What garden plans do you have for this summer?

[Tussiemussies]

Thought it would be interesting to see who is starting their garden from seeds started in the house and what everyone is planting. Are you planting with canning, root cellaring, or special meals in mind?

[Gregg]

We are in a smallish townhouse this year while building our new house. My only gardening opportunity comes in the form of a strip of dirt covered by rocks that is 2' wide and 22' long. It's between the garage and the walkway to the front door. Thankfully our neighbor is a lovely woman who grows tomatoes and cucumbers in her similar space so there aren't issues with my experiment. Inspiration came from reading a blog about 'fire escape gardens' in NYC. If they can do it, so can I!

I rigged up two sections of livestock panel fencing, spray painted to match the siding, and hung them from the soffit of the garage so vines can grow up them. I should mention that everything is in pots this year. We're going to have tomatoes, green beans, peas, three kinds of melons, cucumbers, zucchini and about a dozen different herbs. Lots of thyme, rosemary and several varieties of basil in addition to some more exotic herbs. There are also several pots of flowers, some with herbs mixed in. We are the only two neighbors that have any more than a tomato plant in a pot so lots of the other neighbors have been stopping to chat when walking by in the evenings just to see what I am doing out there. That aspect has been almost as nice as the fresh produce will (hopefully) be! Figuring out how to do this and getting all rigged up cost me less that $60 (already had the pots). It will save hundreds in food and thousands in therapy.

[Rosemary]

I'm cleaning up one of our raised beds to be DD's garden. She's thrilled about it.
I planted a plum tree yesterday.
Otherwise, the usual assortment of berries and vegetables.

[goldensmom]

No big vegetable garden this year. After years and years and years of big vegetable gardens I decided last year during fall clean up to not do a vegetable garden again and thus far have stuck to my resolve. I will plant a few things amongst the flower in the rock garden but no designated vegetable garden. I usually start seeds in the greenhouse so this year the greenhouse is getting a rest. I will concentrate on grapes, raspberries, the apple and pear orchards and rock garden. I am continuing my naturalizing project of transplanting shade plants from the woods to an area in the trees near the house - it's been a 3 year project so far and is looking good.

[Float On]

I'm already eatting lettuce, onion, radish out of my veggie gardens (raised beds) and the tomoatoes and peppers and beans are budding. Everything else is looking good as well.

[herbgeek]

As mentioned in other threads, I'm experimenting with season extenders this year and have already harvested a lot of greens. Most New Englanders would maybe be starting their greens about now, or in the next 2 weeks. I want to learn lacto fermentation this year to preserve veggies without canning. I planted 2 elderberry shrubs to keep the existing one company. Beefing up some of the perennial beds.

[razz]

Just harvested the first of the rhubarb this morning, garlic is doing well as well as the onion sets. I planted early beets, carrots, radishes and the first of the lettuce last week. I am starting from seed some tomatoes that are blight resistant (at $5.95 for 11 seeds they better be!), echinacea, lavender, spinach, creeping thyme, leeks, sage and oregano last night. I had no garden to speak of last year so am going full tilt this year in a 40x40 area. I have planted some red Norland potatoes and will add some Kennebec this coming week.
Fruit trees will need care after I figure out a spray routine since most pesticides are now banned.

[cattledog]

I'll plant the usual stuff in mid-May- tomatoes, bell peppers, pickling cukes, beets and lots of herbs. I have a strawberry bed also. I may try planting berries this year. I was too lazy last year and now I kind of regret it.

[Blackdog Lin]

Our usual garden is in the process of going in now. Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, both sweet and hot peppers, corn, potatoes, onions, radishes, okra. We're about 2/3 in the ground as of today (I took the afternoon off work and we went out to lunch and to the nursery, then came home and got to work - had a really really nice day.)

My plans for this year are to HAVE BETTER WEATHER, and thus a better garden. Last year's heat wave, for a solid 2 months, did us in. Hoping for normal weather, normal rainfall, and a return to our normal freezing/canning/preserving of our garden bounty. Fingers crossed.....

[fidgiegirl]

Blackdog Lin, LOL.

Rosemary, oh, plums!! Love them!

Here I wish we had more of a plan. The former owners took almost all the plants out. Mainly I have structural things in mind. I want to get loads and loads of mulch in. We have to get an herbicide for the weeds growing up in the hardscaping, but won't use RoundUp. Sapling battle must be waged again. And I'd like to kill off all the remaining little bit of grass on the front of the house and the boulevard. A sturdy ground cover will do it on the slope, and a nice small perennial garden will do it on the boulevard. I forgot - some kind of screen for the compost corner, something we can grow vines on. And free plants from wherever we can get them. And removing the landscaping rock. I hate landscaping rock - weed city. Ok that's all, just a few little things, really ;)

[Zoebird]

First, I have to weed and pull out the tomatoes now that the season is over.

I want to fill in a couple more lavender along the front walk, and underplant with primroses, as they seem to like it here.

Second, I need to plant that hillside. It's a mess. A super, duper mess. So I was thinking of planting either periwinkle or primrose (or both) on the hillside, since I need something that will hold the dirt. A couple of the agapanthus that I saved from the side walk have done well, but not great. I might pull them and put them into a pot together, and then just get a nice, consistent look along the back yard.

Third, composting -- i really need to get the compost sorted out. Frustrating. I should probably do this before buying plants, as it will cost about $200 all told and I need to make my own bokashi starter (takes about a week). That second part is actually easy, and then get buckets for the bokashi -- it's the BIN that's the issue. I want a particular bin because of our space (concrete -- so no adequate drainage, which is why I need the right kind of bin). It's expensive.

Anyway, life. :)

[Gardenarian]

It looks like it is going to be a fantastic year for cherries - I just love looking out my window and seeing them fattening up on the trees!

I was having a lot of trouble with my lettuce (birds and slugs) but finally decided I'd plant in containers on my deck - I've been harvesting for a few weeks. So good, and no slugs!

I have tomatoes, carrots, summer squash, and beans in, and I have quite a few fruit trees (plums, apricot, peaches, nectarines, oranges, limes, pineapple guava.) I meant to put in some grape vines this year but didn't get to it. Same with potatoes - but maybe it's not too late for potatoes?

I also turned my bit of lawn into a wildflower meadow - right now it's mostly Baby Blue Eyes and poppies, some daisies and violas coming in - so pretty! I'm really glad I did it!

I need to start sharing from my herb garden - tons of lemon balm, garlic chives, thyme, oregano, basil, etc. Though I can never have too much basil! I can't seem to keep tarragon alive, and it's one of my favorites.

I spent most of the weekend weeding and whacking and grooming - very satisfying. And, planted a tree for Arbor Day - a Sequoia, no less - high hopes!

[domestic goddess]

I had some big (for me) garden plans for this year, but a back injury has sort of put an end to most of them. I hope to be able to grow some herbs on the deck, but right now I don't even see myself being able to do the shoppig requird for it. So I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens.

[Tiam]

It looks like it is going to be a fantastic year for cherries - I just love looking out my window and seeing them fattening up on the trees!

I was having a lot of trouble with my lettuce (birds and slugs) but finally decided I'd plant in containers on my deck - I've been harvesting for a few weeks. So good, and no slugs!

I have tomatoes, carrots, summer squash, and beans in, and I have quite a few fruit trees (plums, apricot, peaches, nectarines, oranges, limes, pineapple guava.) I meant to put in some grape vines this year but didn't get to it. Same with potatoes - but maybe it's not too late for potatoes?

I also turned my bit of lawn into a wildflower meadow - right now it's mostly Baby Blue Eyes and poppies, some daisies and violas coming in - so pretty! I'm really glad I did it!

I need to start sharing from my herb garden - tons of lemon balm, garlic chives, thyme, oregano, basil, etc. Though I can never have too much basil! I can't seem to keep tarragon alive, and it's one of my favorites.

I spent most of the weekend weeding and whacking and grooming - very satisfying. And, planted a tree for Arbor Day - a Sequoia, no less - high hopes!


I love a meadow look. I do have a question for you. When your blue eyes and poppies have played out, what will be the 'look' your meadow has? I love the look, but find by mid summer they are done and I have to prune or pull them back.

[Gardenarian]

Hi Tiam,

If it's a cool summer, a lot of the things will hang on well into August (my violas never faded at all last year!) This is my first year doing the meadow thing, so I'm not sure - I got the seeds from American Meadows (http://www.americanmeadows.com/) and combined the Low Grow mix with the Dry Area Wildflower mix. I can see some yarrow coming up, should get some baby's breath, echinacea, penstemon, cornflowers. I also threw in some seeds I'd collected (tidy tips, gilia, checkerbloom.)
What I'm wondering is when I should mow it - if I should wait until the fall? I need to do some research. In the meantime, it is just lovely; it's like sitting in a beautiful painting.