Any gardeners here?

hkiesling

What plans do you have your garden this year?  What's coming up in your yard?  Vegetables, perennials, and/or annuals?

Bimbi284

I don't have a garden...but FI and I registered for an Aero Garden...I REALLY hope we get it cuz I'd love to have at least some herbs a growin' in my crib. 

When we have a real house...we will definitely try to have one. I don't have much of a green thumb, so we'll see how it goes...perhaps it could be FI's project, lol.

Veittobe

I LOVE my gardens!!

I have a rose garden, a traditional flower garden, and a vegetable garden.  

I'm a little worried about how much neglect my gardens might receive this year given all the wedding plans that I will be doing!  But, the great thing about gardens is - if it doesn't go well this year, there is always next year to start fresh!  

beka0404

I had tomatoes, onions and peppers in my landscaping garden last summer (see remodeling bio) - 24 tomato plants was a bit much though, and I need a new location to fight blight. This year I want to build a raised bed garden that's fence-able to keep critters out (we live on 5 acres) - I was thinking of doing cukes, pickling cukes, onions, potatoes (will do a separate "potato tower"), tomatoes, peppers, green beans, peas, etc. Last year I thought for sure we'd just do a CSA this summer, anticipating being too busy for gardening, but now I want to do both as I don't have the patience for growing asparagus, lettuce, radishes, etc.

Right now my flower beds are sprouting! My narcissus, sedum, daylilies and irises have all sprouted up - CRAZY! I planted 50+ tulip and hyacinth bulbs to supplement the narcissus, so I'm crossing my fingers. (I planted them very late in the fall.)

debbieupper

That is awesome, everyone! I am so jealous. I grew up pulling weeds and picking cukes (and everything else), but since I've been on my own I haven't had the space or time to try it out myself.

Have you guys read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver (Poisonwood Bible)? It's an incredibly book. I actually teared up frequently just by the memories the book brings back. Makes you want to get out and get your hands dirty.

maybe984

Bimbi- you'll LOVE your Aerogarden if you get it. My FI bought me one for Christmas a couple of years ago... and it's fantastic. Some things grow better in it than others, regardless of what you do, so be prepared for slight disappointment once in a while. In the standard herb kit... basil seems to fare the best... so be prepared for a LOT of basil!

Veittobe

Beka - what is a potato tower?  I'm intrigued.  

Veittobe

Last year I chose too many vining plants in my garden.  We had a lot of space over-run by our watermelon, cantelope and spaghetti squash.   We also had peas, beans, radishes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and potatoes.  This year I hope to focus more on the beans, peas, potatoes, peppers and watermelon.  And probably carrots.    I have a bad habit of adding more and more to my plan which is what causes me to have an over-run garden every year.  Oh well.  I love it!  There's nothing better than coming home from work and going out to the garden to see what has grown - and how many peas I can eat for a snack!  

beka0404

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_minnesota-minneapolis-st-paul_gardeners-here?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:81Discussion:ecc1106f-02ff-43eb-ad2d-370aa755737ePost:99968803-6abc-4bd9-a18d-8cfeac6a8bba">Re: Any gardeners here?</a>:
[QUOTE]Beka - what is a potato tower?  I'm intrigued.  :)
Posted by Veittobe[/QUOTE]

<div>My neighbor built one last year and loved it - basically you start your potatoes in a cylinder and add soil and keep building upwards, then you harvest. (Um, yeah - not exactly an expert on these.) </div><div>
</div><div>Here is a description I found:</div><div><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:normal;font-size:10px;" class="Apple-style-span"><em>Great for growing potatoes, these pots provide a deep bed which promotes healthy development of the plants and produces good healthy potatoes. Cut up the seed potatoes, leaving 3 eyes or more on each piece. Plant 5 or 6 pieces in a shallow layer of soil and compost in the bottom of the potato tower. As the potato vines grow up, add more soil and compost leaving about 6 inches of vine exposed until reaching the top of the potato tower. When the plant dies back in the fall, simply unscrew the fasteners, peel back the walls of the tower, and enjoy the harvest.</em></span></div><div>
</div><div>Here are some links that I saved:</div><div>
</div><div><a href="http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-06-21/home-and-garden/17210211_1_potato-sprouting-tower">http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-06-21/home-and-garden/17210211_1_potato-sprouting-tower</a></div><div>
</div><div><a href="http://www.kidsgardening.com/Dig/digdetail.taf?Type=Art&id=2245">http://www.kidsgardening.com/Dig/digdetail.taf?Type=Art&id=2245</a></div><div>
</div><div><a href="http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000dO1">http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000dO1</a></div><div>
</div><div><a href="http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2010/03/the-great-potatotower-trial.html">http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2010/03/the-great-potatotower-trial.html</a></div><div>
</div><div><a href="http://www.garden.org/foodguide/browse/veggie/potatoes_planting/569">http://www.garden.org/foodguide/browse/veggie/potatoes_planting/569</a></div><div>
</div><div>I have no idea if my neighbor's was a fluke, but I think I'll try one. Seed potatoes are dirt cheap, so no big whoop if the tower isn't a success!</div>

nerdygirl816

We just moved into our place last year and have slowly been working on putting in flower gardens after the previous owners tore most of them out. I don't really have a "garden design" in any of them. But I do have alliums, lilies, hopefully carpet border lilies, a chrysanthemum, hollyhocks, irises and cetum, hosta, coreopsis, a raspberry bush and a bunch of other random stuff! I can't wait to see the gardens this summer as they take hold! I plan to create a vegetable garden, probably next year. Right now, I mostly plant only perennials -- less work!