Sunday, April 4, 2010

Gardening

Okay, now that we have a "real" house with a "real" yard I want to have a GARDEN! Seriously, you guys have no idea how long I've been wanting to garden.

When Scott & I were dating we tried to have a little flower garden by my apartment but it didn't get enough sunlight & I was so busy I never watered it. Poor things died.

So, this year I'm ready for a garden! I'm thinking a smaller raised garden this year & then next year we'll do a big one (we really need the summer to set up the backyard first).


I'm looking for advice from you gardeners out there. Just general advice & any Utah gardening advice too.

Here are a couple AWESOME sites I found for raised gardens:
1. Pioneer Woman's w/ step-by-step instructions for making the raised beds
2. sweet families GORGEOUS raised garden
3. plans with specific measurements & garden plans
4. this site has all sorts of videos about starting your garden

P.S. Has anyone heard anything about this Square Foot Gardening book?

11 comments:

Holly said...

You need to get the book "Square Foot Gardening." I checked it out from the library, and then later bought it from Home Depot. It's the best way to do raised beds, and we had awesome results last year. Doing it again this year.

Katie said...

Yes, raised beds are perfect, especially for "beginners" (which is what I still consider myself, acutally for anyone - they have found raised beds and square foot gardening a much more efficient way to obtain a good yield of vegetables than the old row system. They tell you exactly how to obtain the perfect soil (1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost, one third vermiculite).

This is actually my first year doing a raised bed - went to a class about gardening at a Relief Society mini retreat recently and the teacher was all into it and made me realize how easy it could be. He even said that unless you want to plant something that grows deep like carrots, your boards only have to be six inches wide. So Chad just screwed some boards into a box for me, I made it level, stuck the right soil combo in

I was the same way as you - tried to grow flowers on the patio of our patio over and over again until we finally had a home.

The best thing about gardening with your kids is they grow up knowing and being familiar with lots of vegetables and knowing how they grow. Plus they are always more willing to try them if they help grow, harvest, and then cook them.

Em and Russ said...

If you plant tomatoes, the KEY is a "wall of water". You can find it at any nursery or Ace. They keep the frost out. Not too expensive and OH SO WORTH IT!!!!

Smithy said...

oh young livie showing off your sexy back, i too want to start a garden. i also wants to get some sweet outdoor furniture

Cody and Kylie said...

We are going to try our luck with gardening this season as well. I am so grateful you did this! Now I can get some good advice too. Can't wait to see how wonderful yours turns out to be!

Susan said...

I am SO jealous! ha ha. We had a garden in our last house... the only redeeming factor about that house, and I want to have another one so bad! There is nothing like growing your own food and being self sustaining! You guys are awesome!

M said...

Great idea! My mom's green thumb definitely skipped me but Holly (comment above) got it. I like the idea of having fresh tomatoes and other fresh fruits and veggies but condo living makes it hard.

Holly mentioned the Square Foot Gardening book, which my mom has also used very successfully for the past few years. If you remember anything about the fabulous, huge garden she did every year when we were kids, you'll realize that there must be something to that square foot thing for her to keep doing it. Good luck!

Linda, Mom and Granny said...

I have a flower garden in the front of of our house.(see my flower garden post on my Blog; enjoy the journey) Now, Bob and I have a Square Foot Garden for veggies! I always wanted to have veggie garden, but was HOT in Blythe!

Christie said...

Loving my Square Foor Garden this year. got the book (all new version) for Christmas. Down here in south Texas we're already a couple of months into it!

Kristal said...

woot for gardens! I always loved having a garden when I lived at home, even when I had to pull my little red rider wagon around to deliver all of the extra tomatoes and squash we had to our neighbors.

Esther Noelle said...

Um, I know nothing about gardens... but love that pic of you and Scott! Yeah Skyview 2! :)