Vegetable Garden Project Completed!
Well, we finally finished the raised bed portion of the new veggie garden, which we have been calling phase 1. What a big undertaking it has been – like most of my landscaping projects it was more work and money than I planned on, but I am glad we stuck with it! The next phase is to put grape vines and raspberries in the other half of the field, where it is still that unrepaired from the ploughing.
Here is phase 1 of the project from start to finish:
A lonely little paddock dreams of being a garden.
The farmer ploughs the paddock.
We spend countless hours repairing the soil surface in preparation for building the beds.
We build and place each raised bed as we prepare a spot for it, and I plant my seeds in each as I get the soil prepared. 
We place landscape fabric and bark chips on all the paths between the beds. 
I start eating lettuce, spinach, radishes (a surprise bonus plant from a “spicy salad mix” of greens), chives, chard and the spicy salad mix of strange and definitely spicy greens. 
Some plants go to seed so that I can save the seeds as part of the Seed To Seed Challenge hosted by One Green Generation. 
Other plants are not identifiable yet – I don’t know if they are weeds or the seeds I planted! Next year I shall mulch any open spaces without seeds so that it is clear what is something that I have planted and what is something that grew by itself. I did notice that one common weed I could identify was covered in aphids while the veggies have none. I left lots of those weeds in the beds as free integrated pest management!
I have not watered any of the beds and don’t intend to – I want to see what is tough enough to succeed without coddling so next year I make my life easier and only plant those types.
I noticed that some boxes in general grew better than others and I think this was due to the timing of the seed planting. The very earliest and the very latest beds don’t have much happening at all, which I think was from rotting before they could sprout in the earliest sowings, and from being beat out by the competing weeds before they could really get going in the latest sowings. I will be planting ALL my seeds on the optimum days for that next year based on this year’s research.
All in all, phase 1 is a success! Phase 2 begins soon….
Plant Lady
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About
Trillium Grove Farm is where I am living my gardening dream and my personal ideals of working with nature and respecting the earth. This blog captures my garden and landscaping projects: I am interested in establishing woodland gardens, cultivating organic vegetables, planting trees of all sorts, and I have a weakness for native plants, lavender and lillies. I favour planting with diversity and then letting nature find the right balance rather than interfering with chemicals and monoculture. …I even plant extra for the critters.
I hope you’ll join me on my garden path!
The Plant Lady
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The Plant Lady on Weekly Walk June 22 2009 Gardener on Weekly Walk June 22 2009 Charlotte on Weekly Walk July 29 2009 Rose on Vegetable Garden Project … Jan (ThanksFor2Day) on Weekly Walk July 29 2009
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That looks absolutely fantastic! Waht a massive endeavour. I wish you lots of joy and produce from your new patch
Wow! What a big project. You really created something amazing.
I think you are really smart to do your research and observations right away to make the garden more efficient next year.
Congratulations!
And here I was all excited about my three little beds. Your garden looks great! I’m trying to get second bed planted today, but I’m so worn out from painting from a ladder yesterday. These pictures are motivating me to get back out there!
Plant Lady – Great job! It looks so green and neat.
Wow!!! They look amazing! Your hard work has paid off.