My son & his fiancee recently planted a container garden. She had grown up with a father who gardened & he never had an interest. They decided they needed a hobby & with her experience & his love to build things, they combined the two & made their little garden. Living in the Phoenix area, they decided not to put it in the backyard for fear it wouldn't last long in the desert heat. A typical summer there reaches 100+ on a daily basis so you could water in the morning only to return in the evening to find scorched plants. To avoid this problem they chose inside containers with grow lights. He made a stand to hold the pots with a tall frame to support the lights. Then he drilled holes in the sides of this and strung cable for the peas & other plants that need to climb. She did all the potting & planting. They plan on rotating some of the plants outside as needed & are very excited to know they will be able to eat something they actually grew themselves.
Started the first of April.
I grew up with grandparents who always had 2 very large gardens. Every kind of vegetable they ate-they grew. They NEVER bought vegetables! I grew up "in their garden" & it was an experience I will never forget. However, just because you have some experience with plants doesn't necessarily mean you know how to grow anything. When my grandmother would tell me how to plant something, she would usually say "Just push it into the ground with your thumb and it will grow". I found that was not true for me. She had a Green Thumb but I found out I have a Brown Thumb. I have always had to work to get anything to grow. I think people with Green Thumbs have an energy vibe that is emitted into the plants that acts as a growing agent. So, i think this time around I will talk to my plants & spend quality time with them. Couldn't hurt!
My seeds were planted April 16th along with my sweet banana pepper & tomatoes which were planted from plants. I also chose a container garden this year. It only took a couple of days for the radishes & lettuce to sprout.
No picture of the green beans & cucumbers yet, it should be a few more days before they sprout. I was going to go in with my daughter & have a plot in her backyard but we got such a late start & could never find enough time, plus we have had a very wet spring. I've been telling her she doesn't have to have a whole plot prepared, just plant a few things in the flower bed. This method has become quite popular with people actually replacing their whole front yards with vegetable gardens instead of the typical green lawn & flower beds.
Check back around May 15th for an update on how things are coming along & good luck!
Seed Newsvine
Great idea! I told my daughter we need to do a container garden this year; even though we have a large yard, we also have bunnies! But I like them, so I want to do a raised container herb garden on my deck, out of snacking range. Maybe this year I'll actually DO it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for adding me to your blogroll; I shall reciprocate and be back again!
It is wonderful to see the veggies sprouting. I bought 2 of the Topst Turvy planters that I can hang up and plant tomatoes and yellow squash in on my back deck. This yard is almost solid rock here in the Ozarks and my back is not up to that venture !!!! No weed to pull either. Good growing to you and your kids garden.
ReplyDeleteHugs~~~~Leslie
I tried a garden once, but went with a space that was too large and weeds finally took over. I did have great potatoes, though. The rabbits enjoyed the green beans and the weeds kept the sun from ripening the melons. It was a great experience, though. I have a brown thumb with most house plants. Thank heavens for silk flowers. You and your son both seem to have a handle on the container gardening. Good luck with that. Happy Friday,, Susan
ReplyDeleteI have the yard for a small garden and have thought about it, but it hasn't become reality. I just love fresh tomatoes from the garden. They're so much sweeter than what you get at the grocery. Might think harder about it. You've inspired me!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea - it is such a joy to eat vegetables fresh from the ground. (and a good way of saving money in this economy too).
ReplyDeleteIt gets very hot here in Western Australia in the summer too, but I hadn't thought of an indoor setup - definitely food for thought!
Looking forward to your update next month :)
I am glad to see this post about gardening has gotten a lot of interests. Just wait till I show the fruits of our labor...can't wait. Thanks for you comments!!!
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