Innovation or Idiocy? Don't let your Relatives decide!

My husband and I are just a small part of a longstanding gardening tradition in our families. And to my husband vegetable gardens are a source of more than just vegetables. It's a connection to the past. At least that's my husbands idea. He lives by a very simple motto: Change is BAD!

So my wild idea of growing our vegetables in raised beds met with...Well...raised eyebrows.

My wild idea of not planting in straight rows met with Wild Skepticism.

My wild notion of using flowers mixed in with the vegetables to repel pests met with Wild Laughter.

And he wasn't alone. I've heard comments from all the "traditionalists". My Mom, My Dad, Aunts, Uncles. My mother thinks I'm a nut for planning on planting pole green beans. "Bush beans grow just fine and they don't need any support! Why go through the extra work?" Aesthetics? She just shakes her head. One relative even told me that I COULDN'T plant a garden without the help of a rototiller. I explained I didn't need one because I was using raised beds they answered, (like I was mentally impaired!) "Yes, dear, that's for your flowers. For a vegetable garden you need a rototiller." Eventually, I gave up and said, "I'll send you photos when I'm done."

There are many reasons why people don't like change. Many reasons why others are always looking for innovation. But I...I like the middle road. I am not trying something that is untested. I am not leading the way in gardening revolution. Neither am I bogged down in the "way it has always been". I am looking for my own gardening way.

I think that is how most gardener's do it these days. We read, we talk, we research, and we do it the way that we feel is the best way for our gardens.

The beauty of a New Bed

Yesterday I posted a computerized layout of my garden. Shortly after I realized that the layout was quite ugly! I defintely had a 'What was I thinking moment'! But I use the layout as a way to plan my next move and (although it's not to scale) it does give me a pretty good idea of where the garden stands~or lies...whatever. So today, I've decided to stroll down memory lane with a few of my new backyard garden beds. The picture above is the completed bed next to the house.

It started out as an ignored area to house snow-mobiles. I say ignored because no matter how many times I begged hubby... He ignored.

This is before the tilling began. Why did my hubby stop ignoring me? Maybe because I came home with this one day...

Two very generous gardeners and very dear friends had let me pick through they're compost and rock piles. And I'm not too proud to go roaming through a compost pile especially when it's full of newly "uprooted" bulbs. Although, they needed to be removed from their old home for a new project I just couldn't bear to let them just rot in a compost pile. So I dove in! And what a great friend she was to let me! The rocks were donated by a longtime friend of mine who overheard me saying that I was in need. He quickly volunteered to let me get what I needed from a stone wall that needed to be removed. Sometimes, the planets and stars all align... And then sometimes you realize that you have some awesome friends!


My first "garden visitor". Bandit the cat is very well-behaved in a garden and can often be found laying under some of the plants. But that night he was strolling through the half completed garden inspecting the work. Some plants in bloom to add color and some mulch complete the 2 day project. Ofcourse, now it's all hidden under snow. But I remember.

Valentine's & Veggies?

Happy Valentines Day!

My hubby and I have never been huge Valentine's day people. A card here or a box of candy there. We're much more apt to buy flowers with roots rather than flowers for vases. And I'm great with that! After all, he is just feeding my addiction.

My heart (while always filled with love for my family) has been in the garden planning, plotting, preparing, cursing the snow! Hubby knows how I long to start a veggie garden. So last night we sat together and he helped me bring my graph paper into the computer age. We planned, plotted and prepared. He even cursed the snow with me! Awww! We searched the seed catalogs. And we made some decisions. Yeah! We want to plant: corn, beans, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, potatoes, onions, pumpkins, and some herbs. As you'll notice I haven't put in the variety names...there's a simple reason for that. I CAN'T DECIDE! I don't know what I'm doing. I have no clue how much space I need for all this. I've never veggie gardened in a raised bed. I've learned about square foot gardening, and intensive gardening, and whatever happened to hoe a row? Obviously, I'm overwhelmed. I've grabbed my garden buddy: Time Life's Gardener's Guide: Summer Vegetables. This book is one in a series printed in 1988 and I'm not sure that it's even in print anymore! It doesn't have all the modern gardening trends but it's my most valuable source for starting a veggie garden. Which seeds can start inside/which can't!

So on this Valentine's Day we are celebrating with Veggies! By Day's end we are placing our Veggie order. If you have a fave variety please let me know! I'd really appreciate any and all help. Thanks! Oh and Happy Valentine's Day!

Veggie Virgin

During the past 8 years my family has been focused on building our log home and then we focused our efforts on landscaping around our new cabin. Last year was a great year for our flower beds. We were given an amazing variety of plants from some very generous friends and gardeners. It took our planting beds from looking like year 1 to being established and vibrant! And so now, I will admit that I have never had a Veggie garden before. Yes...I'm a Veggie Virgin!

But I've been inspired by all the veggie garden bloggers such as Carol's lovely & organized veggie garden and other websites such as Daily Weeder. And by Chris the Gardener as she gets excited over the arrival of the Johnny's seed catalog. I also received my Johnny's catalog and my Territorial Seed Catalog yesterday which immediately sent me from excited to PANICKED! I have no clue what I'm doing! I'm positive that I need to only order the least amount of seeds they offer. But I know nothing about varieties of corn or onions or anything. My hubby and I aren't big tomato fans (I know it's practically sacreligious) so I don't think I'll attempt them this year. Same with Peas. But I'm dying for really great green beans like I used to have out of my mother's home garden.

I love my raised flower beds and have heard great things about raised veggie beds but...I have no idea what I'm doing. My mother says not to bother will all the fuss of a raised bed because veggies don't need all that. Ofcourse, that's what she says about my flowerbeds too! So I will gather my graph paper. I will research the internet. I will make a decision and I will order my seeds. And by the end of the 2008 growing season I will no longer be a Veggie Virgin! I hope....