Giveaway: Vegetable Planting Slide Chart
Another month, another giveaway! We're giving away a THREE Vegetable Planting Slide Chart
This Chart Answers the following Gardening Plan Questions & Will Save you Many Hours of Research:
When is my local frost date?
Vegetable Growing & Planting Times?
Indoor Planting Times for seed flats?
Seed Planting Times & Quantity?
Plants - When to purchase and plant?
How deep do they plant, and how far apart?
HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
How big of garden do you have? Are you planning on growing more of your own food next year? Leave a comment in the box!
This giveaway will end on 10/31/2010 at 12 PM PST. Open to all persons in the US and Canada, even contributing authors of this blog. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON!
NOTE: If you repost this giveaway via Twitter or Facebook or write about it on your blog - or anywhere online - you may add an additional comment or comments for each time you shared the link for additional chances to win! (just make sure to share the url address in the comments box).
IMPORTANT: If you don’t see your answer right away, please do not enter a second time. Sometimes entries will accidentally go to the Spam folder. However, I do go through the spam and all relevant entries will be approved so your entry will be counted!
The THREE winners will be chosen by random.org and will be e-mailed. The winner has 48 hrs. to respond to e-mail or another winner will be chosen. Winners will be announced on this post.
This chart looks flippin' fantastic!
My garden is managable. There are 4 raised vegetable beds (~ 10' X 12') plus 6 fruit trees (espalier) and a grape vine. I believe that in the small space I use that I could produce much more. I do intend to grow more of my own food. It's so much better and satisfying.
I am planning on expanding my garden by 100% next year! We loved our garden; fresh food, grown organically and at a price that didn't make my pocketbook cringe. However, I am a newbie gardener and didn't time all my plantings correctly. A lovely tool like this would really help!
BTW, this site is quickly becoming one of my favourites!
We currently only have a few planters on our back porch, having only concrete behind our condo is making us evaluate some creative ways to garden (raised beds in a parking spot is the current plan).
We just moved and have a 1600 square ft. garden (bigger than our last house). I plan to grow as much of our food as humanly possible to ready ourselves for homesteading in a few years. We also our learning about hydroponics and will leap into that (hopefully) this winter. I love this site.....such great info! Thanks for all you do!
My garden is 30x30 and I'm hoping to make it have more usable space next year. I don't think I can handle a much bigger garden, I want raised beds to make it more useable. Hoepfully I can get some better soil in there too, I loath clay. I'm going to grow more heirloom veggies and re- install the strawberry bed.
I'm a way beginning gardener, in a new state to boot! I'm researching Square Foot Gardening and like what I see. Here's to hoping for some fresh, homegrown veggies next year!
I had a small garden of pots with a few tomatos and a banana pepper plant. My husband has promised to build me some raised beds for next year since I can't bend over and plant or pick so much, so I will increase next year with several raised beds and with some pots too. When I was growing up in the 60's & 70's all my family had gardens, and I loved working in them, harvesting, and consuming all the fresh produce. Now, I hope to get back to that more and more!
We just bought our first house on 8 acres and we don't have a garden yet, but it is in the works. We have it mapped out and hopefully next summer we'll at least have a few things to plant. We have really sandy soil and a lot of clay so it will take a while to get some nice soil going. It's nice to be able to have a garden of our own though!
I do have a garden - actually, it consists of one 4x5 raised bed, one Earthbox and several large containers. I plan to expand in the Spring since I was able to save up for some fencing (we also rescue stray and feral cats, so a fenced-in area is a must!) to have another plot. I grow vegetables and herbs for our use and usually have enough to pass around at church. The Garden Planner looks like it would be a huge time saver!
We have a 10x14 garden which we plan to double this spring after removing an ornamental shrub. We are also getting chickens this spring and possibly milk goats, fingers crossed.
We currently have 10x14 garden which we will double in the spring after the removal of a large ornamental shrub. We will also be getting chickens in the spring and, fingers crossed, milk goats.
Great gardening tool idea! I actually missed some seed starting dates this year and could totally use that. My garden consists of (12) raised beds 4 x 10 plus 3 more in the works. I've 8 fruit trees (some broke from the weight of too much fruit this year), 4 large and older grape vines. I'm just one person working full time so it's hard to keep up on everything, sadly. Wish I could garden without working.
Optimistically maintaining our 20x8 garden for next year. It's more than we need, but we love to share the green thumb love with neighbors and friends.
We have 8 raised beds ranging in size form 4'x16' to 4'x4' plus blueberries, black berries and rasberries and grapes growing conventionally. We grow at least 50% of the veggies that we eat and always look for new ways to put the next crop up.
My garden is about 19x4 feet. I am getting ready to plant some apple trees (God help me with those since I didn't get the disease resistant ones) and I think I might expand the garden to make another 19x4 feet area.
I am just about to move into a home that we just purchased and want to do a total urban garden in the back and drought tolerant yard in the front. Once we move into the home we are meeting with the city to ask about drought tolerant plants. We are totally excited.
This year we had one raised bed and a couple of rows of peas along lattice. We also had two wicker baskets full of potatoes. Next year, the goal is 10 raised beds. Planning to take out the old (non-producing) apple trees along with some "trash" trees and replace with a variety of fruit and nut trees.
I have one raised bed 4x10 with corn, beans, tomato and a watermellon that is taking over the world!!
)
Next month in go's a twin bed and as soon as seed poatoes are available, I'm gettin some!!
Also I want to get going on an aquaponics system asap!! (which may be 6 months
Steve in Fresno
The garden is about 2500 square feet and then there are various containers around the house and deck. We always try to add a couple more edible bushes, vines or trees each year. I always hope to grow even more food next year.
We had a 300 sq. foot garden this year, but we're probably going to give it up. It was in a community garden, and we found it was just too far to drive! We really would love to have a garden next to our living space, so we're gearing up to figure out a way to make that happen. Love the chart, btw!
Since I live in an apartment I use planters to garden......most definitely I will growing more of my own items next year. It is a great peace to know that what I am eating is not covered in chemicals of any kind. I will post this on my blog and facebook.
I currently have a 4x6 raised bed in my apartment's courtyard, along with some potted herbs and pepper plants from last year. I didn't get a whole lot from my first attempt (the aforementioned in-ground attempt, half of which were peppers), but the raised bed is looking super promising. I already have beans aplenty getting close to picking time.
I also made my own ollas from terrazzo pots and some silicone to seal them. Not perfect, but they have cut down on watering greatly. Once I buy my own land, I plan on building multiple raised beds and growing my own salad greens in addition to the veggies I've tried so far.
we are trying to grow more and more of our own food each year. started with a 25' x25' space.
going to raised beds. try to add fruit or some perennial each year. and herbs, too.
I have a pretty small Winter garden. I'm growing some roots, greens, even some squash and cucumbers and beans. I'll be having a much larger garden come late Winter when I start my tomatoes, eggplants, more squash, beans, tomatillos, and on and on and on. I live in southern Zone 9a, so I can grow something pretty much year round and have to start my Spring garden during everyone else's Winter. It gets Summer like here pretty early usually. I grow solely in raised beds and containers.
I took over half my daughter's sandbox and started with just a few basics. Next year I'll probably be living in a small apartment, but I still hope to fill a couple of planters with yummies and dream of having enough dirt of my own the next year to really make a go of it.
We recently expanded our garden to 2,500 sq. feet, with two 10' x 10' raised bed vegetable and fruit gardens in one corner. Our ultimate goal is to grow everything we consume. In addition to our garden, we raise laying hens and broiler chickens.
We live by a pond, and I'm trying to go the food forest route by incorporating as many edibles domestic and wild as will thrive without fencing as our deed restrictions don't permit fencing, anyway. Some things get eaten immediately by critters, others fare better. It's all good and a source of personal delight.
I have several small garden plots in town (zone 7) totaling about 500 sq feet. There we grow stuff that needs to be picked often like tomatoes and cucumbers. At our weekend place (zone 6), we have much more space so we grow stuff that can be sort of ignored, such as corn, sunflowers, onions, and this year 600 garlic cloves that I just planted! Will try to sell the garlic, or maybe give away
We just moved into a new house that currently has is approx. 1100 sq ft garden along with a secret asparagus patch, raspberries and a barn. We are excited to start our journey towards self sustainability and frequent your sites for great information! My husband and I also own a small bistro in our city where we are moving towards using local ingredients from Northern Ontario on our menus. We hope to eventually gain enough experience to use our gardens at home to grow our own produce for the restaurant!
We started with a single 4 x 8 raised bed 3 years ago, and have expanded every year since. This year's garden was nearly 25 x 20. Sadly, we're moving this winter, and have to reconsider the garden space in our new, smaller yard. We'll have about 10 x 15 total in the sunny spot, and will have to be smart and efficient with our plans. A planting chart would surely help!
Good luck everyone!
I'm going to be replanting my garden this year. I've got two 4x4 raised beds and two 10x5 in the ground. I mostly grow okra and various tomatoes along with a variety of herbs. Oh, and sunflowers!
Over the past 2 seasons we have slowly expanded our garden to 1000 square feet with raised beds and recycled brick/paver walkways. We have managed to can and freeze enough food that we don't have to buy many veggies all winter, and when we do they are local from the coop.
I planted almost twice as much this year as I did last, but the extremely high temps and lack of rain kept down the harvest. I'm actually getting my best tomatoes now, in late October, but we have high winds and a possibility of severe weather today.
I grew cushaw melons for the first time this year, was very cool to watch those monsters grow. And I made a new garden area that I planted entirely in yukon gold potatoes and sweet potatoes, the yukons did okay, but the sweet potatoes went crazy, produced tons of great ones!
We have a garden area we are slowly revamping. It is about 80' x 80'. We have seven children and would like to grow more of our own food. We currently have three raised beds and have been trying some layered gardening in other areas. We are working on our 2nd year using our compost bin. I'm trying to decide how to design the garden so we can move our chicken tractors down the rows and through the rows in our small orchard (pear, chestnut, cherry and apple trees).
I have a 300 Sq. Ft veggie garden. I grow the usual: tomatoes, lettuces, radishes, kohlrabi,cukes, onions, garlic, carrots, asparagus, parsley, basil, boltonia, black eyed susans, gourds,morning glories.....oh yeah,raspberries and pears.
We have a 500 sq ft vegetable garden as well as a blueberry and raspberry garden and an orchard containing peach, plum, cherry and apple trees. We'll be filling the space again next year for food production.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1016477039
I forgot to say too that we loved it when we shared with our neighbors two years ago. We baked some bread and shared peach butter with our neighbors who gave us over 300 peaches. Because of a family wedding out of town, we didn't get to can all of it so we gave some to friends of ours who in turn gave us a bushel of beans when we returned home! Love that!
I'm entering for my mom, who is 85 and still takes care of 5 raised beds (I think she built them in the 80s) in her backyard in a Chicago suburb. I am having her grape tomatoes for lunch today.
She also grows peppers and herbs, and she's experimenting with kale this fall. She'd love one of these charts!
What a great chart!
My garden is tiny. I have two 3'x3' square foot beds. A few small pots (4 or 5). And this year, we added a home-built "self watering container" (boy the squash are going NUTS in there).
Our goal is to add a little bit more each year. Another square foot bed, or another SWC. We are learning also what grows well in our little microclimate and what doesn't.
I have 8 small raised beds where I garden and a length of wire fence for vining crops. No plans to expand in the future as what I have is all I can handle. That planting chart would be a fabulous tool!
Great chart! Our garden space is limited to 22' x 30' and any spot I can think of to put a container.
We are hoping to greatly make more use out of our garden this year. Last year we only planted for one growing season. Starting this season, we are hoping to have the garden producing for us year round. Living in Florida, we are lucky in that we are able to garden year round. Unfortunately, it is hard to figure out what to plant when due to the high heat & humidity throughout the summer and our bursts of freezing weather during "winter" time that kill delicate plants.
Living in a subdivision, I only have potted herbs right now. I do have a spot in the backyard for a raised bed and will try some veggie plants next year. I would like to try a citrus tree too next year.
I have four 16 sq. ft. raised beds. First year did not do well with onions, beets, carrots. beans and peas, good potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, early lettuce. Separate herb garden was very productive - need to be more disciplined about drying and saving. Next season will concentrate on amending soils more than I did this year. I will also do more rotation as crops are picked.
I have 6 raised beds (approx. 16ft x 4ft each) and every year try to find a way to grow more of my own food for my family of 6. Each spring we find another area on our small (1/3 acre) property to cultivate & garden in.
We dont have a really big garden but we try to grow enough for just the two of us. We got a greenhouse and have just started using it. We are hoping to extend our growing season throughout the year with it.
What a great giveaway item. Our main garden is 60x80 feet, and is for vegetables, though we did grow amaranth and sunflowers for the chickens there. We've also planted a row of fruit trees, and are slowly working on replacing the front lawn with perennial beds, especially herbs. Our personal goal is to be completely food self-sufficient. I will definitely be growing more next year, especially in the area of adding more types of veggies and more varieties.
We moved to our house last year and they have an existing garden that had been overrun by weeds and grass. We are working on reviving it and planting this year. This chart would be VERY handy!!
Our garden is growing! I just bought four more old pallet thingys for more raised beds and am picking up 5 more chickens this week. I am cramming as much as I can. We are at the beach so many things are tough to grow but we are doing our best. Thinking about maybe rabbits and am trying to rip out a bunch of iceplant to put a fence around and more beds/trees. Slow going with little ones in tow.
I currently work on a 10-acre CSA farm. I want to actually have a much smaller 'garden' next year at my own home and try to grow as much of my own food for me and my family to subsist on for an entire year. I'm really excited to really figure out what that amount of food is and how best to preserve it through the winter!
And.... I tweeted! http://twitter.com/FiberLeigh/status/28795774108
We've got two 18 sq. ft. raised beds. This was our first full-scale year. Last year, we just did some container gardening. We did pretty well. Spring and summer was bountiful. Unfortunately, we waited to long to pull up the summer veggies and plant our fall garden and we just had our first frost. I'm not expecting anything except for an overabundance of argula!
Next season, we're going to add another one or two beds I think. Still kind of planning it out but that's what winter is for.
I garden my whole yard - an herb bed in the front and 4 20x4 raised beds in the back. Hoping to plant a few fruit trees this year, but we are inner city and the yard is small. We also participate in a non-traditional community garden a few blocks from our house. It's on some empty lots in the middle of a very depressed area. Everybody shares all the space (it's not partitioned by family) and tries to plant a lot more than they need so it can be shared with the neighbors. We got a grant last year for a rainwater cachement system, and it is gradually growing. This year, a local business donated a tiller. It's part of an educational and beautification project. My goal would be to eventually grow about 90% of our own fruits and vegetables.
This year I have added two new raised beds that are 4x8 foot each. My total garden area now is about 200 square feet with this new addition. We also have 1 apple tree and one peach tree that are in full production. Every thing is grown organically. We also have three hens that give a fresh eggs daily.
I have two young daughters trying to get mommy talked convinced that we need two goats for milk but not having much luck there.
Thank you for offering this free give away.
Brad
Wow, this is a great chart--and what a wonderful way to get more people interested in growing their own veggies. I have a small garden (about 60 sq. ft) because of limited sun--I don't want to cut down any trees to grow more, but do the best I can with what I have! thanks for all that you do! kmb
I also reposted this on my twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/littlehomestead
Thanks for the contest.
We live in a subdivision that won't allow gardening because its against the association rules. We are renting and would never consider buying because of this but can't move because we have a high school senior. I have grown many veggies in pots but luckily my dear hubby has leased some hunting land so we are putting in a large garden this summer. I have just ordered a dehydrator( there are some really good videos on you tube) and am learning how to can all that we harvest. I want to be as self reliable as possible. It truly does make me angry to go to the grocery store and prices have gone through the roof but packaging has gotten so much smaller. Not to mention that we have no idea what is in most of the food. I have learned so much from your blog so thank you for all that your family shares with the public
Last year's garden was a dozen 5 gallon paint buckets. This year we are hoping to build a couple 3x3 beds to go along with the container garden.
Thanks for your website--it helps so much! This year, we had 6 gardens (or beds) in various places and of various sizes and have learned SO much! I still have to learn how to grow potatoes and onions (harvesting more than I plant) and to actually harvest cucumbers (3 plantings, trapped a groundhog and a raccoon which explained a lot!). Next year, I won't plant in as many places, but will try to do more in each place. I very much want to have more of a fall garden and stretch the season, but missed the window this year. Your vegetable planting slide chart would help that endeavor! I appreciate what you are doing. Lead the way!
I finally have a little tiny yard with some space for a garden and am planning a few small raised beds in a nice sunny spot in the corner. Looking for a way to do a gray water system to water it. Thrilled to find your site as I am trying to figure out the best way to grow vegetables and herbs in this small corner. As funds allow, I hope to hang some planting bags I saw at the Dwell convention to expand the garden to my fence. Keep those tips coming for the those of us without lots of land!
Well we are just beginning. We will eventually take over the whole 2 1/2 acres if I have my way! Hee hee! Mr. Justin's tomatoes we bought from him are about 8 feet tall on a fence. It's like a jungle! We do a lasagna gardening technique and don't use the red clay. We layer cardboard, straw, ashes & compost. The children have learned about composting and have saved alot of things from going into the landfill to use in gardening. Each child has their own garden named after them i.e. child's name - garden. It has helped with a feeling of ownership, being part of a piece of land, having a bond with "their" area and it's fate & a special place to call their own in a family of 8 it's easy to feel lost. There has also been a sense of comradery between them and pride when "their" garden provides food for the family. We have heirloom tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, okra, sunflowers, peppers, cucumbers, spearmint, mint, basil, chives, marigold, nasturtiums which they all ate this year and enjoyed. We use the garden for homeschooling - researching plants, organics, Gmo's & ecology. They don't feel so small as children trying to change such a big world - they can change their little part of the world. They eat more vegs than ever! Next year they want to add dwarf fruit trees. They have changed the way they look at food. They goto farmers markets and say "Can I grow this in my garden next year?" Now the oldest wants to be an organic farmer when he grows up! We have planted our first fall garden and are now planting our first winter garden with lots of greens. They are helping build hoop houses and understanding how animals can be used to help make compost and start the process all over! Yay for the next generation of organic farmers!! Thank you to the Dervaes' for teaching us different ways to eat and live healthier!!!
We've moved to the farm my grandparents bought in 1913. We spent 2010 renewing the garden plot that supported their family for over 60 years and are hoping for a wonderful gardening season in 2011. The garden plot is 30 x 120. We're planning on using about half for vegetables and half for fruit trees and vines.
I just bought 5 acres two years ago, and am madly creating more and more gardens. I have 60 4x10' raised beds, plus I am planting an orchard and a huge berry patch. I have started selling produce via CSA this year, and eventually want to live entirely off what I can grow myself. This spring and summer I was able to grow 100% of my own veggies - didn't have to shop even once! My goal is to be completely self reliant and sustainable. It's more rewarding than I ever imagined.
In my opinion, the best reason to own a home is to be able to garden and grow your own food! Despite our difficult HOA, we ripped out half of our front lawn and built 9 raised beds. To grow most efficiently, I plan to try the square inch gardening plans, thanks to your inspiration. I am still building the drip irrigation and am behind on cool crops (they are sprouting inside) but will get everything in and then prep the other beds for an amazingly healthy spring garden. I will only grow edibles and will learn as I go. No chemicals. Any extra food gets shared with lucky friends, neighbors and the local food bank!
I am definitely planning on expanding next year! That chart looks like a great resource to have.
Oh, as someone going to do my first real decent sized garden this spring, this would be so handy!!!
I have to work it out this winter, planning the size and beds as to not get to overwhelmed with it, but large enough to produce a good sized amount of food!
tweeted it! http://freedomgardens.org/2010/10/25/giveaway-vegetable-planting-slide-chart/?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4cc6ea5005bfd995,0
I don't know the exact size that it was this year, but next year I'm implementing the square foot gardening technique so it will be a little smaller, but still have plenty of veggies & herbs!
Your site got me interested in growing a larger garden... even got me dreaming of making the whole yard a garden... not doable right now, but looking to the future. I am insoiered by your site and your life style... I will be making a larger garden next year... thanks to my friend Larry who just gave me a tiller.. thanks Larry... hope to put it to good use... chris
Ok -- we have several areas we can plant. One is the side of the house, where I'm thinking of putting in berries -- south facing wall, a lot of things have done well there. Then we have the earthboxes on the garage roof. Fruit trees in the front yard (the rest of the yard is California native plants (mostly coastal scrub). I have a small raised bed that I'm trying to get in shaping for ....something. Right now it has a volunteer green zebra tomato.
I have three raised beds: 1 for herbs, one for veggies and one for heirlooms. I would like to expand my growing area and grow a lot more for myself and family. I lost a pie cherry tree this year
and would like to replace it. My grape vines are abundant, but I do have to fight the raccoons for them! I plan to make some cold frames next year, so that will extend my short growing season!
I have 5 raised beds that my homeschooling family (son and grandchildren) and I take care of. We started the beds with the "no dig" concept. We compost with worms and maintain the garden organically. I have only planted a spring garden of tomatoes, chard, butternut squash, zucchini, blue potatoes, ollallie berries, grapes and pumpkins plus fruit trees. I would love to know how to keep food growing through the different seasons. Your chart looks very helpful. We live in Southern California, and grow food for our ever growing family. We have fruit trees
Have a great day!
Dolly
We are moving to Virginia this fall, and will FINALLY be living the dream. We'll have 21+ acres, so I intend to plant to good sized garden, as well as start a fruit orchard. Our plan is to grow the majority of our family's produce this coming year. (There are 6 of us, plus my mother) Eventually, we'll raise livestock as well. I'm SO excited!!!!!
About a year ago now, we moved to Georgia from California to be closer to family and realize our dream of having a bit more space. We have gone from 10,000 sqft to over 2 acres and are loving it! We built a small barn and have a dozen hens that have just started laying this month, and have about 1,000 sqft. of garden space covered with black tarp since the beginning of summer so that we can start our garden in earnest this spring. I had thought that I'd be able to do it this last spring, and have all of my seeds ordered and ready to go! This chart would be perfect to get me started! Love this site, it's an inspiration, thanks!
I live in an apartment and this summer I had plants growing all over my fire escape/balcony. This winter I'm trying hydroponics. I live in the north and I refuse to give up fresh veggies this winter! But next summer I'm heading back outside for more container gardening and even one small raised bed. I focus on companion and square inch gardening. My favorites are eggplant, tomatoes, and herbs, but I can't wait to try beets and potatoes. My goal is to grow as much as possible from home.
My garden now is a small 3' x 12' raised bed in my back yard. Hopefully, by next year, my front yard will be permacultured, and maybe even some improvements to the back one, like a herb spiral, maybe.
We have six raised beds in our small yard (not sure on the size because they are unusual shapes, but about 3x4). We had a great year for everything, but we have big plans for next year. One large strip of grass will become a raspberry patch and we are defining flower beds along our fence that will include both ornamental and edible plants to supplement the main garden. I can't express what an amazing feeling it is to see our 2-year-old picking tomatoes from the garden for his daily snack!
So exciting to play in the dirt, growing my own veggies! I'm fairly new to gardening but it's fascinating learning more ways and being open to ideas from fellow gardeners so that I can have a more productive garden each year. I have a tiered garden in the front yard, raised gardens on hill in the back yard as well as blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb, and many varieties of herbs growing throughout. We also experimented with 2 pyramid gardens on the roof of our carport. Very successful. One with basil and tomatoes and the other with strawberries! There is so much satisfaction watching the garden produce yummy veggies and fruits to enjoy in my own yard. I'm an eco-consultant and I love to help others live healthier, more sustainable lives. This chart will be a very helpful tool. Thanks for offering this chance to win it. happy greening!
Right now we have 3 raised box beds that are about 2 by 5 feet - so not a LOT of space, but enough to grow some things
We also have one hen and one rooster (who was supposed to be a hen - oh well), and plan to get a few more hens for eggs.
I also posted this on Facebook, though I can't seem to get a direct link to work....?
http://freedomgardens.org/2010/10/25/giveaway-vegetable-planting-slide-chart/
We have a good sized garden... we have chickens and we have 11 raised beds - 8x4. We plant in most of the beds and one contains raspberry canes. I would love to be able to extend the harvest and use some of the beds as cold frames or add floating row coveres. Next year my husband will be helping so it will be a larger garden. would love to add more fruit trees and blueberries...
I have been building 4 x 8 raised beds ( me, who hates power tools) for the last few months. I have 6 now with plans for 2 more. I planted 6 dwarf fruit trees this fall and several blueberries and grapevines. One of the only memories of my grandmother was picking black eyed peas in her garden in Great Bend Ks. My dad always had a few tomato's and I always had something growing too. Your family has been a huge inspiration to me and many others to grow bigger and more efficiently . My goal is to grow a significant crop of veggies every year for me and my three daughters and their families. I too want to get away from the chemicals and GMO's.
This year I had 3 gardens in different back yards which I used to eat and sell at the local farmer's market. I am proud of my and my husband's accomplishments in 2010. But, next year we would like to take over a neighbors giant weed patch. It is closer to home which makes it easier to manage. I would like to add more heirlooms and fresh herbs.
I have a couple of different sized gardens for different purposes. The Spiral Garden was my chaotic garden; full of everything and none of it placed stratigically. Everything grew really well in the Spiral Garden. The Three Sisters Garden was my beans, squash and corn garden. I'll plant this garden again, but in a different spot so as to take advantage of the better sun light. I'm also working on an herb garden and a tea garden. Our family of 5 lived for over 3 months on what we were able to grow in the gardens and what we harvested from the livestock; eggs and heritage chickens. Yay gardening!
I've seen similar charts but this one is hands-down the best! I have a small garden in Wisconsin but am trialing intensive planting as much as possible. I have dona lot of research into 1700's and 1800's French interplanting and have been able to get HUGE harvests off of my 120 sq ft. My next challenge will be adding unheated greenhouse covers (Elliot Coleman style) so that I can combat the -10 degree winters that we have here in Zone 5!
This was our second year gardening. Last year it was one raised bed and then a spot in the yard about 50' x 100', this year there were two raise beds and 2 plots of 50' x 100'. I've googled more in the past two years than ever before. I did finally, this year come accross "Path to Freedom"....ohhhhh my goodness. What wonderful inspiration. We even continued on to get a few fall tomatoes, black-eyed peas and green beans. We've put up a nice little haul of veggies, they will be so wonderful in the winter months with all of their wonderful summer flavors that you just can't get from the grocery store. Next spring it's square inch planting. We are very excited and already planning.
I have a small yard, but this year I tried the square foot gardening method. Didn't have enough sun, so I built large containers (4'x2'x12") to put on the deck where there is sun all day. Growing a fall garden now. I want to remove some grass next year and build a much larger garden out in the yard, along with my containers. I've had to fight tomato hornworms (on my pentas only, didn't get the food crops) and I think cabbage worms. I'm learning about organic methods of insect problem solving. I am hoping to grow enough next year to can also!!!
The calendar looks very useful!!!
We have 8 raised boxes that are 6X8 and a large garden area. We can , freeze and dry our crops, having organic veggies all year long. Living in the desert I have a summer crop and a winter crop.
Love to garden! Each year is different thanks to Mother Nature's Twists. Its a great adventure!
We expanded our garden to 2,500 square feet (with two 10' x 10' raised beds nearby) in the hopes of growing everything we consume. We also have laying hens and broiler chickens.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Grimes-County-Texas/Covenanter-Ranch/282564382142
I filled my whole back yard with grow boxes in an effort to grow my own food [5-4X10, 8-4X8] so I don't have much room for anything else, and it has been a real learning experience that changes from year to year. I saw your grow boxes about the time I began building them and that helped me feel more comfortable with my decisions. I have two large apple trees that alternate their harvest each year, funny how that happens. I have two hives full of bees that give me wonderful honey and I'm going to help the bees create two more hives next spring which I'll give to my sister 5 miles away and a friend. I keep chickens and even raised a pig last winter and all on a small city lot. Kind of fun.
I AM going to increase my garden this year! I am digging out some of the lawn in the back yard to put about 200% more garden space than I currently have. Eating my own vegetables is so much more enjoyable in many ways than watering the lawn!
This would be really nice to have. I am planning to grow much more next year. We have 5 raised beds in our side yard and 5 chickens along with 2 pear trees. In the front we have a persimmon, 2 peaches, 2 plums and one paw paw (which is really small and I think it might not make it without the other one for pollination).
i planted in every sliver of sunny spots in my shady yard. then i started w/ a half plot at out local community garden, (crows woods). the half plot eventually expanded to 1.5 plots. i hope to keep growing. we cant get enough fresh organic veggies. right now, as the season is ending, i am freezing, pickling, jarring all kinds of good stuff. i do end up overcrowding things a bit, and i don't get the timing quite right. so, the slide chart would be a great tool which i could share w/ all my neighbors at the community garden! my daughter used to help pull weeds in the spring, now my dog follows me around & loves to pull weeds & shake out the dirt.
thanks,.. you guys are doing great things.
I've been doing the same ol, same ol for some time and am ready to expand my garden next spring. Currently, we have 4 raised beds and hopefully will add to that next year. I'm sort of a hap-hazard planter and would love a little organization assistance and direction. Thank you!
p.s. love your new look. was wondering where you went!
We have a 400 sq ft urban garden. Next year, i plan to grow more food that can be eaten fresh or 'put up' through freezing, drying or canning.
Well, I just finished harvesting our 20'x20' main garden. The garden's theme this year was "Too Big To Fail"; it turns out that not even a government stimulus could have saved many of the veggies from the ridiculous amount of rain early on in the year! I learned a lot of good lessons though about plant location, ventilation, and mulching. This year was my largest attempt yet (year 3); I think I have pushed the limit on the amount of yard my wife will let me till, so I am going to have to assess what food we actually consume and what we either had to give away or let go to waste and then plant accordingly next year. Like many others, my mato plants are my favorites (you just cannot beat a vine-ripened tomato), but I also love the bell pepper plants, lettuce, and basil plants.
My entire front yard is dedicated to garden, so 25'x40' including narrow walkways. Also (3) 4'x4' raised beds in back yard, Plus lots and lots of containers all around the paved areas and a 10'x12' greenhouse which sees it's share of mature plants as well as seedlings. I could really use a cool little slide chart like this. BTW, you guys are AWESOME and I really dig your website!
What a great chart! Will it help with crop rotation too? OOOooooo! pick me pick me!
Great chart. I live on 1/2 acre. I'm growing more food each year, year round. I also got chickens about 8 months ago, just love having them!
We live in a very challenging environment...trying to grow food at an elevation over 6000 feet with mega wind, a short growing season, and little rain. We appreciate any and all help as we are bound to have a garden no matter what!
This year I had a 5' x 20' raised bed after I smothered the grass in my backyard with newspaper, straw and compost. The production was jurassic from this plot. I also had 4 half barrels and three ornimental beds that converted. It was a great first year with plenty to share with clients though I look forward to more variety next year after I smother another 3' x 20' section of grass. Next year I will focus on succession planting and extending the season. The Chart would save a ton of time!
Hello all. I have an 80 sq. ft. raised bed veggie and strawberry garden and a 10 ft. row of raspberries. I am expanding my gardens a lot next year. I'll be adding about 120 sq. ft. (or more)to my veggie garden and I just ordered some fruit trees/bushes (Che, seckle pear, gooseberries, juneberries, Nanking cherries). I'll be ordering more trees/bushes for the Spring (currants, more juneberries, mulberry trees, American persimmon, maybe an apple tree or two, Maypops, hardy kiwi, etc.). I did lots of research on which trees/bushes/vines taste good, will grow pesticide free, and will work in the permaculture design that I'm putting together. I'm learning a lot and having a blast!!! In a few years, after I retire, I want to be able to sell some produce locally. Growing/Eating my own food is magic!
We are definitely learning. The basil & tomatoes did wonderful! Potatoes and garlic were not too successful. Lettuce and spinach did great - will be planting some for winter growing also.
Our garden keeps expanding every year...my poor husband just gives a sigh now, everytime I speak those words!
Honestly, the biggest problem I have is remembering when to plant what - so I'm very interested in the chart.
My guess is that we won't increase the space of the garden this year. Instead, I will be concentrating on amendments to produce a higher yield quality crop (at the proper time).
I have a 40' x 40' vegetable garden that also includes a few fruits, medicinal herbs, wildflowers and perennials. Scattered throughout the rest of our one acre lot, hubby and I have blueberries, muscadine grapes, elderberries, figs, loquats, and various native plants. I need your chart to help keep track of some of this abundant mess.
I have a 8x10 space available for a vegetable garden. We have lived in our house for 4 years now and I have been focusing on other aspects of our yard: planted a large herb garden along the driveway, planted a beautiful tea garden near the patio, planted 3 fruit trees (2 citrus and one avocado), planted 3 shade trees to reduce need for watering and air conditioning, reduced size of lawn to 1/3 it's former size, planted 3 grave vines, planted tons of garlic and lots of native plants and other plants requiring less water. NOW it is time to focus on the vegetable garden!!! This chart would help me a ton as I am a total novice when it comes to vegetables. And I definitely want to grow more of our own food this year. Thanks so much for offering it and all the other great info and inspiration that you provide!
I posted this on facebook!!!
Because our landlord is supportive I have 2 raised beds in my front yard and one in back. I'm also using the existing flower beds for edibles. Have acquired a tiny green house and am gathering large pots at garage sales in preparation for spring. Also have kale, spinach, broccoli & chard in for fall. I love your websites and blog. Great inspiration!
Just tweeted this!
Ooh, this looks awesome!!! Do you have a link for buying these? Cuz I know I won't win
. This year we had a tire garden which produced lots of tomatoes and green peppers. We are moving to a place where we can actually dig in the ground, so I am hoping to have a bigger garden.
I would love to start planting corn and melons.
Hi I have 12 4x25 garden beds, but after fighting gophers for years I am trying to transition it to raised beds-3 are converted so far. I hate bought in soil, does not work the same, so it is work to put in the raised beds, dig up and move the dirt, put down the newly built box, and shovel the dirt in.....We also have fruit trees, milk goats and chickens
I live in a suburb just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. It is my dream to one day own a farm, but I believe you have to begin with what you have. So, five years ago I started a vegetable garden to teach my children where food comes from. Little did I know that all of the things my grandparents taught me would come flooding back to the forefront of my mind, and five years later....here I am.
I grow my food naturally...no chemicals whatsoever. I amend my soil each year with composted horse manure that I get for free from a neighbor who's sister owns a horse farm. Feeding my family chemical-free produce loaded with nutrition makes me feel really good. Our yard, is small and I have to leave room for my children to play, so I won't be expanding the garden BUT I will be investing in a small chicken coop since we are now allowed to have chickens in our back yard. I'll feed the eggs to my family and use the chicken poop to feed my soil!
Thanks for all you do!!!! I heard about you from another gardener (hookmountaingrowers.com). I intend to tell everyone I know about your site!
How big of garden do you have?
> I don't have one yet!
Are you planning on growing more of your own food next year?
> Yes! I am planning a vegetable garden for next year. This chart would be a big help!
We have a 300s.f. garden, plus two fruit trees, blackberries and a grape vine. All our herbs are in planters on our porch, as are some peppers, and various small tomatoes and eggplants in the summer, and various lettuces, radishes and the like in the winter. Thankfully, here in SoCal, we have two planting seasons which allow for a summer and a winter garden. We produce about 700 pounds of food, which I would like to increase next year. Keeping our free ranged chickens at bay is a hastle, but we don't mind too much. We love them!
Just posted this on Facebook too!
I'm planning on starting a garden next year and this would help.
This's a GREAT idea, THANX Justin!! LUV to the whole FAMILY
My garden is about 10 x 30 - raised bed and more than enough for one person! I also have fruit trees and grape vines. I give lots to family; either fresh or canned.
This will be my third year gardening, composting etc.
A planting guide would come in handy
PS I already tweeted this link
My garden consists of a peach tree, a pear tree, a persimmon tree, a japanese persimmon tree and 2 fig trees. When I found and began reading your blog, my excuses skulked out the back door knowing that they were done. I've already sent the link to brother, Jeff, and my mom - who by the way has always started her organic gardens whereever she lived - before even unpacking. No more excuses. Starting immediately, we will be growing more! In my defense, I created a surge tank for my washer out of a discarded convenience store coke cooler to water my fruit trees (no laundry chemicals) and I'm repairing my field line to the septic tank by constructing a micro wetlands system. Blessings!
Oh-that chart looks TOO cool! We had a TERRIBLE garden year this year-never experienced that kind of failure before
We have a 30 X 100 plot with raised beds-normally have onions, peppers of all kinds, tomatoes of all kinds, beets, green beans, potatoes,lettuce, cucumbers and squash-just to name a few. We raise most of our meat-rabbits, chickens (eggs!), quail, pigs, sheep and cows-so the bad garden produce didn't go totally to waste!
We have 3 raised 4x4 beds as well as 3 other areas that are more 'open' to allow for larger veggies. We also have an apricot and a pomegranate tree and are trying to get some grapes established. A chart like this is just what my garden needs! I'm pretty much a beginner gardener and tend to procrastinate when it comes to planning and planting. This would be a useful tool - even if I don't win it, I'd love to get one for our little garden:)
I have a small garden, about 13 ft x 20 ft. I have grown most of my spring vegetables (lettuces, etc) and work to grow much of our summer vegetables, as well. My summer crop consists mainly of chard, tomatoes, green beans, and suqash
Next year I am thinking of focusing more on vegetables that can be easily frozen or canned to use over the winter.
Each year is an experiment to see what grew well and what did not grow so well. This year I had a bumper crop of marigolds and cosmos - they went nuts while the tomatoes languished.
This would be awesome. We recently moved to a new home that is on one acre. So much potential. This guide would be awesome for having multiple gardens going.
I have three 4x8 raised beds and a fenced-in plot that's probably 40x40. I plan on growing a lot more food next year, since I'll have a tiller to help me out. If I prep well, I always have a great crop, but it's hard to manage that much space on hands and knees. The local tree guys give me free chips now, though, so I plan on mulching the bejeebers out of my rows next year.
Our lot is about 9000 sq feet, but on corner lot. We managed to put in an orchard in our side yard, with 20 fruit trees (all dwarf or semi-dwarf sizes), a small vegetable patch for our tomatos, potatos, green onion, bell peppers, and some herbs. We tried not to use any chemcials, but found that the old cherry tree needs it, otherwise, all the cherries have worms. We love to grow our own fruits and vegetables, which we hope are all organic. Also, we try to recycle our water to reduce water usage by using water from kitchen which we used to wash vegetables and fruits to irrigate our plants and lawn. Rain harvest is not quite possible as we have very dry weather. Other problems are neighbors are not co-operative, as they use all kinds of chemicals for their lawn, roses, etc.
Wow, that chart looks like a super tool. I definitely need one!
I have backyard raised beds in SCAL - NOHO about 30' x 15' and some container gardening. Just starting my 2nd year at fall/winter crops. Would love this chart!
we have less than a 1/5 acre lot with house, garage and two more outbuildings so have limited garden space. we're battling limited sunlight due to neighbors giant trees plus we're on the coast so it's often windy or foggy PLUS it rains like 30+ inches. we typically grow chard, parsley, strawberries, broccoli, sungold cherry tomoatoes, apples, blueberries, blackberries, plums & cherries, and even CORN this year (which a few years ago would be unheard of), but we're concluding we need more garden space if we are going to provide even a tiny fraction of our own food year-round. meanwhile you guys rock! and you're an inspiration for us. keep up the good work!
mark & andi in arcata, CA
Just posted this on FB! The planner looks great!! This was my 2nd year gardening; this would have come in very handy! Next year plan to expand the garden and try new things.
I am a raw food chef & instructor. (Check us out at http://www.rawbayarea.com) We grow much of the food we eat. We live in the middle of the 'hood in Oakland and have created about 600 sq feet of garden space. In it we have several raised beds for growing greens and radishes of all types. In the ground I also do bigger veges like broccoli, tomatoes, and viney things like cukes. We have apple, peach, fig and lemon trees. And berries too: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.
I tweeted and facebooked, so another comment is needed yes? The two new things in my garden I am most excited about: kiwis and sunchokes. Thanks for doing this giveaway, I am excited to go work in my garden today.
You said you wanted the url too. You can find me, the giveaway and other raw food postings at: http://twitter.com/RawBayArea
http://www.facebook.com/heather.raw and
http://www.facebook.com/rawbayarea
Last year we had several raised bed gardens...then we sold our house to move to a place we could do more gardening (and raise our own chickens!) We haven't found the perfect place....but when we do, I plan to have a few raised beds close to the house for "salad" & herbs gardens with larger plots away from the house for larger crops.
We have three square foot gardens and one circular garden that encompasses where we cut down a pine tree several years ago. The area in front of our house is also a garden of sorts, where there is mint, pennyroyal and whatever my kids want to plant. This past season we had lots of sunflowers and assorted beans (the capture castoffs when I am looking the beans before cooking). We hope to grow a lot more next year. Wish our yard wasn't so shady. Right now we still have cilantro and have some lettuce seedlings. I want to plant garlic within the next week--I have yet to get that done in the fall.
Any chance you guys sell these, or can let us know where to buy them, JUST in case we don't win the prize? I'd LOVE to have something like this at my disposal! And I know other people that would be interested in one also!
We grew a bit this year (though there was some weird weather) --- I have large chunks of my redwood-filled backyard that I am putting in sheet composting beds over the winter though... so next year there will be TONS more space for growing! (And hopefully we'll start replacing the sun porch roof with new greenhouse material, so that it gets warmer in there and we can grow toms and peppers longer next year!)
We have a 13'x15' front yard I'm going to plant most of next year (after only planting about six square feet this year), and I'm going to be planting the approximately 50 sq. ft in the back by the porch as well - making a real herb garden!
I'm very excited for next spring.
Just blogged about the contest!
Yes! I plan on growing more of my own food next year. We tore out our front lawn and put in citrus trees and a vegetable garden. I don't know the measurements (and I'm terrible at guessing square footages). Come November, I'm going to start preparing my backyard for a terraced garden. I just have to figure out the best place to put my brambling raspberry and blackberry plants. My motto is: If you can't eat it, why grow it? (Though I do like some flowering non-edibles, too!)
I have 3 4'x8' raised beds, plus a 4'x4' raised bed of strawberries. I do hope to expand next year and get at least one crop supply that I can can.
We also have meat rabbits and chickens for eggs.
I have a rapidly expanding suburban garden here in the PNW. Right now we have 4 4x8 raised beds in the backyard and 2 4x10 beds in the front yard. We also have 7 young fruit trees and plans to expand! I'm planning to add at least 2 more 4x8 raised beds in the backyard this fall/spring, in addition to planting hazelnuts and a wonderful apple variety called Elstar. The front yard expansion is slower, due to the deer trail that cuts through the middle of the space. I'm planning to plant herbs close to the deer trail to encourage them to move along and leave my sunny, southern wall alone! Right now I need to get out and plant fall garlic and transplant strawberry runners. Our major setback this year was when an herbicide (courtesy of Dow Chemical) contaminated the local dairy compost that most of the gardeners in this area use. As a result, our crops were stunted, had 1/3 of normal production, or failed completely. So we have been removing the comtaminated soil and have got our own chickens to produce manure for us (rabbits coming soon!). We managed to salvage our bean crop, but the tomatoes failed completely. I love the idea of the slide chart. Anything to get me out in the dirt ASAP!
Just tweeted! http://twitter.com/#!/livinglocalnh
Also Facebook'ed! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=461232270616&set=a.461232245616.244930.576875616&ref=nf#!/livinglocalnh
We hope to plant all available space on our lot with food this next spring. The intent is to grow everything we need. Even if we don't make that goal, we will sure eat better! ; )
This looks awesome.
My garden is smaller this year than it was two years ago-- the area has gotten hotter and drier and I haven't figured out how to make a full container garden work in the new situation yet. But we've got nasturtiums and herbs, we grow our own green onions, and this fall I'm putting in lettuces and brassicas to see how they do. I hope to re-embiggen the place next spring (this past spring, family crisis after family crisis made it not work).
~:)
This is my first fall winter going totally organic. My first spring/summer organic garden was a mixed season full of many lessons to learn from. My Garden is growing from 110 sq ft to 150 sq ft all raised beds. My goal is to continue growing as much of my own food as I can and find creative new ways to increase my limited space. Thanks for all your trailblazing knowledge you share with us...you are truly an inspiration to all of us out here!
I would love to win this chart. We have a medium sized garden, but the weather was horrible this year for growing much of anything. (8-(
Posted on my facebook profile:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=513538659
I tweeted this:
http://twitter.com/#!/gcgrytdal/status/28811799824
For the past 3 years I have 'farmed' other people's backyards in addition to my little yard. We just moved to 10 acres of rolling hills close to Salinas, CA. So next season I'm experimenting with 3000 square feet to see what will grow. The plan - to grow an acre of food - what is extra I will sell. Wish me luck!
My garden is about 40 X 50 with an herb garden for herbal medicines on the side. I grow a little of everything to can and freeze. I like to try at least one unusual or exotic veggie or flower each year just for fun. Would like to extend the garden further into the winter months this year. May be building a cold frame if I can find plans for a simple one. I love to spend the winter months drinking herbal teas and reading gardening books and seed catalogs, dreaming of the coming spring......
We had to leave our little suburban plot in the bay (where the back yard was a big south-facing veggie bed bordered with fruit and citrus trees) earlier this year for new employment. It was sooo hard to leave my plot that took me so many years to build the soil... especially leaving it in the spring. We didn't know where we were going to land, so we just held on and spent our ample freetime helping our friends fix-up their homes and cars. Life wouldn't be fun if you didn't shake it up... and our patience and prayers are being answered. We're moving into our new-to-us-smaller home but on 5 acres in a few weeks!! I expect these next few years will be slow starts as I build up a new plot and learn a new climate zone.
Thank you for keeping these websites going! They certainly have been sustaining me!!
I am in the process of building a 10x20 backyard greenhouse. I am not planning to use fertilizers or any chemical.
Thanks you for doing this, your question is very good I will be even more please if I see a 'Are you growing organic or planning to do it?' question also.
I not only have a huge personal garden (40x70) here at home, but also have started a community garden in my home town that is 100X100 and had 18 gardeners last year. I will be raising even more food for the hungry this year, if at all possible. Last year our community garden and my personal garden donated over 2500 lbs of fresh produce to local charities. We strive to be as organic as possible and we have a HUGE compost pile that we are carefully tending to so it can nurish our community garden beds in years to come.
I've got one 4x20 raised bed, one 4x7, and a huge container garden on my front porch. I'm currently putting in an herb garden that's about 4x8. I'm trying to squeeze in as many plants as possible!
Since moving to Georgia from Florida, I was elated to be able to have soil I did not have to buy! I have the following growing systems in place: three Earth boxes, two four-inch by five feet PVC pipes, (drilled zig-zag style with two inch holes down their lengths, filled with dirt and containing a one-inch PVC pipe with slits in it, wrapped in fiberglass mesh screening for watering...cemented at the bottom with caps to make them watertight, for indoor growing of greens), two dwarf cherry trees, an apricot, a fig, a Granny Smith apple and peach tree (espaliered), three high-bush cranberrys, two blueberry bushes, and two currant bushes, as well as three grapevines, a Meyeri lemon tree, a banana tree, and lastly, a baby tobacco plant grown from seed. The Earthboxes have thorn-less blackberries, a rosemary bush that will not die, lol, and some creeping ground cover as companion plants in them. All uncooked vegetable scraps (I juice raw vegetables, ;.) go into holes I dig with the toe of my boot into my garden, here and there. I got lucky and snagged about a hundred feet of drip-line complete with timers and fittings for five dollars at a yard sale; the trees got short lengths of PVC pipe planted next to them. The drip line is going to be used for raised beds next year, and I used rock dust, magnetized water, Epsom salts and homemade pest control, hand picking and blasting bugs most of the time. Kale is taking off now, and I look forward to great soil for my caged carrots (naughty little chipmunks and squirrels!) and root vegetables next year. It would be nice to have a planting/starting chart...I was wondering why it is such a commodity? It seems something that everyone should have access to? Much to do yet, I have to get outside now and rake for my compost pile!
I've really only planted flowers the last couple of years. However, I've had success with a bunch of herbs and would really like to try my hand at veggies. I love heirloom varieties.
I grow 1/3 acre of flowers with some vegetables for the family too. For me one of the hardest thing is keeping track of all the seeding dates. This chart looks great!
I have a decent sized plot behind my garage in my backyard. I plan to expand this plot in order to grow even more vegetables for the next growing season here in Michigan. Besides vegetables, I have started some raspberry and strawberry plants and they should start showing some fruit next summer (hopefully). I am limited on space; however it is enough to produce a fair amount of vegetables in a given time. Let's see how next season treats me!
I have added an entry to my blog on e-blogger about this giveaway.
http://yukonmayer.blogspot.com/2010/10/giveaway-vegetable-planting-slide-chart.html
I have added this giveaway to my Facebook page for other friends to view. Hopefully they discuss their adventures in gardening, too.
http://www.facebook.com/rdrmr17
Last year we started with a 12x4 garden. We found that is way to small for us so we plan to at least double for next year!
I posted on facebook.
Hope I win. this looks very handy. I spent hours last spring putting together a chart for myself, then my hard drive failed and I lost it all. Now here one is already done!
I am a novice and just getting started, better yet, starting to get serious.
Last year I started with two 5 x 4 plots. This year we are doing 200sqft.
I have available 15k.sqft. to work with.
Next year I am hoping to double it. This chart sure would come in handy
Thanks Justin!
Sadly, our garden was pretty small this year (because I was having a baby at planting time.) Next year, we plan to plant much more, a 15x20 ft. plot.
We have three 8X4, two 4x4, one 2x6 raised beds. Here in Texas something can be growing all year round. Presently -- tomatoes, peppers, okra, basil, green beans, as second summer crops and starting Chinese cabbage, broccoli, lettuces, mizuna, spinach, carrots, cabbage, and radishes. No plans for more garden space as this is enough for us, family, and friends.
I have the standard city lot of 50ft wide but have extra depth in that lots on my side of the street get what would have been the alley way. I have tried to plant a bearing tree every year since 1979(not always successful). I have two avacadoe trees(very old, there when I moved in), two orange trees, one grapefruit, two tangerine, one nectarine, one fuyu persimon, one plum, one peach, one asian pear, one bearess lime, one myer lemon, and several apple trees. This past year I pulled out a Gordon apple and a Fuji apple with plans to get a more suitable variety. I have one Ein Shimmer apple( very early like late June) which I have not been real happy with but it is still there. Last year I ordered what are called benchgrafts from KuffelCreek out in Riverside in an effort to find more warm weather friendly apple trees. They are a great resource in this regard. I planted three of their trees in March of this year from the benchgrafts. One is an Anna which is a close relation to the Ein Shimmer but better. One is an Arkansas Black and one is a Lady Williams. All of the new apples are growing well. In addition to the trees, my wife has a 20foot in diameter vegetable garden in which this year she grows strawberrys, artichoke, asperagus, three types of hot peppers, two types of bell peppers, five types of tomatoes, string beans and various squash and pumpkins as well as about six types of herbs. She does this all in the one 20ft circle and also puts in four or five mounds of sweet corn. We pick and bbq corn right off the stock which makes it very sweet. This past year in other parts of the yard we have planted three blueberry plants (which gave us berries while still in the pots) and two rubarb plants. I should also mention that I have one hawaiian papya in a half barrel that is in its third year and one that is in its second year. The third year has two papyas growing on it but I expect cool weather to take care of that before they are ripe. This is me just trying to do something that should not work in Southern Calif but ya gotta play sometimes.
I had a good-sized summer garden here in Tallahassee, FL, and have recently planted my winter greens/root vegetables. I have 2 sites I plant---a 1/4 acre at my ex-husband's house and a small garden patch at mine. Lotsa veggies to share with my friends & family.
Have 14 square foot garden squares in our .62 acre subdivision lot that just were not as productive as hoped this summer. Would love to grow ALL of the food we eat for our family of 8. Very interested in edible landscaping. Raise rabbits. Indoor vermicompost setup. So much to learn!
We are moving out of Florida up to Western NC & what I hope is good soil and good weather conditions for gardening fruits and vegetables. I keep track of my plantings on my computer but I often wish I had a portable chart to carry around with me.
I would love this chart. I live in Florida and have a hard time figuring out what to plant and when. This would be an amazing tool for me. I am working on being able to grow as much of my own food as possible and sharing my skills with others. Thank YOU!
I have 5 raised beds each 4'x8' in size. I also plant in about 45 containers, 2 spaces in the ground that are approximately 2'x25' as well as a "Victory Garden" in my side yard. 3 years ago I started growing my own plants indoors. Every year I am trying to do more and learn more. I plant a variety of heirloom vegetables as well as some herbs. I try at least one new herb every year. It has truely been exciting to see the outcome. I can produce to have during the winter. I think this year we might be able to have enough for mid winter. We will see. I am learning more and more every year. I am tackling the side of the house for next year! That little chart could save me a lot of time!
I am extremely new to gardening, as in I have really never done any before. But just recently, me and my husband have decided that it is imperative to grow our own food (hoping he will eventually be open to chickens and goats, too). We live on about 1/3 acre in the city of Hemet, and already have five varieties of citrus and one pomegranate tree. But we are in the planning stages of a 500-600 square foot fruit and vegetable garden to start with for this year. Hopefully by the time we get the raised beds built and a compost bin set up, I will have a little more of an idea of what I'm doing and know what I'm supposed to plant.
The hope is that somewhere down the line, we will expand and grow at least 75% of our produce, if not all, or close to all. Now that I know someone in the city CAN do it, I have a more clearly defined goal and am ready to start.
I live in Florida, battling sugar sand, unpredictable rainfall, and year round pests. Over the past year, I built 16 grow boxes, as well as "grow buckets" using 5-gallon buckets and the same water reservoir system as the grow boxes. [Trim heavy plastic pot saucers to fit inside the buckets.] I've had as many as 5 full-size cabbages growing out of a bucket at a time...and the buckets are lightweight enough to be portable.
Most of my watering is from the 7 water barrels I have placed around the house (and this in a DEED-RESTRICTED neighborhood!) I grow enough food to get dinner out of the backyard four or five nights a week...and even let certain weeds grow because they are edible and the greens are as tasty as any mesclun.
I've built two raised beds--eight foot long by 40"--using two tiers of concrete blocks. I laid contractor grade plastic bags in the bottom, raising all the edges up 6" to "cup" the water. I put more plastic down the sides--enough to slow the water down, and prevent the dirt from leaking between the blocks. I filled the beds with old newspapers, phone books, leaves, compost, and dirt. I use these raised beds for growing my herbs and peanuts, and they LOVE their unconventional diet!
We have not had rain in the past month. Luckily, I put in a misting system to supplement the watering since the rain barrels are now dry. I also run used dishwater and shower water out to the garden...the plants LOVE it. [Note: I am frugal enough with water that my monthly water bill is around $8...and most of that is the sewer bill!--some neighbors have bills as high as $300.]
Large pots contain a fig tree, lemon grass, blueberry, and thornless blackberry. One in-ground grapefruit tree fills my garage refrigerator every winter...well into June. My blood orange tree thinks about providing fruit but is more tempermental...and my daughter gave me a southern peach tree last Christmas...but it hasn't given me any fruit yet [It's just a baby.] I had two papaya trees for about 5 years, but they were destroyed by the bitter cold we had last year. I'm starting six from seed...and I've learned to use green papaya for salad and just like cole slaw.
One rather unique thing I did was to set up two rows of four grow boxes each. I took a broken ladder and rested the ladder frames on double-stacked concrete blocks across the tops of the grow boxes. I zip-tied a 6 foot tall bamboo poles to the ladder frames and connected the vertical poles with horizontals at the top. [You need to use diagonal bracing to stabilize this.] If I were doing it today, I'd use the neat reusable garden velcro strips]. In the heat of the summer, I put shade cloth over the grow boxes. In winter, I use the frame to support the sheets and blankets I use to keep the veggies from freezing. I am still gettin okra off last year's plants!
One last project was building 3 potato towers from half inch PVC pipe and chicken wire. The regular potatoes didn't do anything this year, but the sweet potato vines really seem to like the arrangement... The potato towers are also excellent for growing peas...and help keep the varmints out of the tender vines.
I have multiple sclerosis...and getting outside in the sunshine and fresh air has helped...and I'm eating better than I ever have...
Looking to start some raised beds next Spring. Got a lot to learn. Chart would be nice to have.
I've been following your family's example. The big difference is that I live in Minnesota where the cold days out number the warm ones. My lot is 1/3 acre. When I bought the house 5 years ago there was only lawn, huge oaks in the south of the lot and a few flowering plants on the north side. I live by myself but I have managed to accomplish a lot. I have planted numerous dwarf fruit trees and bushes (everything that will grow here), many kinds of berries, rhubarb, asparagus. Every year I add more vegetable beds, the largest 20' x 30' and growing (modified raised beds under my clothlines so I can tie the tomatoes and beans vines to them), a regular bed as well as four regular raised beds. My chainlink fence is covered with raspberries and grapes, as is about one fourth of my backyard (I sell them at the farmer's market). In my front yard I have fruit bushes, native flowering plants and my herb circular garden. I am now clearing more grass from the front to add more vegetable beds and a new strawberry patch (I have 4 large ones already). I have two apple trees in the front. I also grow acerolas, limes, figs, taro, 12 coffee trees, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes and tender herbs that move indoor during the colder month. I was lucky to buy an old house with south wall that's mainly windows and a walkout basement with glass block walls and a glass door. I'm hoping for chickens eventually. So far the zoning guy says I can have them if I keep them indoors in the main house (not a great idea) although I also have a cottage/art studio in the backyard. I also make my own cheese, soap, canning, dehydrating and freezing for the non-harvest months. Sorry no goats, the zoning guy almost had a heart attack when I asked him. I still have a lot more grass to pull.
I want to grow a bunch of my own veggies. But being a new gardner this chart would be insanely helpful. I can never keep track of planting dates for everything.
I live in an apartment in Central Florida and am slowly but surely eliminating the lawn. I have planted many trees: Mulberry, three figs, 3 pomegranates, 2 pink grapefruits, a navel orange, a meyer lemon, many (about 2 dozen) papayas, a sea grape, three prickly pears. Vegetables are more of a challenge for me they seem to be more hit or miss. I have grown collards, tomato, watermelon, peppers, corn, arugula, parsely, cilantro, stevia, onions, turnips and carrots. I recycle all of my newspapers and my rabbit manure into the garden and am currently working on a pvc drip watering system.
My friend was visiting the other day while i was putting in some more blue berry bushes and commented on how dark my soil was compared to her sand (we live in florida). Then I realized that all the coffe grounds, rabbit poop, and compost had truly started to change my soil from sand to an almost potting soil quality. My plants have been thriving more and more since I took ya'lls advice to focus on growing the soil and to compost back the plants leaves (disease free of course) right back to the base of the plant they come from. Thanks for the site and the great advice!!!
I have a few raised beds in my back yard and a 1/4 acre garden out at my Dad's house. We grew lots and lots of food this year and sold some at the local Farmer's market. This year my favorite new crop was my Indian Corn. Pretty as a picture! I also love peas in the spring and I am hoping that I can actually get some spinach to still grow for this winter under a window. My passion runs deeper every year!
I'm an apartment dweller and volunteer at a community garden. Other than that, my garden consists of a small kitchen-counter-top sprout farm. Next year I'll have my own backyard and am planning on four or five 6 by 10 raised beds. I would love to have this chart to help get me started!
I am gardening, raising chickens, rabbits, goats, lambs, and dogs, and variety of fruit trees on 2 acres. I have been farming all of my life with my grandfather and the last five years with my oldest son. I garden year around with this fall starting off with success. This year we increased our growing space with 4 raised beds, more fruit trees, and tapping into growing my own grain for the animals. I have really enjoyed thinking of new ideas to make this property more sustainable. Thank you for all of the much needed information and tips.
When I started hearing about all the food recalls, it really finally sank in....time to think about growing my own food. I'm planning a few raised bed gardens, composting...etc. Starting next year, I'm excited and I'm ready!
We have been avid gardeners for many years, and found that buying seed packaged by the large conglomerates, was just too costly. We always try to get out starters ready by the last planting date, and have been successful to date. So much so as of lately, that we have added 5 new raised beds to oour gardens. Our first year with just one 5x20 bed afforded us to build a front yard stand, and the sales from that bought us a 12x24 greenhouse. Now we are into seed sales, and saving others from having to purchase seeds the way they normally do. Best yet, is that we are getting the seeds we need at a price we can afford. No longer are we spending $100 per year for our garden seeds.
I have three raised beds and a whole lot of pots spread across what's left of the lawn in the back yard. I am hoping to take out the rest of the lawn and replace it with more raised beds next year... once I convince my husband to give up the lawn.
[...] I just entered an online contest to win a vegetable garden flow chart! Check it out: freedomgardens.org! [...]
I have 8 raised beds, approximately 10 x 3-1/2 feet each. Unfortunately, only one is not full of weeds. I am hoping to get more cleaned out next year and so i can plant more veges and flowers.
I have 2 raised beds (30ft x 5 ft) and started 2 more beds the same size. I also have 4 vertical growing areas and will have 2 more in the spring! These do not include the strawberry or raspberry patches. I also have large pots of herbs and annuals scattered on the patio,in flower beds and along my drive way. The food recalls are getting ridiculous..as long as we handled our food canning or storage in a safe way, we are so much better off.........especially those of us who grow organically. I wish I had a larger area of land.
this is our first year in our very first home. we moved in and got settled too late to really take advantage of the growing season, but i did cherry tomatoes and some potatoes in large pots. i have big plans, however! i'm sketching out a nice raised box for the backyard, and plan on trying potatoes again, as well as more tomatoes, and maybe beans. i have a lot to learn!
My veggie garden is about 35x50' - but that doesn't count the herb garden out front! I grow all kinds of veggies for my extended family every year, gardening is a life passion for me!
I just posted your contest on my Facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/reinbeau
Love your site and my hats are off to ya! Would love to have a planner as I have 5 acres and more than I can keep up with. I want to do more of what you all have done but I have this thing called a full time job that gets in the way of all the fun stuff. Even so I have managed to can over 400 jars this year and have been able to sell about 1000 lbs of apples to the local markets. I have 40 fruit trees and put in a 5000 sqft garden this year. As I have to fight the gophers and ground squirels I have put in all raised beds. You know the saying "You might be a redneck if you have a bathtub in you front yard"! Well, I am certified as I have about 15, along with several tractor tires and misc. other objects for the raised beds. Love the ability to tailor make soil for each bed, contingent to what I am growing in it that season. Also have old swing set for trellis for the green beans, and old bunkbed wire frame for the cucumbers. Anyway keep up the good work, and I look forward to keeping up with your web site.
Thanks
J.C.
I have a smallish 20x40 garden. It currently has established blue berries, raspberries and rhubarb (that belong to my grandmother). I have been inspired by the victory garden sites and have decided to try to make a "victory home" by doing as much as I can on my own and then from there going local. I might be biting off more than I can chew, but hey you never know until you try.
I got chickens this year and LOVE them. They are the best pet in the world. My 2 year old is always holding them and walking around. I am amazed that they let him walk right up and pick them up!
My next thing to try next year are potatoes (never done before) and also changing my whole garden to raised beds. I am new to gardening and feel like I am doing enough research to get a Masters Degree. This chart would help very much
I have 6 4x8 raised beds and a few other smaller ones. I'm going to try to add at least 4 more next year!
I only started growing veggies about 4 years ago, each year I add something new and make the garden a little bit bigger!!
Our west coast British Columbia garden kind of meanders, herbs and flowers mixed in with veggie beds, fruit trees, blueberries, currants, grapes. Our property is large but most of the gardens are close in to the house for ease of harvest and so I won't forget I have a garden. Close at hand means I'm on it near every day. Right now we're overflowing with kale and greens, baskets of apples from our 80 year old trees and a handful of fall raspberries every day. (Nobody else here is privy to that secret.) Plans.....berries, I need lots of berries - raspberries, tayberries, blackberries, more blueberries, hoping the kiwi gets going. But mostly going to be working on the soil, compost, mulch, seaweed, spent hay, getting chickens for some manure helpl so when the summer drought comes my soil will be able to retain moisture.
This year I planted (for myself) okra, tomatoes, bell peppers, lemongrass, nasturtium, basil oregano, one teensy little cannabis plant (so cute!), and various greens. All in two tiny little beds in my backyard (and a planter). I've planted much more than that *for clients*, but have had precious little leftover resources to devote to my own garden. Mostly I've been "growing" compost. And buckwheat as green manure. At my new house, to which I'm moving next month, I've already planted a plum tree, two blackberry vines, and two blueberry bushes. There will definitely be MUCH more going into the ground before the end of the year, to say nothing of next spring! Food independence is the name of the game moving forward.
My mom had a garden when I was little, but I have never grown anything on my own. I am planning to start a garden this spring (I've been inspired by Path to Freedom to grow my own food) and this chart would help me out tremendously. I've just moved to the Seattle area (very wet and mild weather) and am unsure what to plant , and when, in this area. I need all the help I can get!
We host a community garden on our land in The Burton Street Community of West Asheville, NC and help manage several other gardens in our little tight-knit community. The community was started in the 19-teens as a thriving business hub for the African American community and had strong agriculture roots. We are working together as a community to revive and honor those roots by expanding urban agriculture and delivering veggies & other produce to our elderly neighbors. Currently, we employ two youth from our community in this endeavor and learn more from each other every day!
So reposting on facebook doesn't provide a url per se, but here's my account's url, in honor of my first time reposting it: http://www.facebook.com/son.of.the.soil
And it's a good thing I AM earning additional replies/chances to win, too because I totally forgot to mention my chickens!
I have had a small backyard garden in years past, but not last year. I hope to have one again by next spring, mostly to grow tomatoes, peppers, etc for salads! jgs0925(at)gmail(dot)com
I live in town (Gainesville FL) on a 0.6 acre lot. I am trying to get in as much food as I can. All organic! Right now I am adding 60 blueberry and 100 strawberry plants. I have 4 peach, 1 nectarine, 2 persimmon, 2 fig,1 guava, 2 avocado, 2 pomagranate, 2 kumquats, 3 tangerine, 2 orange trees. A few blackberry, raspberry, and elderberry bushes. Muscadine and passionfruit vines. I have a large herb garden. Have started shitake and oyster mushrooms. Have veggie beds around the foundation of the house as well as 2 24x4 ft beds. I am planning to try fish in above ground pools this year. As soon as I get the rest of the yard fenced, I want to get some hens. Zoning only allows 3, but...I'll see what I can get away with!!!
Our garden (1/4 acre) not only gets bigger each year, but more productive with intensive permaculture and season extending crops. The chickens and the neighbors all love it too!
Starting to plan for the spring planting of my backyard. Want some dwarf fruit trees, blackberrys, tomatoes, corn, black beans, zuke, herbs. going to start with 2 5x5 and 2 4x8 raised beds.
I will be expanding my lasagna garden again this year and try to find some new plants to grow.
will be converting my slightly raised beds into larger raised beds with wood borders. probably do alot of lettuce and spinach. can't wait!
Hi, I am definitely planning to grow more next year, I add to my permaculture experiment eery year! I play around with new varieties and some experimental stuff every year. We are growing completely organic and having fun trying to devise plans for extending our short growing season. The planning chart would definitely come in handy! Thanksm, val
Just shared this on Facebook! val
I just added up the square footage of our seasonal gardens and we have over 5500 sq. ft! I can't believe it! We have been adding gardens over the last 10 years and each year we grow more food. Next year I will be a CSA for 5 of my friends so YES, I will be growing even more food! The last two years all my plants were heirloom and this year I saved seeds. I am completely dedicated to preserving heirloom varieties and am looking into planting some period gardens in the future. My four new chickens have been enjoying the end of the year tomatoes and swiss chard. I am sad to see the season end but so excited to plan for the next year.
Right now we have two raised garden beds for a total of 72 square feet. We will be growing as much as we can in them and hope to add some fruit trees this winter. I also teach gardening at a school that has 24 raised beds and a mixed fruit tree orchard! I hope to get the boxes all planted and producing this year so the kids and community can experience the joys of fresh, organic food!
Posted this to my facebook page too!
I love reading about what everyone is doing, if anyone is in S Cal and wants to help consult us getting a school garden started please let me know! This chart looks like it would answer a lot of questions in one handy place.
Yes, I will be growing more next year! Finally, got a spot in a community garden and I am heading up the planting at our school-site. Can't wait!
My garden surrounds my house which is on a 7500sqft lot. I have been getting my "food forest" growing for the last nine years. I *plan* on growing more every year, but sometimes I am less involved and Mother Nature does it for me...however she likes. Right now I have 3 yards of compost to spread so I can plant fall seeds.
We will be growing more of our own food this year. We are new to gardening, so this chart would be an excellent resource.
I will be growing next year, I will be doing herbs and whatever will tolerate the shade of my yard. I mostly container garden so I guess the size could be measured in gallons
I have around 800 sq ft. Garden space and I want to grow more using my cool freedon gardens growing chart! Very sweet!
I just posted to my Friends on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=113631505365636&id=1458832563
I am definitely planting a bigger garden this coming year. This Saturday is the closing for the season of our local farmers' Market, which I manage & founded. The starting date for next years' season will depend on my success & our other growers' success at learning better how to produce cooler weather crops.
So I am planning to cultivate over 1000 square feet.
Ron Millet
I am on my 3rd year of growing my own vegetables. Every year I add 2 more beds .This year I had 7. I live in the High Desert and Struggle with the Heat and winds but I have managed to grow just about everything. This year I saved seeds I'm excited to plant them for the fist time. I cant wait til March!
We just planted our seeds in a small greenhouse container and are so excited to see how they do. Two weeks ago we planted organic potatos in our raised bed. I look forward to going outside everyday after work to see what may have sprouted in the garden.
We look forward to adding more sqaure footage to our garden and possibly some chickens.
I'm a sustainable farmer wanna-be, for the moment. Last year I grew some food, and sold a few items at the local tailgate market. This year was very unsuccessful, nothing wanted to grow, and new regulations about canned and baked goods kept me from selling this year. I'm working on crafts to sell, in hopes of raising some money for my "farm" next year. We live on 1/3rd of an acre in NC, most of it is grass and trees, but I'm trying to garden in "out of the way" areas. I just planted a small winter garden, and replanted some garlic cloves I grew this past year. I just try to keep looking forward, and hope (and work) towards the day that the farm that's in my head will be out in the open in our yard!!! Thanks for all your info, your family is such an inspiration!! Karen
I have 3 3x20 beds and 2 5x20, I plan to add 2 or 3 more next year, I want to take down a few leaf growing trees and replacing them with fruit trees, I'm thinking about grape vines and berries also.
Currently I have 100 sq. ft. of raised bed devoted to veggies, a few smaller pots with herbs & veggies, 16' or so of raspberries & thornless blackberries, a couple young blueberry bushes, and a 48 sq. ft. bed FULL of strawberry plants. I plan on adding a few more blueberry bushes and making marigold seed bombs (since they bloomed so proficiently this year), as well as extending my season by starting earlier using row covers.
We did a 30 x 40 this year, expecting to share it with friends, though they backed out after about a month + of work... Sort of went wild and unweeded, but still pulling root veggies out of the ground now (frosts finally killed tomatillos/peppers/tomatoes about 2 weeks ago. We'll probably go smaller next year (as it will likely just be myself tending it and our rabbits, who are part of the food we raise, but also produce "bunny gold" for fertilizing the garden), as we'll be moving from a microclimate area of zone 5b (where we could commercially grow grapes if we wanted to), to a cool area of zone 5a (other side of small mountains in state, but enough to change the zone...) I plan on doing a number of the successful types of heritage variety veggies (which had a number of the usual suspects, but also Hamburg parsley, sunchokes, and various herbs). Probably will expand the herb section, and start some of the seedlings indoors a week or so earlier to account for the zone change. We'll see how it turns out, and expand once I have a year's experience there, and the kids are a little bigger to be able to help out.
I have an established garden, then every other square inch on the property I can grow something to eat, I do. And herbs for medicine! Only a very few items here are inedible, or non medicinal, but do at least offer the bees and beneficials what they need to stick around and give me some help. My garden itself is small, 6 4x6 beds, with beds along the fence of the garden area for raspberries, grapes, and the garlic. I'll be growing more and more each year, as I better learn what works where, and what doesn't, and expand the growing beds in the back part of the property, where the livestock roam right now. My goal is to produce at least 85% of our needs here in our little spot. Rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, goats and sheep help with the soil and weed control department, and the fowl help with insect and slug/snail control. It's a real affair!
I added this to my FB page, too, Kimberly Smith, and 'liked' it!
We have a very large garden that we have been slowly converting to raised beds. I love intensive planting and permaculture. I have been experimenting with row cover and hoops to extend the season, and also to keep the bugs off of some of my plants. My sweet potatoes were gigantic this year, and though I feared they would be woody, they are tender and delicious. thanks for the opportunity to win the chart. Kathy
We plan to start growing more food in the Spring and can't wait actually. The summer weather up here in Seattle was sporadic this year - we need more veggies!
Love your site - thank you for creating and encouraging such great community around such an important and fun topic.
Living in a condo we have a few small garden spots for tomatoes & bell peppers, and also grow herbs in pots. I like to have some parsley dedicated to the Black Swallowtail Butterflies who lay their eggs on it. We had 10 fat caterpillars this year who ate up all the parsley and became butterflies in less than 2 weeks! Can you believe it? More parsley next year!
This year we had a mighty heirloom tomato I grew from a seed in a 5 gallon pot. It spread out into a space 5'x5' and needed 5 stakes to support its vines. We are still getting more than 50 tomatoes from it! And I'm saving these seeds! Next year we'll clear out more space in the full sun, where this prize tomato thrived, to make room for more tomatoes, peppers, basil, oregano. Our rosemary plant is evergreen all year! And chives grow wild in the grass in the spring and fall!
my yard is .37..minus the house, the plan is to fill all I can comfortably take care of and two row boats, all filled with coffee grounds, cardboard and dirt.
it's to be cilantro, for a local Mexican store...also grow herbs and vegetables to fill all around the house.
kids are all grown, so no swingsets used by children..the frame get designated for climbing plants and hooks for past swings will be hanging baskets.
got 3 wooden ladders, for making shelves between rungs..lots of potted plants.
and best....a stash of wood frame windows that still haven't been used for a green house, so they're being readied for cold frames..
seeds are in loaf pans, for re filing them and needing to wait, impatiently, till spring
A few years ago, we cut out half of the lawn in our backyard, removed the shrubbery, cut and capped the sprinkler system and shoveled a lot of ... manure into our newfound victory garden space. I want our family to enjoy the benefits of fresh-picked fruits and vegetables - a joy that can't be duplicated with grocery store produce. As the garden developed, I had to continue to remind myself it was OK when my girls weren't hungry for dinner - they'd been grazing on fruits and vegies and herbs all afternoon.
The garden has been fabulous, but I'm still learning. There are lots of tricks to this type of gardening that don't really seem to relate a whole lot to the old ornamental garden. Afterall, a few flowers lost to bugs...no big deal. But lose one juicy, lovely TOMATO!? ARGH!
I don't yet have a garden but I'm staring one now!
Right now we live in an apartment with no room for an outside garden, but soon we will be moving into an old farmhouse with 10 acres. So I will be planting the biggest garden I can manage. I've only been able to grow stuff inside for a couple of years, so I can't wait for land.
We continue to tweek the design of our garden every year. Next year we will be at nearly a half acre... As we move into fall we have been talking and planning on what we want to start early and what varieties we would like to add. Next year our goal is to also do more food preservation so we can enjoy the good things we grow throughout the winter.
I plan to double the area under cultivation in my yard this year! PLEASE REALIZE THAT IF YOU DON'T VOTE NO on Proposition 26, IT WON'T MATTER IF WE DEFEAT Prop 23---
VOTE NO ON PROP 23 AND PROP 26!!!
Definitely NOT squash, since my plants all mildewed this summer. Back to beans, I suppose. I saved seeds this year from the rattlesnake variety--green mottled with purple--so I could have quite a crop. And I'll work on getting the basil to thrive. Pesto, yes!
I am moving to a bigger house with a bigger yard, so I am definitely planning on having a veggie garden next year. So far, I've only been able to grow blueberries and tomatoes in wine barrels. Can't wait to eat fresh salads and stir-frys that I grew myself. That chart would be a great help in getting it off on the right foot! Thanks for all you do. Great website!
I have a 15' X 15' garden and I plan on doing more intensive gardening next year to get more out of it.
Our whole lot is 1/10 acre, so about half of that is yard. We've been experimenting in little sections with cover crop, a few veggies, and tons of trees and bushes. Next year though, we'll be ready to be a lot more organized with the food aspect. All the beds (which is about 90% of the yard) are built/dug and amended at last. Can't wait!!! In the meantime we're putting in lots of roots now, and starting greens in frames outside that we'll be able to cover later with clear plastic (it's still very warm here in Arizona).
We have been growing a little more of our own food with each year. This is our 3rd year and we will expand from our 6 raised beds (plus some hanging gardens) and add a tilled garden as well. We've found some things failed miserably and some things worked spectacularly. We learn a little more each year and add something new each season too!
Currently have two large wash tubs to be planted with fall and winter greens, basil and rosemary are still hanging on from summer. Have plans to have more containers ready for later in the season and for early spring planting.
My husband/ partner/ best friend has built me an urban homestead paradise. I have a wonderful "crooked shed", raised bed gardens and a quail coop. The garden is fenced, weeded and mulched. The coldframe is built and in place. Already lettuce, peas and cauliflower are growing. The year was productive. Out of my tiny garden of 250 square ft. and the vegetable stand at the corner, we put up roughly 100 qts. of various foods for winter and fresh vegies all summer! Our 14 quail grew, and we were able to butcher enough for a meal, with breeding stock to over winter. Our first year at the new house was great! Thanks to the community for all of your posts, support, and suggestions. You kept me going!
I have 2 acres in organic veggies! Planning to expand to fruit trees and berries next year.
Have garden for 30 years but next year will be without a rototiller.
I garden and preserve for 3 families
My pet rabbits help to fertilize my vegetable garden and perennial beds. Winter is just beginning but I can't wait for spring!
My wife and I made a trio of 4x4 boxes out of recycled boards from our patio when we replaced it. Next year the goal is to work out all the irrigation issues and have all the drip lines set up for planting.
We have geese, chickens and goats. We make our own composted manure and get extremely good results in our extensive organic gardens. Next year we are going to do more fishing and focus on wildcrafting more mushrooms and plants from the forest to add to our diet.
I'm so excited about the chart. What a good idea!
We have about a 10' x 20' garden that we garden fairly intensively. We manage to raise about 30 different vegetables and fruits (some we do better with than others). We're always ready to try new things and to improve on our failures. Next year we can't wait for our first harvest of strawberries!
Hi Farmer Friends!
My garden size... hmmm The 'traditional' garden is 12 feet deep by 70 feet wide, then we have 6 raised beds that are 3 feet wide by 6 feet long. One raised bed that is 16 inches wide by 12 feet long, One is 8 inches wide by 6 feet long, the last is 8 inches wide by 4 feet long.
There are only 2 of us, so yes we are growing more of our food next year - and all through out the year.
Though I've gardened on and off for about 10 years, I'm having trouble figuring out how to garden here in the Inland Empire. But after 3 years of gardening I'm starting to get the hang of dealing with the heat.
Happy Gardening!
Currently have to community gardens going on block. So excited for next spring to plant more than tomatoes and sunflowers. We got a late start this year and most of us our beginners, but we learned a lot this year. I can't wait!
I have planted two extra blueberry trees and three blackberry bushes this fall and currently I am working on my greenhouse for the winter to include lettuce, spinach, snow peas and garlic outside for over-wintering. This is a big expansion for me since I am new to back yard gardening. I collected over 100 pounds of harvest this summer planted in my space i normally use for flower beds!
I started my first garden this year and it went ok, but I have had a terrible time trying to keep all the earwigs and white flies away. I have (3) 4'x8' raised beds for a total of 96 sq. ft. of garden. I haven't planted anything yet for the fall, but I do plan to do something, probably lettuce, etc. I really enjoy working and learning with the Earth and I am sure, eventually, I'll figure out what I am doing so my yields are successful and consistent!!!
My garden is basically all containers right now,but they're scattered all over the deck and are covering three different levels. My hope is to set up a small raised area next year and start producing more so I can share/donate more.
I shared this in Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1442859481 -- mostly because I'd really like to win the chart so I can finally figure out what the heck I'm doing with the ongoing agricultural experiment.
This year I planted some yellow beans,strawberries and potatoes that turned out great.I did try tomatoes and cucumbers in pots that didn't turn out good at all.
Next year I am trying some seeds that I ordered from your family.They are green beans,mix lettuce,snow peas,brocolli,purple tomatoes,red lettuce,cucumbers. Also seeds from the store yellow beans and squash.
If anyone knows anything about gardening in pots I would realy appreciate some input. It was my first year doing it this way.We are very limited in space.Please do email me at chantalobyrne@hotmail.com
thank you chantal
this is a post for 22nd ave guerrilla garden. We have reclaimed a vacant lot and planted beans , corn and squash. Not a lot of yield this year, cabbages and broccoli for the winter garden, next year will be the test if the soil is amended enough to handle a real garden.
had a small plot this year and cleared almost an acre of 30 years worth of over growth, tilled, and leveled to plot a whole bunch of beds for a veggie walking garden.