2012 Spring/Summer City House Garden – Post 1

I have had a spring vegetable garden for many years. I grow in three 4x10’ raised beds (I rotate the ‘crops’ each year). Plus put some things in containers on the patio and some in a raised bed by the driveway.

What usually worked for me here in the SE are: tomatoes, onion, squash/zucchini, eggplant, okra & herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano, cilantro, chives, etc.) – mostly all hybrid. Some years some things did better than others but overall we were able to eat fresh vegies until the middle of summer. This year … not so much.

It is discouraging but I tell myself that everything I am trying this year is new to me in some way. Either the variety, the way I started, a new plant I never grew before, the way I’m fertilizing, the fertilizer I’m using, etc.

I don’t like to fail, especially after so much effort, but I have to accept it. I started this blog as a chronicle of my road to retirement and to a somewhat self-sufficient lifestyle, so I need to note the good w/the bad in order to learn from my mistakes. I started with mostly all heirloom seeds because I want to learn how to save seeds for use in the future. Note: I don’t think there will be much seed saving this year L

Anyway, onward & upward ..... Here’s what I am trying to grow this year.

Tomatoes – Started from seed

Marglobe & Rutgers (purchased from local feed store).  Reinstraube Grape, German Cherry, Lemon Oxhart, Pruden’s Purple & Royal Hillbilly (purchased from Baker Creek). Plus, a Mystery one - I had purchased some heirloom tomatoes several years ago and saved those seeds in a plastic bag, labeled “heirloom tomato”, so I’m calling them Mystery.

Tomatoes – Purchased heirloom plants (1 each) from local nursery

Brandywine, Celebrity & Park’s Whopper

Sweet Onions (sets - not heirloom) – from same local nursery as above

Bell pepper – California Wonder (local feed store)

Eggplant – Black Beauty (local feed store)

Cucumber – Straight 8 (local feed store)

Okra – Burgundy & Star of David (Baker Creek)

Squash – Yellow Straightneck & Black Zucchini (local feed store)

Lettuce – Arugula, Bibb, Black Seeded Simpson, Gentilina & Romaine (Baker Creek)

Cabbage – Copenhagen Market (local feed store)

Red Potatoes – Store bought that sprouted

Sweet Potatoes – Purchased from local farmer near Country House – not seed potatoes – they sprouted too.

Herbs started from seed – Basil, Cilantro, Sage & Thyme (D. Landreth & Baker Creek)

Herbs that over wintered from years past – Chives, Oregano & Parsley

Hot Peppers – Habanero (overwintered from last year) & Datil (nearby goat farm)

Strawberries – (2 plants purchased from local nursery)

I know it sounds like a lot but mostly I only have a couple of each and as stated above they are in various locations around the yard.

That’s it for now.