My balcony veggie patch, future home to new raised beds.
Happy New Year! Here’s to 2009 being good to all of us.
Every year, I make resolutions for my garden. Sometimes they’re lofty, sometimes precise, and sometimes, like last year’s, general and acheivable.
This year, everything revolves around growing more edibles. How much (more) can I grow in one little city garden? I’m looking forward to finding out.
1. Build raised beds in the back alley. Inspired by Cait and Owen‘s back alley raised beds, which are home to potatoes and other root vegetables, I’m determined to create some more space for edibles by appropriating some alley space. Strata approval pending.
2. Redo my containers. After three years of just mild refreshing (a bit o’ new dirt, an annual or two) they desperately need an overhaul. This year, I’m challenging myself to incorporate edibles in my decorative container plantings, which have traditionally been home to only ornamental plants.
3. Add more raised beds. My third-floor deck is home to two raised beds totaling 16 sq.ft. and a motley assortment of containers. The containers are good in a pinch, but the raised beds are way better for intensive veggie growing. I’ll invest in a couple more.
4. Lastly, I’d like to garden with Lila. She’ll be a year old at the end of April, and I’m hoping she’ll enjoy spending some time outdoors in the dirt with her mom.
What are your garden-related resolutions for ’09?
Thystle says
Yes! On more edibles. My vegetable garden is coming along very slowly with a nearly 2 year old (in March). I sorta put it on hiatus at the end of last year when I couldn’t keep up with his eager hands (everything’s a weed apparently) and my dog’s digging. I got my 2009 Seeds of Change catalog yesterday and can’t wait to get started this year. I guess a resolution of sorts is to dog proof my beds. But just wait to Lila watches you gardening and wants to help with EVERYTHING. Such a delight! Expect to sacrifice some plants for the cause.
chanti says
Less lawn, more food! I’ve been ripping up my front lawn foot by foot each summer and replacing it with edibles, perennials, and flowers…apple tree, fig tree, blueberries, artichokes, pumpkin (a very funny plant to have in the flower bed according to my neighbors), lavender, dahlias….the list goes on! It should take me and my shovel 2 more summers to say bye-bye to lawn.
Teacher A says
Ah, my mom has fond stories of gardening with me when I was little. One time, she turned her back for a moment, and when she looked at me again I seemed to be sucking on something delicious. She reached into my mouth and pulled out a snail. Mmmm.
Laurel says
Those are great Andrea! I hope you get dirty in the garden with Lila this year :)
The big one in our household is getting that community/non profit garden off the ground. We
Claire says
My garden resolution this year is to have a few tomato plants in a raised bed and see if I can handle it. I really want to do one thing well, instead of a million things sloppy. Every year I slack off and lose interest, and that is not going to happen this year! It’s not!
(Notice that I am extremely insecure about this issue!)
Sally says
I’m with you on making room for more edibles. The rest of my resolutions are here:
http://mydirtblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/year-in-gardening.html
In containers at home, I’d like to have more herbs handy.
Good luck with your resolutions!
Karen says
All good goals! Wow, a 1 yr. old gardener, that would be amazing. Maybe if she has her own kind of dedicated area to stomp around in? I find that the “Godzilla” factor is what keeps me from getting out there with my own daughter (age 5 but still not light of foot). My garden resolution is to plant more natives and water less. Plus rip out black-spot-ridden roses and plant raspberries. Here’s to a great 2009!
Andrea Bellamy says
I’m so impressed that edibles are on so many peoples’ lists this year. I should also make another resolution: stick to the plan. I always have great plans that get thrown out the window the moment I’m standing in front of a seed rack. Less spontaneity in the veggie patch. More outside it.
Maybe my expectations for gardening with a baby are a little high. Although I’m not really expecting her to “help” – just get outside with me and play :)
Garden Bloggers says
I’m doing more edibles this year and also involving the littles ones in the family.
Vonnie says
Andrea you’re really an inspiration to me.
I live in Scotland and the weather here is so bad that my (pretty small) garden is waterlogged. We’ve decided that it’s pointless trying to keep it pretty for the kids to play in since it’s only accessible to them from May-September and instead we’re planting the entire garden with edibles. We’ve started already with turning the ground over but there’s not much we can plant outdoors right now. We’ll probably start propogating seeds by the end of this month :)
I hope to blog it too. We’ll see!
Willi says
I can’t wait to see all the ways you pack more food into your space. Have you ever heard of the pea variety ‘Tom Thumb’? It is absolutely adorable. Perfect for containers!
http://www.containerseeds.com/products/veggies/peas.html
christianbarnardlandscapestudio says
More time in the greenhouse+garden, less time in the studio.
Cindy says
I frequent your blog, a lot and really love it, but this is my first comment. I had to because incorporating edibles this year into my small garden and containers is at the top of my list too! I am excited too see what you and others will do. My Father passed away recently and he was an avid food grower (former farmer) and it’s an ode to him! Back to my roots! Thanks for doing what you do!
Brie says
I check this blog frequently (because it’s awesome!) but rarely comment…but here’s my thing:
1. I have got to stop ordering perennials/shrubs when I don’t actually have a spot prepared for them (yet or ever).
2. As well as stuffing lettuce and other edibles in wherever I can, I’m going to replace some of the flowering plants in my hanging basket with strawberries.
3. I’m going to take more advantage of companion planting methods.
4. I live in Florida. I have got to stop pretending I live in North Georgia just because I wish we had their climate. I’m zone 9 with heavy humidity. I need to accept that I’ll never be able to grow an astilbe or cimicifulga sustainably, and realize the other options.
And as a bonus resolution, I’m going to try (keyword…TRY…as irrational fears aren’t that easy to control) to stop freaking out when I see a roach in the compost bin. Because in Florida, it’s going to happen. Period.
Alex says
Yes this year will be more boots on the soil. I slowed down a little last year because of parenting overwhelm plus other stuff. I let my community garden plot go a tad too fallow. In 2009 I plan to drink my own cabernet!
Andrea says
These are nice raised beds! Did you build them or buy them? I’m looking for something similar.
Amber says
wow. So inspiring. Just found your blog today.
I live in Vermont so my season is quite short. I plan on planting another row of raspberries (taken from my grandfather’s old raspberry garden and given new life), more blueberries… trying to figure out the best place for blueberries here. we’ve moved the bushes we do have a few times. They aren’t thriving.
We want to get some fruit trees. We’ve put a lot of time and money into ornamental trees, but none will give fruit.
General resolutions- be healthier, enjoy the land, grow more. Anyone have any brilliant ideas to get rid of Japanese beetles?
They take over mid summer here.