Creating A New Garden

 

Like I mentioned in my last blog, one thing I have really enjoyed doing during this pandemic is expanding my knowledge of gardening.

Last year I had a nice garden and started a lot from seed.  This year my goal was to really embrace the new space and start fresh.

Now this is what the garden looked like when we bought the home.

Large trees, which filtered out light sun in areas that need to be pruned.  (Someone is coming this week.)  

A yard that had two large dogs and three young kids who enjoyed it.

We first started with setting up some new raised beds that I had ordered from an Ontario Company called Raised Garden Beds.  With the cost of wood being so high and the fact that wood rots it was a no brainer.  

Then it was a matter of filling up the beds.  We started with layers and layers of plain cardboard.  No shiny printed cardboard.  Remove all the labels, tape and staples.  These beds used up all our moving boxes easily.  The cardboard kills whatever grass/weeds.  Also it is great food for things like worms that then compost it and create great nutrients for the soil.

The we added logs, sticks, untreated wood and then a ton of leaves from all over our property.  Again all these things will help contribute to the health of the soil.  Big thing is they help absorb water and save on watering.  Then they also will break down over a long time and created great nutrients for the soil.

But the big thing is good garden soil is not cheap.  Since plants really only need about 12 inches of soil to grow, why spend lots and lots of money to fill a 26 inch bed entirely with soil.

We had no problem finding numerous sources that could deliver top quality soil to us in bulk.  Here is the soil being delivered - 33% compost, 33% top soil and 33% peat moss.  

We spent over a week moving these 10 cubic yards of soil into the raised beds, into other beds around the property and creating new beds.

I rigged up trellis systems by using 2 T posts and galvanized steel fencing (2x4), hooked up to the T posts with zip ties.  I also found a baby crib on the side of the road waiting to get picked up by the garbage and will use the crib's side rails as a trellis for my squash to grow up.

We live in climate zone 6b.  Although it is much warmer here than Cape Breton the last frost date is around the same time - Late May!

But as soon as the beds were ready I planted my cold weather crops - peas, carrots, lettuce, beets, spinach, kale, onions, leeks and radishes.  Most were direct sowed, but I did start some ahead of time by seed indoors (onions, leeks and lettuce).  I also sowed my corn but that is under plastic to protect them.

After living here two days I had set up my growing shelves with grow light sand started the seeds for my warm weather crops.  Tomatoes and peppers were my big things.  

This last week I direct sowed my melons and beans.  Planted out my squash, pumpkins and zucchini. I also planted my herb garden starts that I didn't start from seed.  

Pepper plants - 4 varieties

My tomato starts.  I drill holes in red solo cups and plant the seed low with little soil.  Then as it grows I add more and more soil allowing the roots along the stem to grow out into the soil creating a stronger plant.

Now I just watch the forecast and cover if necessary.  But things look good for the next two weeks.