I am going to start a brand new garden. :) I have been looking, is there a better place on AMHD to start a discussion about a veggie garden?
I am aware of all the little things, but would sure like some help during the process. Anyone here going to have a great garden this year? This week end will be the above ground box building! Anyone have any tips or ideas? Thanks in advance for all your answers!;)

I love to garden! Both flowers and vegetables. I have been the secretary and president of the local horticulture club as well as passed the course to be a Master Gardener. I am by no means an expert or at gardening, but I do have some great resources for knowledge now! I do love learning and sharing with others about it!

Thanks for starting this thread! Are you going to be starting seedlings indoors?

I was just talking about whether I should start them indoors with seeds or if I should buy them already started. Aww, Clough, I really want it to be mine as a whole so, I want to start from total scratch. I am going to start them in the house in about a week. We live in western Oregon where everything grows so well. We are on well water, so I was wondering if it would make a difference. I am going to get truck loads of brand new dirt, and would like to add compost to it. Hmmm, so many questions! We can start there... water and dirt... LOL
I can't wait to hear about everyone's experiences, this is not a new hobby, just wanting to get more serious and into it. So everything from keeping the deer that live on our land out and keeping the worms in is where I need to start..!

Clough, I am so excited to have your experience here!

Like I said, I am by no means an expert. I'm sure that there are others here who know a lot more than I do. But, I do have great resources. The manuals for the Master Gardener course are huge? You're making me want to get them out!

There was one year that I started as many as 1,200 seedlings. Why so many? They make great friendship gifts! As a matter of fact, that's what I call my vegetable garden. It's a "Friendship Garden."

If you (and me, too!) are going to start seedlings, then we had best be getting busy doing that! The time is going by quickly!

The first things that you need to do is decide where your garden is going to be located and plot out the area as far as what you are going to want in it. Some vegetables are going to need more space then others and you are going to need space so that you can move around in it for maintenance.

The next thing to do is figure out which climate zone you are in and see which types of vegetables are going to grow the best where you are located and when you should be planting the seeds and also whether some seeds would do best if just planted right in the garden rather than started indoors.

I am assuming that you have an area picked out that gets a full-day of sun and has good drainage. Correct?

Yes... and it is a very very open and big area, I plan on starting small this year but with many varieties to see what grows best. Next year will probably be the best. This year I have made a list of things I want to start.
Bell Peppers
Chili peppers
Snap peas
Corn
Lettuce (romaine)
Carrots
Lemon cucumbers
Cucumbers
Water melon
Pumpkins
Squash
Geen beans
I haven't had melons before or a good crop of carrots yet.
The others seem to grow great here. I want raised beds and I was going to use chicken wire to protect it from the deer, around and a roof of it.
I know I need to get started so next week I am going to start seedlings in the house and wait for them to grow. I love the idea of a friendship garden, seems like we always have left overs for friends, so I love the name you chose. I can share, I love sharing!
Clough I have a feeling with your help and others this may be the best gardening year ever!

For your growing season, the map from the following link should be very helpful to you.

Climate Zones-Washington, Oregon (http://www.sunset.com/sunset/web/Sponsors/Garden/sunsetmonrovia_r1/htmlfiles/zone_map1.html)

The peas, tomatoes, and green beans have a spot already they will not be included (so to speak) in the big garden. Oh goodness I am getting so excited!! Ok, I will quit for tonight, but don't think you have seen the last of me. :) :) :) :)

EDIT:::::
Thank you Clough. That is helpful!

Your vining varieties are going to need the most space, so I would plan accordingly. For Cucumbers, I find that constructing a trellis works well. If you are going to plant corn for consumption, you will need to plant a lot of it to make it worthwhile. Just my opinion...

You haven't seen the last of me, either! I'm going to see if I can find some pictures of gardens and seedlings that I have had in the past.

Which zone on the map do you live in? That's my next question. I have to go for awhile, now... I will return again sometime... Definitely looking forward to this!!

Your vining varieties are going to need the most space, so I would plan accordingly. For Cucumbers, I find that constructing a trellis works well. If you are going to plant corn for consumption, you will need to plant a lot of it to make it worthwhile. Just my opinion...
We always plant two or three rows of twelve each row. THAT is a lot of corn and we eat it every night till it's gone for the season. We love it!
Don't worry I am just thinking here, but I also have pots for herbs and other "smaller" things... I am hoping to make salsa, spaghetti sauce, and I would love to dream to have "fresh" frozen veggies for the winter. That is looking way too far ahead, but that is a sort of goal. I think I am going to go GROW crazy this year and learn my lesson from up keeping it all up. I am willing to see how it all goes though!:D
I haven't seen the last of you, you silly, I know that!

Eugene/Springfield... zone 6 is by Portland and me so I think that is my zone.

Well startover, I guess you could get a book titled, "Gardening for Dummies". Not calling you a dummy, just a suggestion. I have purchased the book at a book sale, and never even looked at the book. But I have gardened most of my life. And you see I have quite a book collection to the point I have hundreds of books boxed, labeled boxes, and stored. I do plan on building a new home within two years and am going to have to build a library / study room. So even though I have the book, I don't know exactly where it is, but if you could get your hands on a copy it would probably give you some great tips.


We always plant two or three rows of twelve each row. THAT is a lot of corn and we eat it every night till it's gone for the season. We love it!!
Don't worry I am just thinking here, but I also have pots for herbs and other "smaller" things......I am hoping to make salsa, spaghetti sauce, and I would love to dream to have "fresh" frozen veggies for the winter. That is looking way too far ahead, but that is a sort of goal. I think I am gonna go GROW crazy this year and learn my lesson from up keeping it all up. I am willing to see how it all goes though!:D
I haven't seen the last of you, you silly, I know that!!

One thing we have begin doing with peppers and okra for instance is to vacuum pack these items. Man they are great, the peppers and okra are just like fresh out of the garden and we enjoy them in the winter.

Cool, thank you very much for the tips. I will gather that book up, I have seen it before at the used bookstore!
A library is my dream, funny how I have collected books just so I get my BOOK WALL someday. So happy for you on building the house, how exciting! And someday I will steal one of the kids' rooms when they leave the house for a straight up Startover22 room. Heehee. K, back to the garden, a vacuum packer is a great idea! Thanks!

If you're going for it, then I might too...
You've done this before start?
Space is limited - I do have 2 raised flowerbeds that have nothing in them
But weeds - wonder if they would be suitable for some kind of veggies...

Ohhh AK, you should. Is it toolate over where you are? WHAT ZONE ARE YOU IN?? Look up in Clough's post there is a link to click it will tell you. Heehee
Oh, we used to have a big ole garden in our old house, we made the basis out of all recycled aterial, even old water skis for some fence posts and an old antique door for the entrance, it was amazing the first and second year, then we got buzy and didn't take care of the things we planted the third. Last year, we just put things in various spots and it didn't do so good. This year we are going full crazy, I want yummy veggies!
Ak, this would be great if you get starters, you and the kids could go out and work on it, they can water it too, that is fun. My kids love it, and get so excited when they see sprouts, and especially when we get to see the veggiegrow right before our eyes, oh and when we pick it to eat, sometimes it never even makes it in the house. So yummmy! I get excited too, so lets do it AK, you can. First thing is first, you got to get those beds cleared and turned... you can do it!

It's too late for me to start from scratch, but the nurseries and greenhouses that I've been to around here for my flowers have beautiful fruit and veggie plants already started that I could get.

I probably have to think about some kind of caging too because of the squirrls...
How did you keep bugs off them too?

It's too late for me to start from scratch, but the nurseries and greenhouses that I've been to around here for my flowers have beautiful fruit and veggie plants already started that I could get.

I probably have to think about some kind of caging too because of the squirrls...
How did you keep bugs off of them too?
For the squirrels, I would use some sort of chicken wire. I am not sure about the bugs, we didn't have much of a problem in Eugnee, but here in Springfield, it seems to be a problem. I will look into it. Maybe some one else has another suggestion for the sqirrels. Not really sure if it would work, I will Google it and see what I come up with. Going to the nursery is great, because they can give you tips too, cheap and easy to expensive and hard. You get to pick what you do and what you grow. I have found many helpful hints like only grow what your family eats, unless you plan on giving it away. Corn grows great in the back because it gets the tallest and you don't want to "steal" the sun from the other veggies, peas can grow up and it makes for more organization if you put a little wood trellace up for them. Hmmmmm, we are on a roll! Let me see about them cute squirrels... :D
Keeping Squirrels Out of the Garden (http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf15001484.tip.html)
Cheap and easy, wonder if it works?

Thanks for that...
I think I'll do the chicken wire.
I did notice that they sell it by the plants.

My husband probably won't like that too much though, is there a way to make chicken wire look stylish LOL

I am going to go get some seeds tomorrow or Sunday so I can get started!
Ak, I think it would be safe to say that chicken wire would work. (not sure though)
I for one love a decorated garden, I like to put glassware around, the sun shines on it and it's beautiful! The weather seems pretty dreary... we need sun!

Our garden is made from chicken wire and we have built a princess gate that is painted lavender, around the outside of it we plant flowers that get tall, plants such as cosmos, spider plants... willowy plants that let the sun filter through also we plant short growing plants like marigolds and you can also put sweet pea vines and train them to grow up the wire. There is a sun flower looking vine that we are going to try this year, which will be more colorful than the sweet peas.

We also use bird feeders and sheppard hooks for hanging flowering baskets from.

bushg, that sounds so wonderful! There is a whole nother reason for doing this too, as our garden will be a small walk to get to, so when I get there, I get a beautiful surprise, and spending time in the garden with beauty around you, well, you just can't get better than that!

Lol, lavender was not my choice of paint color but my daughter begged and it has kind of grown on me. Ours is just right out in the back yard... I often wonder if my neighbors think it is an eyesore esp. in the winter.

:):) I won't have to worry about neighbors so I get to go crazy, maybe let the kids take total control... Uhhhh no, no that's a very bad idea! :) I am just excited, I know once the weeding comes I will mellow out!

To help control the weeds I have seen people use straw, or take brown paper bags and cut them open and lay them down. I once new a man that had his entire garden like this... I did not think it was very attractive but he was elderly and it was so much easier for him. He did this after the first hoeing and adding fertlizer.

I feel silly for asking, but did he just put the straw around the veggie plants, to keep the weeds from growing around them? We can get hay very easily here in the country, this would be the best choice for me.

No he also put it the paths, in addition to around the veggies. He had raised beds... umm that was about 20 years ago. This was really odd for me since I was raised on a small farm where we had corn fields and such. Btw his nick name was squirrel.
He was a very nice man that my cousin worked with, probably passed away by now. He would also take 2 liter bottles and cut them off and make a slit down the side , the neck of the bottle he would shove in the ground. He used this as a means to water the vegetables. He was all into conserving and this was his means of water conversation. He would take a cup of water a pour it down the inside of the water... he said it took less water that way as it went directly to the intended plant. We live in Ohio and can have some very hot and dry summers.

We live in Oregon and we have dry and hot summers too. Rain all winter and dry all summer. Oh that is great, I could start saving the bottles now, we always have those in the recycle bin. Great Idea, thanks. Isn't it funny we learn many things and USE that knowledge and pass it on! I am going to do a circle strwberry raised bed in honor of my great friend Elsie who passed away last year at 98. She taught me plenty and I always remember asking if I can go pick her berries from her circle strawberry bed! (some of the best summers were spent in her back yard!) Cool...

That is so sweet about the strawberries. I like the cosmos because my aunt always planted them. She always had the little cherry tomatoes (tommy toes is what she called them ) and she would plant these in the same bed with them. I was an adult before I realized they were called cosmos and not fairy wells, I plant flowers in honor of people that I know that have passed away.
You know I was thinking about it... If you took veggie cans and cut both the top and bottoms out of them and slit down the side you could achieve the same results as the 2 liter bottles except they would be sturdier. Also the base of the plant could be rounder as well, Lol hopefully it would not attract the crows... being so bright and all.

A remembrance garden it is then. For the here and gone! I need to start making a list. I now plan on making a great veggie garden and with some of your (bushg) great ideas, I will also make it a beautiful one. Plant some flowers around it too!
This is going to be great!!
Fairy Wells, how sweet!

WOW all the wonderful ideas!
Bushg, your garden sounds marvelous!

It's been cold and rainy here and I haven't been able to start anything yet.
There was a straight hour of rumbling noisy skys here a little while ago.
I can't ever remember hearing anything like it before, non stop thunder, cracking and rolling, there was no silence, I'm still amazed by it...
But all this rain should make the raised beds easier to mess with when it stops.

Start did you get your seeds?

Bushg, do you cover the top of your garden too with chicken wire?

Hi Ak, yes, lot's a good ideas. I haven't gotten my seeds yet! But I will. I promised myself I would do some big cleaning up the property before I do anything else, so in a bit I am going to git out there. Rain or shine, drab! Lol, that's OK, I can see it all coming together so I am excited! YOu know I will have to use chicken wire on top, the deer can jump right over a fence, they are pretty cool! I hope the weather clears up for you AK!

No because the squirrels only bother the tomatoes and not very much at that( maybe 2 or 3 with bite marks on them last year... with all of my animals and kids they fear my yard.

My fence is mostly to keep the dogs and cats out. My little boy dog would lift his leg on the veggies and the cats may be tempted to use the dirt for a litter box. They don't seem to like walking across the fence, because is sways under their weight, where we do not have post and we kept the post a few inches below the chicken wire so as not to encourage them to stand on the post. Plus the post are very thin.. not at all comfy to stand on.

Last year I grew carrots, beets, pickling cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes a couple of varietys and some beans, leaf lettuce and onions. But my garden is quite small. Last year at the back of the yard we tried to plant 2 rows of sweet corn... but something munched on them at night I suspect the local possums or coons. I put the pickling cucumbers on the outside of my fenced garden and and ran them up a fence that separates the yards. I have some oak racks from the rubbage of a wine store and put them in front to keep the little doggies at bay. These racks looks like little ladders and make perfect trellis if turned upright.

I have a friend that lives in Indiana and when she palnts her beans, okra, corn... she plants so close together that I can not understand how she gets such an abundant crop... but she does, her veggies look like grass growing that is how close they are planted together. Its like they make raised rows and just go down the line and fill with seeds there is no space in between each plant. She had some of the sweetest cherry tomatoes that I have ever tasted in my life, so she is doing something right.

My husband brought up a point to me today, so I checked into it and it seems as though I cannot have chicken wire due to a neighborhood ordinance against it.
You can have a garden out in the open in the backyard (which would absolutely not work for me due to animals) or in a mini greenhouse or you can also use flower and plant houses and racks.

But I came across this at Target and really think I'm going to do it this way.
It was called the Topsy Turvy Planter (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-5181388-1035004?ASIN=B0013HXOLQ&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B0013HXOLQ|Topsy_Turvy_Planter&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B0013HXOLQ&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001).
What do you think?
I could hang them right in my front yard in my flower gardens on flower posts where my hanging baskets would normally go.
I could actually pick some up tomorrow, stop by the nursery and get my plants and get started easily if this thing works.

I would say as long as you keep them watered no problem. You should ask the nursery which type of soil would work best. You would want the lightest weight possible... I would think.

It's too late for me to start from scratch, but the nurseries and greenhouses that I've been to around here for my flowers have beautiful fruit and veggie plants already started that I could get.

I probably have to think about some kind of caging too because of the squirrls...
How did you keep bugs off of them too?
(sevin dust)that will keep the bugs away. You can find it almost any garden center,walmart,Lowe's,home depot.works really good for me,make sure you wash or rinse your harvest before consuming. Best of luck to you,keep us posted.

If you want to go natural with your pesticides. I'm told that planting marigolds in with your veggies helps keeps bugs at bay and lady bugs eat other bugs. When I have problems I always have used my left over dish water and I have taken a water hose and sprayed the plants that are affected. I make sure to get the underside of the plant where the little buggers can hide. But as I said my garden is not that large.

OK, I have decided to go with seeds and start them when the time is right. They always worked for me before so I am not scared and know what to do from there. Corn, pumpkin, peas, peppers, and broccoli always seemed to do just fine from the beginning to end. I know tomatoes are a bit harder to get good starts, but I wonder about bell peppers and romaine lettuce? I have a bit of planning to do still. Clough, how about you are you going to get started? I am still so excited, there is much work to be done!

I found a way to plant radishes that most people don't know about -- I use a roll of 3/4 "

masking tape -- and stretch out a length of tape the length of a garden row -- sticky side

UP... Then I have a board about 4 foot long marked in 2" increments and stick a seed

Every 2 inches until the length is seeded... The next step requires two people -- one on each

End and walk it into garden stretch out your row -- cover with thin layer of dirt...

This may take time but the rewards are -- a perfect radish every 2 inches -- saves on

Seeds and don't have many radishes crowding each other for space... Another suggestion

Is planting time -- plant a row now -- plant a row later -- harvest crop two times

I also had a way of planting onion bulbs --- I have the garden tilled and decide

Where I want a row of onions... To plant onions I have a short fork that has 4

Tines -- I stick the fork in the ground and make holes for 4 onions -- now the

Tricky part is pushing a bulb -- roots down into the hole -- I do not cover the hole

But move 6 inches and repeat the process until the row is complete -- 4 rows in the

Space of one... The results will amaze you -- the onions pop out of the holes --

And by not compacting soil they grow better... Long healthy onions -- Good Luck

Hey biggsie, thanks, I forgot about radishes, I could do this in a small quantity too, I love radishes in my salad!:)
Thanks for the onion advice, appreciated, I would have packed the soil for sure!
Good luck this year!

Today I bought a jubilee tomato plant, red bell pepper, and a banana pepper plant.
LOL, yeah, just 3... figured I'll plant them before I get more, to see how I do... ya know...
Pictures tomorrow...
So proud of my little plants LOL

Bought more plants today.
Planting tomorrow :)
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Nice AK! Great, you got a head start, I am falling behind, hoping to catch up as the weather gets better! Just beautiful!

I told you this already start, but I'll type it out for everyone else reading.
I plan on making cloth bags to plant them in today and grow them upside down. I hope it works because all the bags I've seen people plant plants in were plastic.

Pictures of course! As soon as I'm done:D

I have the bags finished, tomatoes will go in tomorrow.

Do I need to have more than 1 of each plant...
In order for them to pollinate each other?

If so, I'm going to have to go back and buy more.
I was thinking small, "a one of each" kind of garden, but someone told me today that it won't work that way...

I made extra bags just in case for the vines.

I have decided to use the raised flower beds for the non vine plants.
And put some flowers in with them... hopefully I'll be able to get it all done.

I'll have to watch those pesky squirels...

Ohhhh goodness, I got all excited and haven't started a damn thing. Hold on, hold on, I know... I will I promise! I plan on getting out there this weekend...
I am still excited so this will be great. Anyone try your strawberries in a hanging planter yet? I am going to do that this year. AK, I will stay up and scope the pesky squirrels you get day duty I will take night!

Well don't feel bad start.
I got out there and cleared the flower beds only to find them infested with bugs.
I had to treat it, and then wait a week to plant.
It's been about a week so I need to get out there and plant.
I told myself that I was going to get it all done today.

I bought a hanging basket for my daughters strawberries.
It's one of the plastic kind instead of the moss ones that you usually see them in. I hope it doesn't matter LOL.

My poor plants, been living in their original containers, I need to plant them!

YAY!! Go Ak, you will get it all done, don't you worry! Go AK GO AK!!

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/category/vegetable

Garden lovers,you will love this link!;)

I just added it to my faves, thank you FIRMY!

There you go...
You can almost hear them already! :p

Thanks firm, I found an answer to something I wasn't sure about.
That's a great link and I'll be visiting it often.

Well ladies I'm off to finish this house and plant!
Have a great day!

AK, you go and get it done, I am on my way to get my stuff done then when we have more than 5 minutes of NO RAIN, I will venture out to the field. Gosh! :)
That really is a great link Firmy!

I am glad to be of assistance...
Always.;)

Loved your pic Kae,can hardly wait to see what your gardens will look when they are ready for picking.

I got one of the flower garden beds completely done today.
Tomorrow I will work on the other one.

I am soooo happy for you AK! That is wonderful, so proud of you!

Don't laugh hehe.
I still need to finish another one and get my tomatoes in a bag.
This is hard work! Hopefully it will grow and not look so pitiful.
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It will grow, and Ak, I don't think it looks pitiful! I love that you have gotten a great start! :) Nice job!

Aw thanks start.
When I was thinking garden, I had a different vision in my mind LOL.
I'm just impatient you know... I want to see big fruit and veggies on those plants.:D

How is everyone doing with the gardens? I haven't started but we will be getting it together real soon. I can't wait. I may have to go a little smaller than originally planned, but I am OK with that. Ak, how is it going now? How are your hangy thingy's?
I am going to do hanging baskets for my strawberries! They are so pretty and yummy. ;)
Can't wait to hear if anybody's gardens are being started and the new things they are trying!

I can't believe how fast everything grows.
I have 5 little green cherry tomatoes on my cherry tomato plant already.
I think it was Saturday, I took 3 of my tomato plants out of the hangy bags and planted them in containers cause they didn't look so good.
The plants looked so good today and grew so much and have several blooms on them that I decided to take all the others out of the bags and plant them in containers too, so that's what I did today.
When you grow things upside down, they will still grow toward the sun, so... I'm hoping that these plants will straighten back up.
Now that they are planted right side up, the plant is curving down... hard to explain, but so far so good, everything in my garden seems to be going well.

I did plant watermellons... which I don't really have room for, but well see how it goes. They may not make it, but I wanted to give it a try.

Nice Ak... look at you!!
I can't wait to get started onmy garden, some day soon I hope!
I am so happy for you, funny how you learn things on the way...

HiYa!
Start, did you get started on anything yet?
All my plants, except for one tomato vine, has loads of baby fruit and veggies on them!! The tomatoes and green peppers have the biggest ones on them right now, oh and the strawberries are full and red and pretty.
I saw on the weather station that your weather has been HOT!
Hope you've been enjoying it!

I would love to see pics AK...
Yes our weather has been hot, a little overcast and a few rain drops today.
As for me and my garden, WE all have agreed to start it late, we really need to get this place under control before we start a big project, so I have decided to maybe go small and wait till next year to go big. I will let you know when I am going to buy starts instead of seeds.;)
Glad your stuff is growin' you know that makes me smile big!!

I don't know about everyone else... but I was hoping you guys might have some pics. Of these gardens in full harvest mode??

About time now.. or even past time... yes?

All sounded so nice!

Let me know... MARK

The book Square Foot Gardening gives a lot of tips on growing stuff for newbies. Also Organic Gardening magazine or the Crockett's Victory Garden book series. I started helping my Dad with his actual Victory Garden. Around here broccoli is usually started from seed indoors--don't cover seed it needs light to sprout--they can go out while you still have light frosts. The idea is to get them going before those green caterpillars are hatching to chew holes in them.

My plants were eaten by I think squirrels, They sheared every leaf off my tomatoe plants not one but eight plants. I was so angry. I love animals but I really threatened to do harm to them. We had a dry spell and I watered the plants( never thought to set out a bowl of water for the wild animals) and when I went outside to my little garden the next day. Not a leaf was left, there stood stems and nothing else on them, one even had a few baby tomatoes:( Yesterday I planted more, with a little dash of pepper on them).

A few weeks back something did my Marigolds the same way, I accused my husband of getting the weed eater to close to them( he hates marigolds) so now I know it was the squirrels. I thought I was squirrel proof because I have four cats...

If they eat these I guess I will be off to the farmers market, thankfully they haven't touched my peppers or cucumbers.

Awww, so sorry bushg... poor you and your veggies! (and marigolds)
Massplumber, I wish I could say my garden is complete and ready to harvest. We haven't had a summer yet, nor have I found the time to do a garden. I think I set my goals way to high as I htought we would get this place in tip top shape. We haven't done a darn thing yet. I am pretty sure it will take all winter long to get it all together and then make the beds. I have a special spot that may take a tractor to clear. I want a garden so bad, I miss it terribly. Poor me and my busy schedule.

I'll post some pics for you all...
Bushg I'm so sorry to hear that! How awful, I would have cried!
Start, maybe next year sweet...

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Sorry to hear about your garden bG.


Start,don't worry too much,everything in its own time.

Kae,
Love your garden,wow! Beautiful.Great job!

I liked the first pic you posted,I was going to ask you if I could borrow that pic to use it as my avatar:),but you should use it in your av pic!
(all the photos are beautifully shot too).

My mouth is watering at the thoughts of those cukes.
Some fried green toatoes would not be bad either.
The color is awesome in those pics.

Thanks Firmy! You're welcome to any pic you want:D
I hope you're doing good, haven't talked to you in a while.

Edit, and thanks Bushg!

Startover.. sorry to hear that! My garden is only 10' x 8' and not too many plants... but I did get it started... will see from there.

Bushg... that stinks.. :(

My neighbor (professional landscaper) uses the BASIL PLANT to keep squirrels away from his tomatoes. I can't say from experience but he told us that he doesn't use any pesticides AT ALL... just the basil... and his tomatoes are beautiful.

Anyway, we planted tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and then surrounded them every 12" with basil plants like he does. We have wayyy to many squirrrels in the city here... will keep you guys posted on how we make out this year.

And AKaeTrue... great pics... I appreciate you posting them... gives me confidence that I can succeed with mine. The summer squash looks incredible!

Hey, I'll post a pic. Of my small garden when I'm up and running.. see how that basil worked out... ;)

Good day all... MARK

.

Mass thanks for the tip, I will get me a few basil plants... This is the first year that I have had a problem, so I am a bit shocked.

Let me know if it helps, will you... I am amazed at how nice my neighbor's plants were... *crossing fingers* this helps!

Hi Mark and thanks.

Mine are no pesticides as well.
I've been putting a little Dawn dish detergent in a lawn sprayer
Full of water and I give my plants a good spray every 1 or 2 days for bugs.

I haven't had a problem with the squirrels bothering anything except the strawberries... sooo we planted
Some strawberry plants just for them on the opposite side of the yard than the garden along with a squirrel feeder. This has worked real good so far.

I'll have to try the basil thing too for extra protection! Thanks for the tip.

AKaeTrue:

And your tomatoes look like they are doing great... I will keep the Dawn DW soap in my plans here as well.

Neat idea about strawberries/squirrel feeder.. will look into that.

Thanks again.

Just in case you do try it, it's the original blue Dawn:).
I haven't tested the ultras or the smell good ones to know if they work or not

Will do... Thanks... :)

My tomatoes appreciate it!

I am going to give you a garden update.
A few weeks ago we had a huge storm that laid my little garden over... well it survived that and my tomatoes were beautiful and loaded on some of the vines.
I checked on them almost every day talking and petting the leaves... silly I know but I like to touch the leaves they smell so good. .
My cucumbers are blooming and have teeny small cukes and are climbing up the fence. I have 1 huge brocolli growing (my sons).

The bad news is This past Monday I went to check on my garden and someone had stolen all of my tomatoes... every last one of them. They went through 2 different gates to get to them.. I have an inkling who it was but will never be able to prove it. I had a few cherry tomatoes survive they were planted among some flowering sweet peas and I guess he did not see them.

My neighbors peach tree was picked bare last summer and the summer before all of her mums were stolen but we tracked them to his yard. Yes he had the nerve to pluck them and put them in pots and stick them in his flower bed.
We have a neighborhood thief and he always seems to get away with it or at least for the past 30+ years.

I've been bumed out all week by this... I guess I will go visit the farmers market, but on a good note my neighbor offered me some of hers. :)

Ohhhhh ou guys are doing so well, I am so jealous!
bushg, don't you worry, you could put up an electric fence and then see if he tries it again?? LOL Just kidding as much as you may want to, this could get you into some real trouble... Sorry I just had to say it...
When I was a teenager, my friend and I used to steal a handful of snap peas from a garden down the street, believe me, if there were an electric fence, I wouldn't have dared!! :):)

Kids would have been one thing but this old man is a trip.. hes even been in jail a few times and is banned from most stores. Maybe I should feel sorry for him but I'm not that nice.
I would like to have a little cattle prod and prod him all the way back up the street.

I was guilty of it back in the day when I was a kid, of taking corn, potatoes, etc... from my gramps garden or from my friends gramps garden then we would have a big cook out down by the creek.
1/2 cooked food was the best.

I understand completely... all that hard work. Sorry sweet bushg... ;)

Bush, I'm sorry you have a thief in your neighborhood!
A person should not have to robber-proof their gardens in their own yard.
Putting the electric fence is a good idea.
You could always say it's to keep the animals out;) .
Or a pad/key lock on the gate doors, if that's possible, might work too.

The lock and key wow that is a good idea... the one I suspect is probably late 60's early 70's I don't think he could climb the fence... I would not do electric becuas eI have too amny animals and also I would not want it to harm squirrels or birds..

I say keep the "prodder thingy" in close view so you can stake out the place and catch him red handed!! :):):)

I want to use the prodder thighy as well lol. I would love to see him skipping up the street with a little jolt of electricity to his butt.

We have a group called citizens on patrol, my neighbor reported my tomatoes being stolen, I really don't thik they can do anything about it, they only walk the neighborhood until 9 pm, I'm sure my thief works between 1 and 5 am. I saw him steal a landscape tie at 1 am, my husband saw him rushing up the street a few years back with a huge pot of flowers around 4 am. The police say if they don't get a report of theft on such items maybe he was out visitng friends and they gave them to him... yeah right.

On a lighter note I got 2 nice cucumbers from my garden, diced them and put them in ranch dressing... they were yummy.

OK guys, it is that time of year again. I bought my seeds, they are going in dirt tomorrow... I am going to get a fence around the two huge raised beds, and one medium size one made just for strawberries... wish me luck and fill me in on anything new you all are doing... I miss this great thread!
I also got some gigantic sunflowers for along the fence line... can I start those indoors first or are they best to be in the dirt they are going to live in for the rest of their lives?
If you are starting yer garden... GOOD LUCK!