Kitchen garden and the black thumb

When I say brand new farmers – I mean me.  My husband has been around gardens and livestock and such when he was younger.  Not me.  I grew up in a suburb.  Not that I never saw a garden, or a cow – just never lived in that framework.

So, one of my attempts as “getting ready” to own our own farm was to attempt a kitchen garden.  It sounded simple enough – raised beds, less weeds, pathways, order, less mud, and I could shop from the yard.  Yes, that sounds like a great idea!

Wow, you think I would get tired of feeling kind of dumb!

So, my neighbor knows what the heck he is doing.  One can tell by taking a look at his garden.  He has done this before.  One can tell just as easily by looking at mine that I am a newbie!

 

I am fairly certain that the neighborhood may not be unified in many things, but I believe it is unified in finding our little kitchen garden rather entertaining!

Cabbage – success!  Planted actual plants, cut actual edible cabbage and made food with it several times.  Bunnies didn’t eat it because we planted onions all around it!  yeah!!!

Onions – is there anyone on the planet that can kill onions?  So far, not even I can kill those!

Cucumbers – OK, so seriously any idiot must be able to grow cucumbers.  I managed to do that from seed.  I needed a better fence trellis system to hold up all those plants.  Might need to plant a few less cucumbers next time.  Cucumber salad anyone?

Peppers – Well, I killed off one set.  A couple of plants with a strong will to survive have spit forth a few peppers too hot for me to care about, but somebody might like them.  I have one single green pepper plant that finally has a couple of peppers on it.  So far, haven’t killed that.

Broccoli – fairly successful.  Who knew that when you cut the broccoli bunch off the top of the stalk that sometimes it will grow you a new one!  I did not!  Go ahead laugh, I did.

Potatoes – we will try that again next year.  I got one colander of mixed potatoes from my 3x4ft raised bed.  They were pitiful all the way around.  I HATE those stupid bugs.  Don’t know how to get rid of them.  I’d like to do it “naturally”, but right now a blow torch seems in order.  Black Thumb – wish I had a piece of clip art to tack here!

Tomatoes – Wow, they should have been amazing but NOPE!  I have gotten a few cherry tomatoes.  I have heard nobody can kill those.  Mine are looking pretty bad – I think my black thumb is shining through here.  Romas are growing, but it isn’t really very pretty.  A couple of heirloom tomato plants that someone managed to grow to about 10″ tall before I got hold of them are looking pretty bad.  I might get a few tomatoes, but they don’t look too great.  I HATE BUGS!!!  Who knew that you shouldn’t plant tomatoes in miracle grow soil?  Not me!

Carrots – tooooooo many planted toooooo close together means smaller carrots.  But!  This is my favorite!  I LOVE carrots.  Garden carrots smell AMAZING and taste so good in ranch dip!

So what’s left – um – Oh, some kind of melon is actually growing.  I don’t remember what kind it is.  It is from seed.

Dill – It is too tall, have no idea what I need to do with it, but it is not dead so  . . .

So – I have learned a few things – 

Onions really do keep bunnies out of your cabbage

Plant food you like to eat – seems simple, but I am willing to work a bit for those carrots

I need a good length of fence to grow cucumbers and tomatoes up

I hate weeds and bugs

Raised beds are great, but weeds still manage to get in everything

I haven’t killed everything – but we might have had a fifty dollar 5 pound bag of potatoes

My garden is ugly, but I am still eating fresh cucumbers and carrots and cabbage and broccoli

Plant more broccoli next year – there is never enough broccoli in this house!