It's FINALLY garden season!

I really wondered if we would ever get to the point when I could have all 3 of my gardens planted and start seeing the fruits of my efforts(actually the vegetables!). Here we are, June 12th, and we are finally getting warmer weather and less rain!

So, over the course of 6 weeks, I have gotten in the 3 gardens, planted trees and planted fruit. Needless to say, the month of May, was more mudding in everything, while June has been fairly beautiful! Although yesterday and today have been pretty warm, the rest of the month has been in the 70's & 80's. Everything around our little hayfield has greened up and looks beautiful. I got a hummingbird feed put up, and have a few that like to come visit. The male hummingbird is quite friendly, and has landed on my finger once. That was a new experience, but it was cool!

Back to the gardens... We have attempted some new gardening techniques this year. I researched most of the Winter and early Spring on companion planting and 3-sisters planting. While I had heard of these before, I didn't know much about them. So, after several months, I learned what I felt was enough to try it! So far, it's really fascinating how it's working. Here are the gardens, broke down:

Upper Garden:
Potatoes were planted, and as they grew, bush beans were interplanted. The peas are a stand alone crop this year. The radish and onions were planted in the same "bed". Corn was planted and allowed to grow to about 6" tall, then pole beans and squash were inter-planted(3-sisters style). There 4 - 25 ft. rows of kidney beans, 4-25 ft. rows of horticulture beans(a white bean similar to a pinto). There are 2 - 7ft rows of carrots, 2- 7 ft. rows of leaf lettuce, a 2 ft. diameter of mesculine lettuce, 15 ft. of beets, and 2 - 5 ft. rows of spinach. Then we have 2- 25 ft. rows of bush beans. Next comes 2 - 25 ft. rows of red and white cabbage. Moving down the garden: There are 2 - 25 ft. rows of tomatoes(33 plants), 1 - 25' row of green bell peppers, 12' of jalapeno peppers, 5' of white cabbage, 5' roma tomatoes(6 plants), 4' for celery, 10' of companion planted tomatoes(6 plants) and bell peppers(6 plants). I still have herbs to inter-plant...but it's been too windy today.

Lower Garden:
While half this garden is reserved for the kids, the other half is also companion planted. Corn and sunflowers are the majority of this garden, while there are 9' of cucumbers, and 6' of zucchini. There are also 8 bell pepper plants, birdhouse gourds, and ornamental gourds.

Vine Garden:
The bottom end of this garden is wild flowers. Then we have 10' of watermelon, 12 cantalope, and 18 pumpkin.

Orchard:
This is new for 2013. We planted a red apple, yellow apple, pear, peach, cherry, nectarine, fruit cocktail, and 3 different types of grapes.

New Bed:
Has 2 Rubel Blueberries, and 2 Patriot Blueberries, and 6 strawberry.

I have gotten 2 red maple planted and 2 mimosa planted, and 8 forsythia and 6 burning bush. I have 2 lilacs in, and 4 hydrangea trees also planted. I was able to get 3 yucca planted, but they haven't come up yet. I still have marigolds to get in, stevia to plant, and several red maple. I have some hummingbird vines to get in, but need a creative trellis. Still trying to get it designed.

It has been a lot of waiting this year to get in the gardens. I know that we will be later getting our veggies out, but I am happy to have the majority of everything in! All that is really left is little things that can be container planted if need be!


Feel free to watch our web site for photos as the garden grows!
~Sal~