soaphouse's Blog

Veggie Installation 2011
Apr 15, 2011 | 5:25 AM PST
Tags: veggies , eggplant , ichiban , black beauty , german queen , heirloom , lemon cucumber , zinnia , sunflower , bush beans , successe and failures , lists , garden plan
Now that warmer temps are here to stay, I was able to go ahead and install the veggie garden! I even did it a couple of days earlier than I typically do – April 12th instead of April 15th, our “safe” day. Ah – life on the edge….

As always, I reviewed my previous years Installations (2008, 2009, 2010) and successes and failures (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010). Last year’s garden was a huge failure, so I am hoping for a better season this go around. So helpful to have these records!

Hubby was a big help as my pregger self tires out a bit more quickly.

Before we headed out to the nursery, I sketched out this little plan and list:

 

I kept things pretty simple this go around and the things I learned the most from last year was don’t plant too many varieties of things, because there won’t be a successful yield from one single thing. So, instead of doing all heirloom tomatoes, and having to wait until November for a tomato, I opted for 2 varieties of heirlooms and 2 varieties of hybrids.

Here is the layout, with Bed #1 being the top left:

#1

3 Ichiban Eggplants

1 Jalapeno

1 German Queen Heirloom Tom

2 Zucchinni Plants

Zinnias from Seeds

 

#2

1 Better Boy Tom

1 Cherry Tom

1 Summer Squach

Bush Beans from seed

 

#3

My perennial bed with strawberries, bee balm and purple asparagus

#4

1 Fairytale striped Ichiban Eggplant

Lemon Cucumber from Seeds

Burpless Cucumber from Seeds

1 Early Girl Tom

1 Sweet Basil

1 mammoth Basil

Marigolds  from seeds

Zinnias from seeds

#5

White Patty Pan Squash from Seeds

1 Black Beauty Heirloom Tom

Marigolds from Seeds

 

We also planted Big mammoth sunflower seeds in pots around the beds for the kiddos. I could not find any nastursum seeds in the color that I wanted, so I substituted zinnias. Also, there were no Edamame seeds, so that bed got extra squash.

The girls had such a good time helping and my oldest daughter made her own little garden complete with stick surrounds:

Here is the veggie plot all ready for the season:

And, of course I couldn’t just buy veggies!

I also came home with this Rocket Ligularia and well as 3 caladiums for the hydrangea bed.

Happy Gardening!

-soapHOUSE