Gardening

GARDENING

Now that there is time I am going to try to have the gardens I always wanted.  Here you see them being prepped.  Total area is 840 sq. ft.  I tried to get close to the French Intensive method.  That is where the bed are in strips – so you don,t walk on them and create hard pan or packed dirt that the roots have a hard time growing through.  Usually with FE you dig down over a foot to loosen the soil.  I did not do that in that I went about 6 in. deep.  I did mix in leaves to get organic matter in the soil.  So I am planting Kale, Arugula, Spinach, Lettuce – Romaine, Buttercrunch, Asian Greens mixed and a Gourmet Blend, Peas, Beans, three varieties of Cantaloupe, Red Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Eggplant, two varieties of Corn, Squash – Zucchini, Butternut, Acorn and Spaghetti, Cucumbers, Tomatoes – Grape, Cherry, Marglobe, Rutgers and Roma, and Beets.  So I’ll keep you posted on my success.  OK – Time for an update.  It is August 14 and we just had our first cantaloupe.  Amazing taste.  I’ve learned a bunch and next year I will stagger plantings so we can have a continuous supply of lettuce, beans and squashes.  It has surprised me how different the varieties of squash taste.  I attached a picture taken a couple of days ago.  Next year will be even bigger and better.