Grow it Here

Rats, somehow I blew away my photos showing how to build the raised garden here, so you will have to be satisfied with a simple how to.  There is an easy tutorial here if you need the visual.

My garden is 4′x8′ made from 12″x8′ lumber.  Three boards are required, with one being cut in half.   The pieces are screwed together and the corners reinforced with 4″ square pieces cut to the same length as the depth of the garden and screwed in place.

The site where the box is to be put should be cleared and leveled so the container sits securely in place. Once the box is in place, fill it with organic soil and plant with your veggies of choice.

So, what do you do if you don’t have enough yard for a garden?  There are a number of alternatives that will allow you to grow lettuce, herbs and maybe even tomatoes.  Tomato plants, though, do have a tendency to get BIG and likely do better in a garden setting.

Take a look at some of these creative ideas.

My daughter used wine crates as containers for her herbs and vegetables.

Who would think about using trash cans!  This is an idea I’m trying for sure.

Could it get any simpler than this?

Nothing complicated about this and think what an attractive display for patio or porch.

Well, you get the idea that you can do a little gardening most anywhere. To get the skinny on growing in containers, look here.  It’s a great place to start.   A couple of things I have learned is to water newly planted vegetables and herbs often to help them get started and harvest often to encourage reproduction.  Have fun with your garden and let me know what you learn.

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Anything Goes, er Grows

Put it in the ground and chances are it will grow in Maine, at least in the summer.  Oh, what a joy that is!

Just take a look at my garden. Today it’s sprawled all over the place

when just a few short weeks ago it looked like this, all nice and tidy.

Tomato vines are so heavy they can no longer be contained, and I’m wondering how we will ever use all the tomatoes if they ripen at once.

Oh look, nestled among all the green is one little guy showing its color.

Who knew lettuce could grow so tall and keep producing faster than we can eat it.

Green peas are fat in their shell,

and green peppers are bigger each day.  Anybody know the right time to bring them in?

The radish supply has been exhausted, beets and cucumbers are still to come.

In the summers I’ve been growing in my small garden, some things have done better than others so there’s still a learning curve.  Without lots of sun, some veggies take forever to mature while others do fine with a few hours each day.  The best thing is that anyone can have a garden in a contained space.  Come back tomorrow and I’ll share with you how this one was constructed.  

Checking to see what others are doing on a Seasonal Sunday 

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Sunday Adventure, Part II

Where do we go now?  To the garden where so many good things to eat are growing

or to the reading room with lots of books about Maine and gardens and flowers and fairys

or maybe we could catch a lobster

Oh look, a Gnome House

and  flowers everywhere….

so much to see and do.

“Can we come back again?  Please, Lulu.”

Be sure to visit Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and today, for a wonderful giveaway, the always wonderfully creative inspired room site.

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Journey of a Peony

on the hill they do grow

starting their journey as tight little buds damp with morning dew

waiting to say hello to the sun’s warmth

that will unfurl their hidden glory for all to see

some journey from out to in and stand in bright array

until one by one their petals fall as a temporary good bye

These beauties remind me of my friend Linda who loved peonies and whose petals fell all too soon.

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Somebody Tell Me….

how radish plants can grow so tall

and the radish still be no bigger than this?

how do I know when there are potatoes?

when does cabbage become a head

and broccoli more than leaves?

what to do with beet greens?

where are the peas?

how many times romaine can reproduce?

I still have a lot to learn about gardening and will appreciate your tips.

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Cleaning Frenzy!

Lest you think I do nothing more than indulge in lobster rolls, write a few words here and there, enjoy a martini on the porch, let me assure you that things get dirty around here and someone has to clean.  Guess who that someone is?  I didn’t know  this morning when I got out of bed that a cleaning frenzy would grab hold, but when I stepped out on the front porch and saw, once again, the dirt and grime that had collected on the woodwork, I thought today is the day it has to go.

Equipped with mop, broom, rags and a bucket of cleaning liquid, I went to work and hours later the porches, front and back, were returned to gray and the woodwork to white.

With everything so clean, the porches needed a little dressing up. This little pail with brightly colored gerber daisies (yes, they are pretend) adds some punch to the front door, but wouldn’t it be nice for the porch to be more welcoming.

Off to the nursery which was sure to have some quick fixes like this lovely pot of blooming beauties.

And, how could I resist this adorable little birch chair planter, yet another way to honor the pledge to buy handmade.

Now, the front porch is not only clean but friendly.

The back porch sparkles as well.  The furniture is clean

and pots are planted with flowers and herbs.

Now it does seem a good time to have that martini.

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

Last year my son-in-law and I built a raised garden which would be my first attempt at growing veggies. Thanks to a very wet Maine summer things didn’t do too well, but that didn’t dampen my intent to try again, perhaps with some different things.

So, with the help of Amy, who knows far more about gardening than I, my garden grows. Lettuce is ready for plucking, and it won’t be long til radishes, carrots, broccoli, red and green cabbage, sweet peas, peppers and beets are ready for the table. So exciting!

If you are interested in an at home garden, this one couldn’t be easier to build. It requires three 8 foot 2 x 12 inch boards, one of which is cut into 4 foot lengths. The boards are screwed together at the corners to make a 4′ x 8′ frame. All that is left is to put it in a sunny spot, fill it with dirt and plant away. Then, enjoy the thrill of watching those veggies grow and the pleasure of the harvest. Yum!