Mavis Butterfield | Backyard Garden Plot Pictures – Week 10 of 52
Week 10 of 52 – Mavis’ Backyard Garden Plot
Grab a pair of sunglasses, because you are are going to need them.
Holy crack is this bark orange or what?
I wonder how long it will take the bark to fade? On a positive note, the techno colored bark does make everything else POP.
Now that the pallets are in place, all I need is for the weather to warm up a bit and I’ll be able to set my lettuce starts out. I’m thinking about installing 2 or 3 potato towers to the right of the pallets. Last year they kind of bombed, but I think it may have been because I didn’t water them as much as I should have. If I place them in the main garden, I think they’ll have a better chance.
There will be no missing the bean teepees, that’s for sure. We didn’t get the bark until late yesterday afternoon, and this is where Monkey Boy and I ran out of steam.
Hopefully by this coming Friday all the bark in the driveway will be moved and I can order one more load for next weekend. If all goes as planned, we will only need a total of 30 yards to cover the entire area as opposed to the 75 yards Bark Guy said we needed.
You can’t really see it in this photo, but the poppies are starting to some up. Also, we planted around 20 artichoke starts in this area as well. I thought they might look cool mixed in with the poppies. What do you think?
In the next week or two this area will look a little different. More transplants will make their way out to the greenhouse and it should start to really fill up by the end of the month.
A whole lot of nothing going on here.
I would like to add 2 more raised garden beds somewhere on top of the landscape fabric. But where?
Do you see all the bulbs popping up under the cedar tree? Pretty cool if you ask me. I’ll take some pictures this week. The Girl is counting down the days until she can create some spring bouquets for her teachers.
A couple of you have suggested I plant some hosta plants alongside the log and I think it’s a great idea! As soon as I can find some I’ll grab a few and get them planted.
See the new little island of soil? I’m not sure what what I’ll plant there, but probably a cool weather crop because the area is pretty shaded. As for the chicken’s garden, I’m now thinking about planting some fava beans about a foot from the fence and kale and Swiss chard in front of the fava beans.
The pumpkin patch won’t be planted until mid June.
I’m such a slob. Can’t even get the hose picked up for pictures.
And last but no least, the herb garden that’s not quite a herb garden yet.
How is it going at YOUR place? Has the snow melted yet? We didn’t get any this year {booooo} and now it’s too late {I hope} so it’s time to get this garden started.
Peace Out Girl Scouts, get some sunshine, and enjoy the day.
~Mavis
This years garden is being sponsored by the awesome folks at Botanical Interests Seed Company. You can check out their website HERE, order their new 2013 Garden Seed Catalog HERE, or visit my {online} boyfriend Ryan’s blog HERE.
 |
Mavis, as usual, I’m in awe of your prowess and motivation. I need you to come to Shoreline and fix my garden for me. Pretty please? I’ll have my mother reward you with all kinds of yummy things from Australia! Think of it as yet another barter….garden skill for yummy Australian goodness!
Mavis I was wondering how do you keep grasses from growing and popping up through your much walk ways? I know that you use fabric, but is there anything else you use oe do to prevent it from happening?
Beautiful job, My Dear! You and Monkey Boy kicked a__! I love seeing the bulbs coming up all around your garden. I have never visited the Pacific Northwest, but I may have to move there sight unseen!
P.S. On my computer screen your bark mulch color looks like red cedar…..I like it.
We are in Michigan. My gardens are under a couple feet of snow and the forcast is for 30′ weather through late March. Last year it was in the 70′s and 80′s. Both years winters are from one extreme to the other. I have a feeling we will go from winter, straight into summer. I built a greenhouse last year and it is quite snowed in. I won’t be able to visit my farm until late March. But as I said here, there is no hurry.
We are in Michigan. My gardens are under a couple feet of snow and the forcast is for 30′ weather through late March. Last year it was in the 70′s and 80′s. Both years winters are from one extreme to the other. I have a feeling we will go from winter, straight into summer. I built a greenhouse last year and it is quite snowed in. I won’t be able to visit my farm until late March. But as I said here, there is no hurry. Your garden is looking great.
I envy your progress! Btw, I like the red bark. I think it will look wonderful when all your “green” comes in not to mention all those blooms
I think it looks great, even if it’s not what you had in mind. I agree with the other commenter that it will look gorgeous with all the green around it. No worries!
I planted my sugar pea pods today, my starts were over a foot tall and were drooping off the chopsticks!
Mavis, when you build a raised bed over the landscape fabric…..how many inches is it (hightwise) it does ot look higher than 4-6inches in the picture.
8 inches high.
That looks really lovely!
At our place it’s going panicky. We were going to rent a rototiller this past weekend to make a 300m² vegetable patch here on the land we moved to in September, but, as it turns out, we’ve got bedrock… and the place where I was going to start, since it is higher and looks like it has more soil, it’s actually higher because there’s a concrete foundation from an old stable underneath. We’re on a super-tight budget, kind of short on time, and now we’re going to have to make raised beds instead.
Gotta ask..How much Land do you have? seems like you have a Huge piece of property!! Love what your doing..it looks Great!! Can’t wait to see Summer pictures when its all producing!!!
A little over 1 acre.
I think I know why your potato towers didn’t yield well last year. Your method shold have worked well, but I noticed that the vines grew out the sides of the towers. Potatoes develope along the stems, so if you guide the plants upward as they grow, covering the stems with soil, you should get better yields (as long as they get plenty of water). I planted 5 pounds in a 31/2′ x 7′ bed and harvested 90 pounds using this method. Hope you are successful this year.
**** thats 3.5 feet x 7 feet
Love the layout
Can’t wait for summer. Just a word of caution on the hostas… please be careful where you plant them as slugs just LOVE them. We have already enough on hand here in the Pacific NW, thanks to the wet soggy days. But on a positive note, your chickens might like a new addition to their veggie diet if they end up eating the slimy creatures, yuck. Good luck!!!
Don’t buy hostas…if you know anyone who has some just get them to give you some…they multiply each year and are very easy to divide…if slugs become a problem surround the plants with eggshells…the snails hate sharp edges! Looks great!
The techo-bark looks amazing…don’t change a thing. By the time the chickens & dog “fertilize” it, you’ll never know it was orange !
I’m trying your pallet garden tip this year. Also the bean teepees. I have 20 hens looking forward to a bumper crop !! Peace out.
Thank you so much for the great pictures. It helps me to see the “fruits of your labor” so I can plan my garden. I am working with a blank slate and trying to figure it all out. Your ideas are inspiring!
I would like to do something with pallets as well. This is such a unique and easy idea. Other than salad greens, what other plants could be done this way? Also, what should be laid under the pallet. I see mentioned that you use fabric under your mulch. Any technical assistance would be great.
Thanks a bunch!