious veggies! And I've always wanted to grow a garden. I remember my Uncle Ralph having one and Ben's parents too. They used to have a big one. I loved picking and breaking beans in the summer with NaNa and enjoying them when she canned them. YYUM! Last year I spent many a Saturday at the Farmers Market in downtown Alpharetta, so this year I asked Ben to build me a raised bed for some veggies and herbs. And he did...he really is great, isn't he?! :)
He looked up online how to build one (he's the direction follower in our family)...went to Lowes...and about an hour later...boom...raised bed! Thanks to Wes Bender for letting him borrow his truck for us to fill with the compost soil!
Sam enjoyed "helping" too.
The trick was finding a level spot in our yard. We live on a hill, so our backyard is pretty much entirely slanted. So..we did find one flat spot in the bottom corner. This was before we moved it the other way to take up a little less room.
I did some research...and there is just so much out there, so I am pretty much winging this wole thing. Bought the starter plants and HERE WE GO!
HERBS: Oregano, Rosemary, Basil, Flat leaf Parsley - and mint, but I planted it closer to the house by itself since it gets so big and goes everywhere. Lots of fruit/mint tea being made here this summer! :)
VEGETABLES: Onion (just experimented...hasn't done very well), Squash, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Jalapeno Peppers, Red and Green Bell Peppers
Already growing! I had NO IDEA at this point how GINORMOUS those squash and zucchini plants were going to get.
We've gotten a lot of rain this spring, so that has been VERY nice fo the garden!
Cute little green tomatoes!
Yes...the squash has TAKEN over. It is quite the dominant plant. Since this...I have trimmed them back and actually just pulled one out completely. I didn't want it crowding everything else, so it needed to calm down a bit. :) I talk about them like they are people! Now it has started cascading over the far side, so that keeps it all up out of the business of everything else.
We've eaten a lot of squash and zucchini. I've also enjoyed sharing with our friends and neighbors! That might be my favorite part. I love being able to walk outside and cut off some vegetables...or some basil/parsley/rosemary for something I'm cooking for dinner.
Jalapenos...so cute. Can't wait to make some salsa.
Oops...forgot about one.
We've gotten creative with our zucchini/squash meals. Why not add it to some stir fry...YUM!
You can see the squash headed over the side. Also...my tomatoes have grown crazy tall, so since this picture, I have tied them up with stakes. They look much better now. Look at all that basil (my fave) on the bottom left! YUM!
More pictures to come as our little garden continues to grow. I definitely encourage you all to do this if you can. I really have been just winging this thing...figuring it out as I go. it's so fun...and such a fun thing for the kids to see. Sam has LOVED seeing the vegetables (won't eat them, but enjoys watching them grow).
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