Our Garden

This past summer we gave the back yard some much-needed attention, and installed a paver patio (with much help form my dad), and dug up a small garden area.

We used a Sod Kicker, and removed the sod along the fence, and used it to border the new paver patio.

We amended the soil with a few bags each of mushroom compost and composted cow manure.  We bought about half our seedlings at the Midtown Farmers Market and half at Mother Earth Gardens, and I got a few tomatoes seedlings from a serious home tomato gardner/farmer.

We planted: 1 zucchini, 1 summer squash, 1 patty pan squash, 6 or 8 heirloom tomatoes (all different types), 4 tomatillos, 2 japanese eggplant, 2 ophelia mini eggplant, 1/2 pack of wax bush beans, carrot seeds, 6 bok choi, 1 ground cherry, 1 yellow mini watermelon, 1 gypsy pepper, 1 cajun pepper, 1 serrano, 4 brussels sprouts, a few seed potatoes and potatoes cut up, and old onion.

I used a few ideas from books and magazines, but mostly planted and amended based on recommendations from folks I talked to at Mother Earth. I didn't test the soil.

The coffee sacks have a layer of wire fencing inside for structure, and are filled with hay, mulch and soil, and are planted with potatoes.  It didn't work particularly well for us, but its a system I'd be interested in trying again.

The soil was top dressed with some more mulch and then a layer of hay, which kept weeds away, kept the moisture in the soil, and kept everything looking nice, too.

We had a bit of a squirrel problem during a few hot, dry days, where they were picking and eating green tomatoes (I think for the hydration).  I sprinkled a little bit of Rufus' dog hair along the plants, and put some water out for the squirrels, and they stayed away after that.

We watered when the soil was dry, but tried not to over do it.  We had a soaker hose, and eventually 2 of them, situated between the plants, and watered in the morning, or evening, to avoid the hottest sun and minimize evaporation.

Patty Pan Squash

Watermelon

Ophelia Small Eggplant