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Posted: Sep/08/2007 12:52 PM PST
Ok, I will say that I've tried to look on the web for this, maybe I didn't look good enough. I want to start a garden next year, for fruit and vegetables. I'm thinking Tomatoes, potatoes, onions, rhubarb, etc. (I also want to grow chives, mint, strawberries, raspberries an blueberries, but those will either be in pots or on another side of the house, since blueberries and raspberries and bushes.) Here are my concerns. The soil hasn't been tested... I have no idea what's in it (tho I doubt it's all that bad, we have a river about half a mile away and from here to there, it's nothing but forest, so I doubt we have a bunch of nastiness in it), and worst of all, I have no idea how to prepare it, it still has grass and lil rocks. I'm also worried about the spot I've chosen. See, we HAVE a full sun spot, at the east of the house, but on that side, we have a very low fence (about 1.5 foot high) and that would place my garden very close to the neighbor's house. Now, I'm far from snob or rude, but, I want to make a garden to have a spot for myself, somewhere I can relax and play in the dirt and take care of all the little things that are growing. I just know that if the neighbors are close, I won't be able to relax and enjoy my work... Back to the spot. First it's very close the the house (that is in fact a trailer ) I was thinking of planting rhubarb against the trailer, but then I remembered that they need full sun, so I'm not sure what kind of edible perennial I can put there. And it would have to be safe for the trailer so hubby doesn't go nuts and think that our house is going to suffer any damage due to those plants. (I've already had to beg and plead for him not to cut a very old white maple that is right next to our bedroom (LOVELY view) and I just know Ill have to plead and probably make it a birthday gift for him not to cut the one his mom planted next to our kitchen window. (it's not that he doesn't like trees, for pete sake, we live next to a forest, he's just careful and want to make sure nothing bad happens.) Where was I... Oh yeah, so the garden will be close to the house. What that means is that half of it would be in the shade (of the house). So I'm not sure if my plants wouldn't grow as good or what other plants would grow nicely in the shade. My last concern is for the land itself. Let say I can't have the garden anymore, and we have to revert it back the way it was... Is there any way to do so? Geeeeee. I didn't figure I'd go on for so long. Sorry about that. 
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Posted: Sep/13/2007 4:48 AM PST
Wow...sounds like you have your work cut out for you next spring! There's so much info here, I'll just give ya what I can. Rhubarb grows just as well on the west side of a house without any direct sun till almost 3pm, I've got one ready to take over Texas to prove it. Tomatoes also like that exposure, and neither crop has done any damage to the siding, and that was just replaced last spring due to hail damage. I've got garden stuff on all four sides of our house. If you look in my photos, it'll give you an idea of how it's laid out. All together there's almost 75 feet of garden in a 4' bed around two of the four sides of our house. Sun exposure is limited to west and north, but what I've planted doesn't seem to mind. Front garden is the "show" garden, as you can see it from the street. Gotta run to work now, I'll finish this up later. Keep digging, and thanks for joining! |
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