Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Garden ideas?

Today, I saw just the tiniest hint that my lilacs are stirring.
Which means the lettuce should arrive within a month.
Oh! And then my bright sunny daffodils, which smell ever so faintly of lemon cake.
Which means that while those are lovely to look at, I need to start planning for the hard work.
My garden consists of five 4x4 boxes, plus a big hedge of six raspberries.
The raspberries are in their third year and I don't do anything to them other than pick and get pricked.

These are my tentative plans...what do you think? Any suggestions? The area gets a ton of sun. I'd like to maybe start some kind of fall-veggie, too...pumpkin? I do have room for one more 4x4 box in my yard. I prefer to plant what I can't buy for less at my local farmer's market...which means I will plant tomatoes, but won't plant corn, garlic, or ginger.

Box 1: Tomatoes (6)
Box 2: Tomatoes (6) I love me some lycopene! Insulated with red plastic, tomatoes act rather like bunny rabbits :) and give insane amounts of fruit. I'd like to go from 8 plants to 12 this summer with the grand hopes of eating tomatoes till my belly bursts and canning the rest. I'm still miffed over the dadgum late blight that destroyed my tomatoes last year.
Box 3: Cucumbers. For the past 2 years, I've only needed 3 plants in a box. I'm sure there is a neater way to do it, but I always end up wiring up random items - baby gate, sides of an old dog kennel, etc. - around the box and they go crazy. Vining plants, indeed. As a side note, a few months of growing cucumbers taught me way more about God than I learned in a decade of half-arsed Sunday School instruction. And last summer, a dear atheist friend did some serious pondering when I left her in charge of my plants while I was away for a few weeks. Again, the cucumbers. Strange where the Lord hangs out. Someone told me it was blasphemous to say that. I don't know.

Box 4: Green, banana, and jalapeno peppers. The green and banana are eaten raw and the jalapenos are usually added to soups.

Box 5: Eggplants (6). Grilled and made into baba is how they typically meet their happy ends. If they weren't so adorable as babies and beautiful as mature fruit, I wouldn't have even considered them. But, really, who can resist those purply stems?
Possible Box 6? Don't really care for zucchini. Last year's basil got fried in the full sun and I don't have much use for mint. Maybe more cucumber? Ideas?
***
Usefulness of the day: One of my favorite salads is right around the corner! Chop tomatoes, cucumbers, and white onions. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle a little evoo, and mix. Very cooling. Just don't go on date after.

6 comments:

SquirtyB said...

Maybe some sort of squash (butternut, patty pan,yellow)

My other vote is pumpkin. They are so fun to watch grow and then they can be decoration for a while. After that there are so many things you can make with them (bread, soup, cookies, pies...)mmmmmm

Anonymous said...

Yes, spring is on the way, exciting! I have my herbs in and in probably May I will be starting those soon. Can't wait!

Allison said...

Squirty - The only squash I'll eat are spaghetti squashes...they don't taste too squash-y. Then again, I like to entertain and who doens't like butternut squash soup?

Dragon - what kind of herbs? I'd like to start some indoors.

shrink on the couch said...

Oh the lilacs. I so miss the lilacs. Texas has crepe myrtles which are very pretty to look at but no scent.

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

Some people just like to run around saying everything is blasphemous, but ummm... I find Sunday School often is a waste of time, and I skip it. (I am a heathen wretch I guess, sorry.)

I can just about smell the lilacs though. Mmm.

LilliGirl said...

Hey, Chica! Award for you over at my place. :)