This is my new borrowed garden bed. I've now got it fully planted up with peas, carrots, leeks, potatoes and corn, with a few flowers, a tomato and some peppers. The renter has a few perennials in the triangle at the top and a large empty plot along the house to fill.
I decided to measure all of my beds and add up my veggie gardening space this year, out of curiousity, but also because someone asked about the size of this new plot. I never know the answer to questions like that, so I wandered around with my tape measure and did some basic math. This is maybe for my own record-keeping but maybe it's interesting to a few people.
Back plot = 190 sq. ft
Back (along house) = 20 sq. ft.
Front (under bay window) = 40 sq. ft.
Front (new lasagna bed) = 42 sq. ft.
Front (LHS - with perennials too) = 138 sq. ft
Front (RHS) = 388 sq. ft.
Borrowed ground = 336 sq. ft.
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Total = 1154 sq. ft.
That's just a bit bigger than the square footage of our house. Unless I plan to become a CSA (and I don't) I'm going to stop expanding now. I do want to contribute to my borrowee's (?) groceries though. I should have enough to share.
I didn't include the bit of my alley that I use, or the strawberries that are struggling and the raspberry patch in the alley.
There's a lot of bits and pieces and wandering around the lot when I have to water or weed, but it also breaks things up into interesting chunks. Efficient? No, but apparently that's not my gardening style.
I'm not sure if it's ever all planted because I'm constantly tucking things into gaps.
I've got a few cutworm problems I think. I was blaming the birds initially for attacking my tiny cabbage and brocolli starts, but I think it's worms. When a cabbage dies, it leaves a pretty hefty gap, but I can always seed circular patches of lettuce or other greens. And I realize that my garden tends towards full rather than empty anyway because I forget how truly large some things become.
Because that was all a bit boring, I'll show off some of Laura's photography.
5 comments:
Hmmm. . .
maybe I need to measure my beds.
Although I'm pretty sure you've got me beat.
Not that it's a contest or anything! ;D
OK - I am really going to take some time here. You have a garden! I am SO envious of the space you have. I used to have a space like that - and OH.... the preserves and the joy throughout the summer, the satisfaction in the fall - oh my! And yes, the work. But it is all worth it. YOur photos are gorgeous. What kinds of radishes did you grow? Aren't they delish the way my mom loves them?
:)
Valerie
PS That is a TON of gardening space. And, Bravo to Laura's photographic skills. I would now love to see a list of everything you have planted - and every kind - and how much. Yes, I am insatiable!
:)
Kudos to your hard work!
Where did you get the "borrowed" ground? Rather, "how"?
:)
Valerie
Hmm, I'll consider a post on my varieties for your sake, Valerie. It might be a good record for myself as well!
The borrowed ground has been in my field of vision since the farmer neighbour died. I knew that a renter wouldn't keep it up because of it's size and it's not everyone's ability to interest to garden. I just knocked on their door this year when I noticed that nothing was being planted.
Wow, Scrolling down reading all your garden story - it is pretty impressive! We are also gardening in a borrowed space - we sharing 2500-3000sq feet with the owners family. It is only our 2nd year, so we are definitely not as efficient as you are!
Perhaps you are meant to open a market garden? This story, I found inspiring: http://farmama.typepad.com/farmama/2010/11/our-farming-story.html
Look forward to your growing, unfolding garden story this summer!
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