Thursday, March 24, 2011

Let The Gardening Begin!

On the first day of Spring Nick and I took the first step in preparing our garden for the year. Last year the right side of our garden didn't grow (picture below). We think it was because that side receives less sun than the left side (we're so smart!).





Because of this we planted the right side crops early this year, indoors (kale, spinach, cantaloupe).




The rest of the seeds will be planted outside later in the Spring.





I hear conflicting information from gardening gurus all the time (for example, some say plant spinach in cold weather, others say don't...it's confusing). I decided to order a gardening magazine this year just so we have some reliable information, rather than using word-of-mouth and the internet all the time. Hopefully we receive the first edition soon!





We're hoping our garden will be more successful this year, since we are starting earlier. Last year we didn't even move into our house until May, so our garden didn't get planted until late May, early June...too late! Considering what the garden looked like when we moved in (picture below) I think it was pretty impressive that we were even able to grow anything.




This year Nick is even researching how to grow blueberries. I think that's going to be more work than he can imagine...




This year we're also writing everything we do in our "gardening journal". This way we know when things were planted, we know when they should start to grow, and we can go back to read our notes next year in case we need to make changes or do something the exact same way.



QUESTION: Are you planting a garden this year? What will you grow? If no garden, what's your favorite produce to buy at the summer farmer's markets??

I'm most excited about the tomatoes we are growing this year. Last year we didn't grow tomatoes (what were we thinking?!) so I'm looking forward to some tomato and mozzarella dishes this summer!

20 comments :

  1. That is kinda funny...if I could only grow one plant, it would be tomatoes :) You guys have so much room back there, I think starting everything earlier is going to make for a very plentiful yield! Cantaloupe...so jealous! I think we bought the same "greenhouse" seed starter as you guys :)

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  2. Yay gardens! My husband and I are planting one this year. Last year was our first try at gardening, we had some success, and some failure. We planted 3 rows of different hot peppers and bell peppers, and NONE of them came up. So, hopefully this year will be different! I'm excited to start planting, though!

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  3. Jealous! I live in Brooklyn in a studio apartment and we don't even have room for a window box! :(

    We do have some AMAZING farmer's markets in NYC though- I'm addicted to Stokes Farm's Heirloom tomatoes and Red Jacket Orchard's Apples (and flavored ciders)!

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  4. oh how fun! I dream about having a garden but we need to get out of apartments first :)

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  5. So exciting! Starting in doors always gives a huge boost. We've tried blueberries in my family's garden...it's rough when you try to go organic, but I wish you best of luck! Nothing beats fresh blueberries in the morning.

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  6. I tried to grow a garden last year but the only spot in the tiny yard didn't have enough sunlight. Plus apparently the soil is bad here :( The only thing that ended up growing was the spinach which I devoured quickly! This summer I'll be back at my parents instead so I'll just take everything from my dad's garden :)

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  7. Nothing is better than being able to pick your own produce! I grow tomatoes every year, but two years I grew a squash, and man those things are aggressive! It was only one and the vines grew everywhere, including into the neighbor's yard.

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  8. I tried to grow just tomatoes and cucumbers last year. They were overrun by a fungus. :( And I'm a big fat quitter so I don't want to try again.

    Cucumbers are my absolute fave to get from the farm...along with strawberries.

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  9. Just waiting until I move in to a house and THEN we will have a gorgeous garden! For now I rely on the farmers markets and grocery store and my mom's garden!

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  10. I have planted a garden every year since I moved out of my parents house...so 14yrs! I love nothing more than to work in the garden through out the summer. I think this stems from growing up in an Italian household with a massive veg garden!! LOL

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  11. woohoo! love gardening. we built a raised box garden in our backyard. just beware if planting zucchini. they take over EVERYTHING!!

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  12. I'm dying to have a garden this year. We are moving next week and need to landscape, so I'm not sure it will happen. Keeping a garden journal is a great idea. Thanks for the tips!

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  13. SO jealous of your garden..i want one!!

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  14. Oh my stars...I remember when you did this last year!

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  15. Jealous like a few other commenters above. No garden in my future in NYC. My parents have blueberry bushes (delicious).

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  16. oh how fun! our backyard barely gets any sun or else i think i would plant a garden...how fun for you!

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  17. Ahhhh, so jealous of your great garden!!! I'm excited to see how it all goes this year! We always travel too much in the summer to actually have our own...sigh. I'll have to live vicariously through yours!

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  18. Wow! I'm impressed. Good luck! I have the worst green thumb. I should probably do like you guys and get a gardening magazine. Can't wait to see the results!

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  19. This is very impressive. You are going to be so happy if all of this grows and I bet it will save you a ton of money :)

    Good idea to write it down too.


    In my house, Eric plants a couple of things but I am sort of... bad with plants haha. I like to visit the farmers market for everything though!

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  20. I wish I had a garden! Instead I think I will have lots of fun going berry picking this summer. Luckily I live in a city where I only have to drive 15 minutes to go and pick blueberries, raspberries, marionberries, etc. It's so much fun! And delicious!

    Good luck on your garden! Everything you plan on growing sounds great!

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