Garden Update! {6.19.2015}

I'm so SO excited that I got a community garden plot for the season! Two years ago, I tried to grow a container garden on my rooftop, but it turned out to be a TON of work for not much payoff. There's no water source up there, and I needed to water basically every day to make sure all the pots didn't dry out. It was fun, but exhausting. So last year I did nothing, and I really missed it. This spring, I just barely missed the deadline for all the community gardens in my neighborhood, so when I got an email that a few plots were left at a new one, I pounced! I have a 4x8 plot with full sun, and I could not be more happy. We finished planting this morning! Here's what we're going to try to grow in our overly ambitious (because what other way is there?) garden!



(Awesome kitchen garden planning tool from Gardener's Supply Company!)

Tomatoes:

• Cherry tomato "Blondkopfchen"
• Plum tomato "San Marzano" (2)
• Beefsteak tomato "Brandywine Sudduth's Strain"

Lettuce "Crisp Mint" (Seed Savers)

Carrot "Calliope Blend" (Botanical Interests)

Peppers:

• Purple Sweet Bell
• Yellow Belle
• Red Bell
• Jalapeño

Parsnip "All American" (Botanical Interests)

Radish "Plum Purple" (Seed Savers)

Beet "Chioggia" (Seed Savers)

Cantaloupe "Hearts of Gold" (Livingston Seed Co.)

Pumpkin "Small Sweet Sugar/Pie" (Livingston Seed)

Cucumber "Russian Pickling" (Seed Savers)

Zucchini "Black Beauty" (Seed Savers)

Tomatoes and peppers (and some basil) were small seedlings, but everything else was just directly sown from seed! We'll see how they do. On the left side, I planted some Empress of India nasturtiums as a front border, and on the left, I sprinkled Red Marietta marigolds all over the place.



I planted lettuce and carrots in the same rows, and radishes and parsnips together too. Good space-saving technique I read about, since the carrots and parsnips take 2-3 months to mature, and radishes and lettuce just a few weeks.



Row markers: popsicle stick + sharpie.



My little garden helper. We have matching bike helmets!

Can't wait to see some little sprouts popping up soon!!