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Garden Gate:  2014 garden plans  |
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Cindy Lou
True Blue Farmgirl
2325 Posts
Susan
Lonsdale
MN
USA
2325 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 27 2013 : 7:01:44 PM
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Has anyone else started their 2014 garden plans?
We used to start getting garden catalogs in January. Now we already have dozens.
We've drawn out garden plans for the coming year and started browsing. Some of the prices have gone up at a frightening rate. I think seed saving had better be part of our future.
Tonight we ordered two kinds of strawberries, Sparkle and Malwina.
Susan
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Mary Oliver |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3934 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3934 Posts |
Posted - Dec 27 2013 : 8:47:46 PM
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I am planning to grow herbs in a 2' wide by 12' long strip in the backyard. I will have to speak with the other gardener in the building about her plans so that we can coordinate and share the work and harvest.
My plan is to grow a variety of culinary and medicinal herbs: basil, tarragon, chives, hyssop, parsley and lemon balm. I also want to grow zinnias because I like them and to attract bees, hummingbird mint to attract humming birds and peonies because I like them. I like to use tarragon with meat and in soup and the plant is a perennial and grows like crazy. Most of the seeds will be purchased at our coop but I will still have to buy some of them. Our small garden plot kept us busy harvesting cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. I want to grow some kale and/or collards too. GAH! Getting ahead of myself.
Our neighborhood calendar this year is all about the gardening in vacant lots in Minneapolis and other kinds of horticulture such as beekeeping on the roof of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They have gardening tips every month which I intend to heed. Oh dear, I am getting way too excited.
Marie, Sister #5142
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2013 : 07:53:20 AM
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January 2nd, Susan... I'll be right there with you planning on January 2nd... I can't wait! I did receive an abundance of wonderfully illustrated catalogs already, and have been holding off perusing and planning until after New Year's... When the celebrating is over and the decorations are put away, things slow down and I need something to pick me up, out will come the catalogs, the gardening books, the graph paper and pencils... I promised myself to cut back on the garden a little bit this year and use only seeds I've saved or that remain from last year; but truthfully once the catalogs are open and all the wonderful pictures start beckoning to my heart, I am sure I'm going to go lose my mind and pick up some new things that I have absolutely no room for! LOL! Our front yard needs work, so I'm hoping to weave in some fruits and veggies when we get to the landscaping. Thing is, though, we live sooo close to the sidewalk and street... I know if people see goodies in the garden, they'll be gone in a heartbeat. We had a beautiful apple tree out there for years and passersby would always pick the tree clean long before the fruit even had a chance to ripen! Seriously! So, maybe this year I'll try one or two new things out front and see how it goes... I'm undecided... All I know is, there is very little free space in the back in which to add any more garden! I'd better really curb myself when thumbing through the catalogs next month! LOL!
Have fun and enjoy your planning, girls!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Dec 28 2013 07:54:27 AM |
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prayin granny
True Blue Farmgirl
1874 Posts
Linda
Kansas
1874 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2013 : 1:10:29 PM
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I'm late in the game but sending for seed catalogs! But already planning my balcony container garden!!
Lots of herbs especially :)
Blessings,
Linda
http://grannysbirds.blogspot.com/
Country at Heart
'For I know the plans I have for you......'
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Dec 28 2013 : 4:34:12 PM
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I have a list of seeds I want to order. I should be able to grow more in the backyard now that the tulip tree is gone. Lots more sunlight.
Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Madinet85
True Blue Farmgirl
94 Posts
Elizabeth
Indiana
USA
94 Posts |
Posted - Dec 29 2013 : 5:16:50 PM
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I just got my Burpee catalog the other day. Last year we tried to have a big garden and it got to be too much to keep up with. This year I am going to just do two square foot gardens, a few pots of tomatoes, and maybe a few pumpkins. That way it isn't too much to try and keep weeded.
Farmgirl Sister #4915 |
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danyel
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Danyel
Robertsdale
PA
USA
349 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2013 : 05:48:44 AM
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I started my list of what I want to grow, and what I want to be able to put up (can dehydrate ). I just have to figure out what I want in my healing garden. It is uplifting to think of growing things when it is so cold out.
Danyel
farmgirl sister 4202 |
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QuiltyMom
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Jan
Falls Church
VA
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2013 : 1:28:12 PM
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I just got my High Mowing Organic seed catalog the other week, and I need to start planning my garden. the hard part is that the neighborhood trees are now sending too much shade into my backyard and I've lost a lot of growing space except for my balcony. The worst part is that the elementary school behind our house is erecting a fence around it, which will be sending a lot of pedestrians right behind our house it's a utility easement that people use to go between neighborhoods now that the school has decided everyone's been trespassing on the grounds. That's another story in itself.) So, this means that I've also lost the small plot outside my back fence now that everyone and their brother will be walking there now.
I also need to figure out how to water the pots when we're on vacation. I've asked neighbors before, but everything's been in pretty bad shape when we get home due to the mid-summer heat. Oh, and to make squirrel-proof boxes to cover everything with. I saw some cool ones when my hubby and I did a walking tour through San Francisco a few years ago and stumbled on a community garden. They were two squares made of PVC pipe, placed next to each other and connected together with hinges. They were then covered with netting on 4 sides, leaving the bottom and the side next to the other box open, then they were placed on the plot. We have very pesky squirrels in our neighborhood and the love to dig everything up, then leave the damaged plants for the rabbits to eat. Never a dull moment in suburbia!
I'm still figuring out what to plant. I'd like to do leafy greens, root veggies and some fun stuff like tomatillos. But I'll move my herb garden to the plot outside the fence, except for the basil. Hopefully no one will want to take them! |
Edited by - QuiltyMom on Dec 31 2013 1:28:32 PM |
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Cindy Lou
True Blue Farmgirl
2325 Posts
Susan
Lonsdale
MN
USA
2325 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2013 : 8:10:14 PM
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Jan, how long do you need to keep those plants watered? I use upside down pop bottles filled with water and a small hole in the lid stuck into the dirt for my houseplants. Maybe a gallon sized bottle could gradually water those pots while you are gone, especially if you can move them to a shady location to slow down the water loss.
Susan
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Mary Oliver |
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churunga
True Blue Farmgirl
3934 Posts
Marie
Minneapolis
MN
USA
3934 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2013 : 11:41:36 PM
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To keep the rabbits out of your garden make a mobile of shiny objects like old CDs and hang them about 10 inches off the ground. Rabbits do not like the shinys. I don't know if it will work for the squirrels.
Marie, Sister #5142
Try everything once and the fun things twice. |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2014 : 05:51:36 AM
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I've been planning for a month now and still don't know how we will fit in everything I want to grow or where we will put in the new apple and cherry trees I so desperately want to start - we put in two plums and two pears last fall. We have room for the new trees in several different locations, but it's such a weighty decision for me I want to be absolutely sure before we dig the holes and order the trees.
We have a serious problem with deer, squirrels and rabbits as well. If we deer-fence off the crops it works fairly well (except at the edges where they can just reach in, but I try to put all the super-hot chili plants there to teach them a lesson! Ha!) We were having good luck with driving them off by putting liquid "deer fence" repellent along our property line, but we must not have been doing it enough because a few days ago we awoke to two BUCKS fighting in the backyard (ramming antlers over and over) about 20 feet from our back patio! It was crazy!
More seed catalogs arrived yesterday and despite the fact that my seed stores are bulging, I have already started circling "just a few more" that I would love to try out. This year I want to try growing cucumbers again. Had bad luck in the past, but am going to try out a few new strategies. So, of course, I can't just go with ONE kind, I have to set my eye on 5 different breeds!! Ha!
Happy planning Farmgirls! And may all our gardens overflow with produce this year!
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"A [wo]man is rich in proportion to the number of things which [s]he can afford to let alone." - Henry David Thoreau |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2014 : 08:24:27 AM
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I have a heap of lovely catalogues and a lot of ideas! I am planning on building a low veranda along half of my house and want planter boxes as part of that for salad greens, herbs and strawberries...ambitious plan that may not happen altogether this year  Otherwise I need a low and long garden bed for arugula, peas and such...I like to grow potatoes in bins because it's so much easier to harvest because you just tip the bins over and pick up the 'taters!
I have had tendonitis in my wrists and it makes it hard to turn the catalogue pages but I'm giving it a try today, at least for a little bit.
Last year was a learning experience and I now know that you need a lot more root space, water and better drainage than the packages say. I'm eying my raised beds impatiently now that the holidays are past. The day after Christmas I'm eager for spring!
I really want to start a berry patch this year. My MIL has a fabulous berry garden that I am always dripping with envy over 
Last year I got my DH involved in the garden and he fell in love I've created a gardening monster!
You must do the thing you think you cannot do
-Eleanor Roosevelt
She with the most chickens wins 
Annika
Farmgirl & Sister #13
http://thegimpyfarmgirl.blogspot.com/
http://pinterest.com/annikaloveshats/
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Cindy Lou
True Blue Farmgirl
2325 Posts
Susan
Lonsdale
MN
USA
2325 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2014 : 09:19:10 AM
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Suzanne,
Are you considering dwarf or semi dwarf fruit trees? You could get 4 or more in the space of a standard tree. You don't get as much yield as a large tree but can try a lot more varieties. Also check on growing them in an espalier form on a fence or wall, again it saves space, makes for easy picking and all the fruit has equal access to light and ripens more evenly.
Another space saver is raised beds, instead of row-space-row-space you can have a lot more plants in a grid pattern for things like onions, carrots, etc. We always want to try more things but need to make sure we can keep up with the care and picking.
Annika,
Can you get volunteer plants from your MIL for a berry patch? Things like strawberries and raspberries can really spread. That way you will know you are getting a variety you like. AND help her keep her beds in check. We used to go to pick your own farms to try out varieties before we would purchase them, found some that were great and others not worth the effort.
Susan
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Mary Oliver |
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QuiltyMom
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Jan
Falls Church
VA
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2014 : 7:03:28 PM
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Susan, sorry that I haven't responded sooner. The kids are still out of school and I'm busy with them.
Here's the thing. I go to California to visit my family for 3 weeks every summer, with only one of those weeks where my husband is with us. Then he's back home at work... and watering to him is just misting the plants. He's definitely not a gardener! I thought about doing the gallon jug thingy, but with the heat and humidity we get here it would be gone within tow days, maybe? I've been thinking about putting in a timed watering system, but that costs $$ that we don't really have right now. It's quite the conundrum. If I plant a garden, it's mostly dead by the time I get home. If I don't plant a garden, it's just as dead.
Sigh.
But I will definitely start collecting plastic jugs just in case! |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jan 02 2014 : 9:33:16 PM
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I have seen drip irrigation systems at Tractor supply for a very modest price. Not at all costly.
Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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lovecatsandsunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
274 Posts
Tara
Sands of Time
SC
USA
274 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2014 : 1:46:23 PM
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I have a stack of catalogs. I'll only plant organic. Going to get bean fences from in laws and grow melon, squash and pumpkins on it, instead of letting them sprawl all over. Anyone know where I can get organic slips for sweet potatoes?
Support your local organic farmer.www.localharvest.org
Have you hugged your cat today? |
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Cindy Lou
True Blue Farmgirl
2325 Posts
Susan
Lonsdale
MN
USA
2325 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2014 : 4:34:27 PM
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We ordered seeds online from Johnny's Seeds on 1/3. They arrived already today!! Picking up that and another package at the post office was the only things that got me out of the house on this bitter cold day. We've had really good luck with all we've ordered from them.
Just last night we discussed adding dried beans to the order by phone to avoid more postage. Maybe we'll try Vermont Bean for variety now.
Susan
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Mary Oliver |
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AFinkberry
True Blue Farmgirl
310 Posts
Ally
Kalama
Washington
310 Posts |
Posted - Jan 06 2014 : 5:32:59 PM
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Man, I have no idea what to do yet! My extremely frugal DH absolutely refuses to buy ANYTHING for a garden. He wants to build a cold frame from free stuff off of craigslist. But he's yet to do it. I'd like to build some raised beds because we are in a rental, but again, he doesn't want to pay for anything. He has been saving our seeds from our organic produce, and I think we are going to start them indoors, but unless we can figure out the whole garden situation, we're not going to have my kitchen garden...I need prayers for patience this month!
Ally
Farmgirl Sister #5672
"There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness." ~His Holiness the Dalai Lama |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2014 : 10:08:17 AM
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Susan,
Sorry this response is delayed! Yes, we are putting in dwarf and semi-dwarf so we can get as much possible into the area that was de-treed by a tornado that went through part of our backyard this past summer. We lost three beautiful old maples as a result of that storm, but it cleared the way for the fruit trees we always wanted. Plus without the shade those threw, we can get extra fruit trees into an area that previously had no sun. Luckily, on the other side ofour yard we still have about 10 healthy ornamental trees left, so still providing shade and tree lovliness. Plus, these don't through shade on our raised bed or patio container garden, so its ideal.
I'm also looking into planting columnar/colonnade varieties of apple, since they take up much less spreading room than traditional apple trees, but supposedly produce really well and can be planted in containers or the ground (and from what I can gather from my research, you can set the columnar trees up almost like a "privacy hedge" against a fence line - and we have just the area!)
I just wanted to do a lot of research and planning on this to be sure because planting a tree is more permanent than a seasonal garden.
Oh, and the plum and pear trees we already planted this past fall are all semi-dwarf and expected to be 12-15 feet max, from the info they cam with.
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"A [wo]man is rich in proportion to the number of things which [s]he can afford to let alone." - Henry David Thoreau |
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QuiltyMom
True Blue Farmgirl
50 Posts
Jan
Falls Church
VA
USA
50 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2014 : 4:36:01 PM
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| Has anyone had ay luck growing a Meyer Lemon tree in a container to bring indoors and outdoors, weather permitting? I'd love to have one since I grew up with one in our backyard in California. Boy, do I ever miss that tree! |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2014 : 5:36:40 PM
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I had a friend (who has since moved) who used to grow a lemon tree in a container on her patio and bring it in for the winter and hers produced a fair amount of lemons every year. But, I'm not sure if it was a Meyer lemon.
I would say go for it if you want to try! I wish I could do a container lemon - we just have nowhere we could put a big container inside for winter right now and still get it adequate sun. :-(
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder
"A [wo]man is rich in proportion to the number of things which [s]he can afford to let alone." - Henry David Thoreau |
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countrymommy85
True Blue Farmgirl
898 Posts
Krystle
MT
USA
898 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2014 : 1:42:20 PM
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Totally getting a garden planned out! Well, at least what I want/hope to grow! It all depends on what kind of housing we get and if there is a garden or room for a garden, etc. I will probably plant some in pots, maybe some in a community garden plot, perhaps if housing allows a real garden or a straw bale garden. Any way I look at it, I will be planting and growing a garden somewhere!
Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee. ~Author Unknown
http://countryrenaissance.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SunflowersAndHoney |
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Jeri
Farmgirl in Training
15 Posts
Jeri
Brandon
MS
USA
15 Posts |
Posted - Jan 20 2014 : 09:16:02 AM
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| I have started planning. In fact, I have already started onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash under my grow light. So far, the tomatoes have started sprouting. I looked at my pots one night about 10:00, there were no sprouts. Got up the next morning and I have little sprouts. So exciting. Okay, it doesn't take much to excite me! Hopefully, others will be sprouting soon. Does anyone know if egg shells are a good source to put on tomatoes? |
Edited by - Jeri on Jan 20 2014 09:20:12 AM |
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naturemaiden
True Blue Farmgirl
2569 Posts
Connie - Farmgirl #673
Hoosick Falls
NY
USA
2569 Posts |
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proseharley
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
ROSE
dover
ohio
USA
96 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2014 : 08:25:13 AM
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I am going to try raised gardens this year our soil is all clay...Our local Career Center has classes on how to start and other classes from grow fruit tree to pruning..trying to decide what to plant so I know the size to build.
Rose #5393 Dutch Valley Farmgirl Where rolling hills and buggies you will see. |
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Cindy Lou
True Blue Farmgirl
2325 Posts
Susan
Lonsdale
MN
USA
2325 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2014 : 09:07:02 AM
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Rose,
Years ago we had an area of clay soil that was almost unusable for gardening. We did some research and planted buckwheat, and worked it into the soil. It breaks up the soil and helps a lot. Raised beds are a great way to garden, but while you are doing that, you could be conditioning some other area for later planting.
With raised beds watch the width. We've found 4 feet is about the most that can be comfortably reached to work from both sides. Remember too that in raised beds plants can be closer together. We use a grid pattern for things like onions, carrots, beets rather than rows. A friend tried a four foot bed next to the house and couldn't reach to work it without climbing in.
Susan
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Mary Oliver |
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Garden Gate: 2014 garden plans |
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2014 garden plans
