had a vegetable garden for several years running up until about 6 or 7 years ago, girls got involved in club/travel sports, and no time. garden not replanted for several years, and rest of yard not kept up very well either (when they were little, we had pretty decent flower gardens, maybe 400 sq foot total as well).
Well, youngest will be off to college in fall, and no spring sports, oldest no longer playing either, so home a lot more. a lot of progress so far this spring getting yard back under control. Forsythia and Rose of Sharon hedges tamed (forsythia hedges are quick to fill in, but take a lot of maintenance to keep them under control); working on getting English ivy that took over behind garage (and up back of garage, and over fence on property line) remediated, will take a few years to truly eradicate (hints on herbicides that work on English ivy welcome!). Luckily not near any flower gardens, and only on fringes of vegetable garden area (got this cleaned up first).
Decided at start of spring that I would not plant vegetables this year, but work towards having things truly ready to roll next spring. have a compost bin (made of three pallets standing on end in a U) going, lawn clippings, veggie choppings, coffee grinds, citrus peels, some twigs, leaves, etc. once I have the firewood currently stacked in garden removed (friend supposed to come get it, no use really), I plan to cover the garden plot with grass clipping from mowing lawn and/or black tarps (recommendations either way?)
got one problem in garden plot still thought, two small but PIA stumps (approx 5 inch in diameter) from walnut trees (still getting walnut trees popping up all over yard, even after all trees on property removed 15 years ago). Pretty close to property line/stockade fence, so borough does not want me to burn them, and in any event, hasn't seem to do much to get rid of them. Don't want to use chemicals as they are in vegetable garden. Walnut trees put down tap roots pretty deep, even small ones (1/4 to half inch samplings I routinely pull out of flower beds and lawn generally have 8 inch taproots on them).
also want to start to build raised garden beds in vegetable garden, as I am not getting younger, and getting less amenable to bending over every year. I figure if I do one 4 ft x 8 ft x 2 ft high bed a year, I can have most of the garden raised within 4-5 years (13 x 20 approx). trying to stick to budget, so want to avoid buying the beds, any ideas? I thought of doing pallets (can generally find free pallets in the area if I haul them), cutting in half, and filling in gaps. not treated and normally cheap wood, so they might not last, but if I have to build one a year, should be doable, as long as they all do not become too rotten to use at once. I have a pile of fill dirt/rotting firewood I can use probably for the bottom half of about two beds already. Also have some concrete chunks I can use as well. again, height is mostly for convenience sake.
Veggie Garden will be tomatoes, peppers, green beans, snap peas, asparagus, lettuce, spinach, squash/zuccini, cucumbers. maybe some jalepenos around edge on ground to discourage foragers (ie rabbits, squirrels).
Well, youngest will be off to college in fall, and no spring sports, oldest no longer playing either, so home a lot more. a lot of progress so far this spring getting yard back under control. Forsythia and Rose of Sharon hedges tamed (forsythia hedges are quick to fill in, but take a lot of maintenance to keep them under control); working on getting English ivy that took over behind garage (and up back of garage, and over fence on property line) remediated, will take a few years to truly eradicate (hints on herbicides that work on English ivy welcome!). Luckily not near any flower gardens, and only on fringes of vegetable garden area (got this cleaned up first).
Decided at start of spring that I would not plant vegetables this year, but work towards having things truly ready to roll next spring. have a compost bin (made of three pallets standing on end in a U) going, lawn clippings, veggie choppings, coffee grinds, citrus peels, some twigs, leaves, etc. once I have the firewood currently stacked in garden removed (friend supposed to come get it, no use really), I plan to cover the garden plot with grass clipping from mowing lawn and/or black tarps (recommendations either way?)
got one problem in garden plot still thought, two small but PIA stumps (approx 5 inch in diameter) from walnut trees (still getting walnut trees popping up all over yard, even after all trees on property removed 15 years ago). Pretty close to property line/stockade fence, so borough does not want me to burn them, and in any event, hasn't seem to do much to get rid of them. Don't want to use chemicals as they are in vegetable garden. Walnut trees put down tap roots pretty deep, even small ones (1/4 to half inch samplings I routinely pull out of flower beds and lawn generally have 8 inch taproots on them).
also want to start to build raised garden beds in vegetable garden, as I am not getting younger, and getting less amenable to bending over every year. I figure if I do one 4 ft x 8 ft x 2 ft high bed a year, I can have most of the garden raised within 4-5 years (13 x 20 approx). trying to stick to budget, so want to avoid buying the beds, any ideas? I thought of doing pallets (can generally find free pallets in the area if I haul them), cutting in half, and filling in gaps. not treated and normally cheap wood, so they might not last, but if I have to build one a year, should be doable, as long as they all do not become too rotten to use at once. I have a pile of fill dirt/rotting firewood I can use probably for the bottom half of about two beds already. Also have some concrete chunks I can use as well. again, height is mostly for convenience sake.
Veggie Garden will be tomatoes, peppers, green beans, snap peas, asparagus, lettuce, spinach, squash/zuccini, cucumbers. maybe some jalepenos around edge on ground to discourage foragers (ie rabbits, squirrels).
