Projects Update!

After slacking on the gardening for a couple weeks I finally got busy. With the boys gone for a few days and having a nice weekend I feel like I was very productive!

Project 2 - Vegetable Garden - Wow, it has taken off! We have awesome potatoes, lettuce, corn and zucchini.  We will have lots of onions and garlic too! The beans aren't doing well, the dill is taking off a little slow and the carrots are completely non-existent. A few glitches this year, but its our first year and most everything is coming up!



Garden: from the southeast corner.

Project 10 - Maintenance. I've been lucky this summer to have some very nice hot/humid/sunny days and some nice rainy days. I have only had to turn the sprinkler onto the garden once. There are tomatoes and peppers in pots that I've watered occasionally. But for the most part it has been easy to maintain when I don't have to do much! Of course the weeds were another story...



Pretty lettuce.



Project 12 - Weed, weed, weed. My legs hurt from squatting... aka: weeding. I purposely did not take a picture of my previously messy garden because it was terrible. It looks much better now but I remember I mentioned those nice days and rainy days?! Yep, my weeds loved them as much as my vegetables. I had crazy grasses and little trees ready to take over my garden space.



Corn

Project 13 - Beans. Posts and strings are up and the beans that did sprout. The little beans are crawling their way up the strings and posts nicely! 

Climbing beans.



Project 14 - Herbs. New herbs are planted, not sure how well they will end up. I may harvest these to dry them sooner than later... My indoor basil is doing great, and I have lots of it now. Looking forward to using that in the kitchen.

Project 15 - Potatoes. Re-mounded and added compost. I'm starting to get flowers on a few plants so now I have to make sure I know when to harvest. So excited for the potatoes!



Potato Patch



Zucchini plants

Vegetable Garden - Projects 2-10 of 100

To start our vegetable garden we had to do quite a few things, just for prepping.  I'm not sure how much we will actually be able to plant this summer but I am trying my hardest to get it ready! I figure for Northern MN I still have a month to get everything planted. The forecast for this weekend is snow... so either way I'll have to wait a bit.

In my 'garden spaace' there were lot of field-type plants, small trees, rocks, dead trees (half rotted into the ground), weeds and tall grasses.  Our vegetable garden has many steps involved which is why I have it labeled as Projects 2-10. It may even be more than 9 projects...

Project 2 A few weeks ago I started clearing out the small trees and took the larger of the small trees out with a hatchet. The area was fairly clear but not maintained for a garden space. The tree roots are still in the ground and will have to be cleared. There are a few stumps left too, but that will take more the husband's help!

Project 3  On Monday I started raking the long grass. Jeremy teases me that I am 'raking the woods' but technically I am raking the garden! I hauled 4 wheelbarrow loads of grass and brush away from the garden and into my composting area on the other side of the yard... through the trees... hard work!

Project 4 This weekend I will be hauling out all of the grasses.

Project 5 This weekend (hopefully) I will be able to find all partially buried trees, roots and rocks. May not get them out of the way but will be identified to remove later!

Project 6 A little further out... we need to figure out how to prep the ground, tilling etc. Will have to address that when we get there though...

Grass pile - needs to be hauled out to the other corner of the yard then to the woods. I will also need to rake well under the pile because this area will also be part of the garden. I am thinking instead of using the wheel barrow I will use a fitted queen size bed sheet, fill it up and carry it to the pile.  It holds more than my little wheel barrow. 

Garden from the yard facing the northeast.  I love-love the tree line as a natural fence. We will still need to put up a garden fence of some sore to keep the deer and little critters out.

I can't wait to get in there and plant!

Garden from the northeast corner facing southwest.

Really good black dirt, loads of worms and other good bugs!

Looking at the garden from the south. It will get great sunlight. And considering our house is in the middle of the woods it was really the only spot to put a garden.

My dead tree on the corner of the garden. It has too much character to cut down. So it gets to stay as a focal point! There are lots of birds and probably squirrels that live here, don't want them homeless.

Project 7 Need to find someone with year old dried manure. Yay for animal poo!

Project 8 Fencing. Need to find something cheap but effective. We live in the woods so we need something that will not only keep the deer out but other smaller animals. (any ideas are welcome!)

Project 9 First year planting! I have potatos, carrots, beans, peas, zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce and dill to plant for this year. Next year it will be better planned. I requested a book from the library on vertical gardening for ideas for next year.

Project 10 Maintain! You all know it: water, weed, love, dig, add compost etc.

(Whew! I'm tired just typing about it!)