Vegetable Garden Ideas

22 comments:
I suppose this first year of vegetable gardening is kind of an experiment. 

I have never had anything quite this big or with quite the variety of plants.

  There are 13 different tomato varieties, all which need to be supported and so began the search for the best products I could find.
I started with these large turteurs for sweet peas in the early spring.  
These now are supporting beans and are working out really well.  
I like the height in the two rear beds, at the very back of the garden.
I next found these expandable bamboo teepees.  
These are being used to support  8 raspberry and blackberry bushes that are planted along side the raised beds.  I like the fact that they can be removed and easily stored at the end of the growing season when the plants get cut back
I recycled these little 3 legged bamboo stakes to use for the smaller pepper plants.  These are perfect right now but I may need to use larger stakes as the plants get bigger.  
As I said this is my "experimental" first season. 
In this particular bed I have 5 tomatoes plants and used a tomato ladder support with a more decorative iron tuteur in the center.  
The little garlic finial is really cute.  
These were pricy but they will remain in the garden throughout the year, even after the vegetables have come and gone.


Below is another bed that I just reworked this weekend.  It needed more compost and is somewhat shaded by the big oaks.  
The supports in the front are expandable willow teepees which are a great size about 24" high and you can snuggle them in with different plantings very easily. 
 Here they will be supporting eggplant.
The beans are really wonderful and we are already harvesting even though these plants have only been in for about a month or so.

I have basil around the perimeter as well as two zucchini varieties.


Below is the lettuce garden.  
I stuck a couple of miniature yellow bell peppers in the center with the willow supports.
This lettuce, actually a romaine variety is called "flashy trouts back"  and it has done really well.  There is also some butter lettuce, which I am sharing with the rabbits...this happens to be their favorite.
A variety of mesculun, I scatter by seed in little 18 x 18 " sections and let it do it's thing. 
 I love this stuff!!!
It grows in a big thick "lettuce rug"  and you can either snip of pull up the tender greens.


Here is what I cooked up for dinner on Saturday night with a couple of grilled steaks.  
Heaven!

Hope you had a restful and happy weekend

~*~
kelley
22 comments:
  1. We grew all of our vegetables when I was growing up. What we couldn't eat was frozen or canned and we ate those through the winter. Unless you've grown your own, you just can't understand how much better an ear of corn or a new potato is when it goes straight from the garden into the boiling water. A baby potato with a little olive oil and fresh mint is pure heaven. And there's nothing better than picking a green bean or tomato right off the plant and eating it. I wish I had the had the land to grow my own veggies. Maybe I should look into a community garden space. You've gotten me motivated!

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  2. Wow Kelley- it's really looking good. I bet your Saturday dinner was delicious!!

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  3. All I can say is yumyum! :) I recently had a rather depressing doctor's visit, and I have to start eating healthier. This has me inspired. :)

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  4. I wish my garden looked like your garden! You must have the perfect climate, water, soil, etc. All this rain has really stunted my tomatoes. Also we have boron in our water and that doesn't help. I absolutely love your garden!

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  5. Beautiful. Well done. I like the walkway in between the beds. It suits the size of your garden.

    Additionally, the variety of crops you were able to grow is outstanding. It seems like you did a lot of research before planting.


    Hey, maybe you can add some herbs to your garden. Herbs like marigold really deter pest. The scent is too pungent for them to want to stick around.

    Additionally the herbs conceals the scent of your crops from other animal pests.


    I've also noticed that you have a lot of shade coming from the trees around the garden. If ever you need to increase the sunlight...try adding a pool. The water would reflect the sun's light unto the crops.


    However as it stands your garden is almost flawless. Keep up the good work.


    You can also check out...

    http://www.quick-and-easy-vegetable-garden.com

    for more info.

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  6. hi kelley,

    your garden is perfection. i'm envious of everything in it. from the raised beds, giant oaks, supports and of course the veggies themselves. what a beautiful garden and then you get to walk into an equally gorgeous home. do you know how rare that is? i'm sure you do. but seriously, as a vegan it is a slice of heaven. i'm in awe.

    ~janet

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  7. Beautiful! I wish I could grow veggies like this. Each time I have tried HERE, the wildlife from the woods behind my house seem to get there at the first sign of growth. No matter what we did...natural inhibitors to fences...they found a way to penetrate the garden. I do grow herbs...and one lone tomato plant...on my patio. Other than the grasshoppers, we seem to be good to go...

    Enjoy your bounty!
    Jane (artfully graced)

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  8. I have a very bad case of garden envy now.....it would be my dream to have that garden of yours..bravo!

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  9. Oh what a wonderful garden and everything looks so healthy, I love the whimsey of it all.

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  10. It just goes to show...good support always helps the situation!
    but it does look a bit shady in those photos -there must be some great direct sun at other times....otherwise please share your shady growing secrets!!!
    my little raised bed (6x6) is plugging along and the potted tomato plants are pleading for less rain but with a couple of days of dry weather ahead I think we will be ok!

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  11. Kelley, your garden is splendid! you will have many feast from all the wonderful veggies you have grown there. The design is just so beautiful... but then I wouldn't expect anything less from you.thanks for sharing and keep the garden post's coming!

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  12. Your garden is a veritable feast for the senses Kelley! Seeing, touching, tasting of course and the wonderful scents that I'm sure are there from the fresh breezes, soil, plants...all perfection.
    We have quite a bit of rock left over from the building of our fireplace and your rockery beds have me thinking that would be a great way to continue the use of them outside.

    Thank you for the inspiration!
    xo Jessica~

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  13. I just love your garden...I hope to have one either this year or next...can't wait...cuz I'm using your blog as my guide.

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  14. Almost to beautiful to eat...almost!

    Can't wait to see your bounty in another month!

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  15. Gorgeous garden and fantastic ideas for vertical support. I used a tutour for my tomato plants inside a pot. It looks pretty nice as well. I wish I had a gorgeous garden like yours though.

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  16. Oh my gosh...your gardens are so beautful!
    I just added raised be gardens this year and am anxiously waiting for things to grow:)
    This is my first year too and already I know how differently I will do things next year!
    Thanks for the inspiration!!!!!!!!!!

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  17. Thank you for all of the wonderful comments....it's pretty clear there are alot of veggie gardeners out there!

    PS I picked a zucchini so big that if I put some oars on it I could have rowed to Catalina!

    kelley

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  18. Kelley,
    Do you have a favorite supplier that you buy your bamboo teepees from. I would love to buy a few to use in my garden. I searched a little on line and they were a little pricey for the amount of them I need.
    Thanks for the pictures your garden is spectacular !!!
    Melinda

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  19. omg. your garden is out of this world! i can't even... wow.

    found you via kim@newlywoodwards, and so glad i did!!

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  20. Hi Melinda, I find many nice products for the garden at my local Nursery but there are a few nice websites like gardeners.com or Master Garden Products which sells a nice selection of willow items.

    So glad you like the garden...it is really a fun project.

    Kelley : )

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  21. If this is your gardens first year, you did a great job! Everything looks fantastic, healthy and yummie !!

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  22. Hello I love your veggie garden. I have a veggie plot with slightly raised beds here in Brittany, France and we seem to grow many of the same things. There's nothing like home grown food for flavour and convenience. I feel really proud when I sit down to eat a plate of my own produce.

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