Planning my spring garden, how about you?
@BrickShyOfALoad (266)
United States
December 23, 2006 12:21pm CST
I live in east Texas and even though it's just December, it will be time to begin planting my spring garden soon. I use square foot gardening and planting boxes that are raised from the ground but I believe we'll use cinder blocks to create a different kind of planting platform this spring. Weeding is easy and tending the plants is much easier on the back when you don't have to kneel on the ground or lean over much!
I'll plant green beans, zucchini, corn, lots of tomatoes, okra, spinach, beets (we love the greens in salad) and some herbs and a few flowers.
Do you have a garden planned and if so where are you, when do you start planting and what will you plant?
3 responses
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
28 Dec 06
Hi Brick! I'm soooo jealous LOL I live in Canada and my garden is only a distant hope in December! :) I would love to do the raised platforms too because I have some back problems and weeding is awful enough without adding pain into the equation. At this time, I have several ground-level beds scattered throughout my front and back yards - none of them too large so that I can keep the weeds in check. I also do several containers of flowers each year that go on my front porch or in spaces that need some color, without adding more beds (I uploaded a photo to the gardening section last night of one of my pots of tuberous begonias from early last season... they ended up being very full and pretty!)
I think I'm going to try to expand on my perennials this year. I have several hostas that will need to be divided again in the spring (they are so healthy and grow FAST) and I also have stella d'oro lilies that are healthy but not producing very many flowers. I see them all over town, in commercial gardens and such, and they are an abundance of yellow flowers all summer...not sure why mine don't do that. Maybe they need a better feeding! I've been wanting to add some Rudbeckia (brown eyed susans)... my mom always had them and they were so pretty and you can't really kill them with a stick LOL
In any case, I don't have a large veggie garden but I always have cherry tomatoes (one of my daughters and I eat them like candy, right off the plants!), beefsteak tomatoes and I think I'll add back my green and yellow beans this year. They taste so wonderful and grow well just about anywhere, don't you find? I also have chives and parsley and maybe will try another herb or two. Any that you recommend? I was thinking basil, for one, to go with the tomatoes.
Okra... I've only had it once -- in a canned soup and it was not appealing to me... very mushy. I'm sure if you grow it yourself, it must be good! How do you use it? Maybe I can develop an appreciation for something new!
@BrickShyOfALoad (266)
• United States
31 Dec 06
Oh, thanks so much for replying! I love to talk gardening. :) Really, you should try the planting tables;they're so much easier on the back and knees! We use certified weed free soil, also, so weeding is just a breeze!
Hostas! I love those but can't get them to grow here. I think it's just too hot, too sunny and not wet enough, maybe. I would love to have some growing, though. I know nothing about stella d'oro lilies though I really like lilies so I'd probably like those, too.
I love having green beans growing! I eat those right in the garden! I prefer them raw though I'll eat them cooked, also. I eat most of the vegetables right there in the garden, though.
As for herbs, I love to grow curry. I don't like to eat it but I like the scent of it. I also have several mints - pineapple, apple, chocolate, etc and love their scent, also. One of my favorites is lemon grass! Basil is an excellent choice, too. We like to grow basil and chives in with the tomatoes.
We love okra fried but that's not very healthy so we limit it. A great way to eat it is in Okra and Tomatoes. We just boil the okra til it's done or almost done, then add some canned tomatoes (stewed are best) and some spices and let it all cook awhile. The tomatoes cut the sliminess and mushiness of the okra itself. :)
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
31 Dec 06
I'm jealous! Living in Western New York, garden planting wont be happening until May for me and since moving here from Canada I've not had a garden (I had a fabulous one back home though LOL) BUT this yr I'm having one come hell or high water...As for what we'll have well I would like to have 4 different gardens (luckily we have the room for it)...I plan on having
Veggie garden = cucumbers, green peppers, banana peppers, chili peppers, roma tomatos, cherry tomatos, lettuce, strawberries, and I've not decided what else at this point..but it is only december LOL
HERB GARDEN = chamomile, sweet oregano, basil, thyme, lavendar, dill, rosemary, chives, tarragon
I'll also be planting a Medicine Wheel Garden and of course a flower garden or two...
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
31 Dec 06
Hi you are so lucky that you can start getting your garden ready.I live in kansas and it is to cold out to start a garden right now. Its been raining all day today off and on and frezing. We have to wait untill May to start around hear. I love planting tomatos and peppers. I dont have a very large space for a garden,I wish I did. Then I can plant more.I also like flowers, I have quite a few of them, but they are in flower pots.I also have roses I just love roses they smell so good.
