What are you harvesting now?

[blessed2Bmama]

We have been able to eat some of our fresh-from-the-garden broccoli and our peas are starting to mature enough to be picked! Our tomatoes are growing and we have little green peppers, too! I'm getting so excited to start canning and freezing our fresh produce!!!

[shauna]

I have only been able to harvest some of the herbs in my little planter. Here in the north, the growing season starts so late - and I started most of my plants from seed, so that takes longer too.

I would LOVE to have a large full vegetable garden, but I don't have a good full-sun place to put one. I have to settle for a "patio garden" on my deck. Luckily, we have a very large lower deck that is in full sun (the former owners used it to house a very large hot-tub!) that has become my "patio garden". I've got 4 tomato plants, 3 jalapeno plants, 9 bush bean plants (both green and wax) and 5 colored pepper plants. Everything is in containers. In addition, I have a herb garden on the side with my "perenial herbs" (currently just chives and lavender) and a herb planter with basil, cilantro and thyme.

I'm very excited this year, because the yield is looking good. This is the most successful I've been at vegetable gardening and I'm hoping to expand next year. I have a 3 year goal of reaching the point that I can grow and can or freeze enough vegetables to go from one harvest to the next. I'm starting small this year, experimenting with various ways to "container garden" and plan out ways to expand next year with more plants and more variety.

My yard backs up to about a mile of dense woods, so unless we clear out trees (too expensive) I am nearly in ALL SHADE in the back, except for the deck the previous owners built to house their spa. I could care less about a spa - but I'm sure glad I have the full-sun deck for container gardening! Plus, the wood is better to container-garden on rather than cement, as cement can absorb and radiate too much heat, frying your plants!

Shauna

[Paula]

I have started my first garden this year. I'm just using containers due to space limitations and I'm so excited!

The only things I've harvested so far are a couple of green peppers. I have planted tomatoes (6), green peppers (9), cucumbers (2), lavender, and dill. It's not a lot, but enough for a first year. Also, pots are expensive! I really should garage sale more than I do. I had to buy pots new and so I'm not sure I'm cutting even this year.

I think I've lost my dill, though. It's tall and spindly with yellow flowers up at the top, and the stems are turning brown. I may just cut it all the way back and see if it comes back - unless it's too late. Does anyone know?

I really like the fact that with container gardening, the weeding is minimal!

[Katie]

Paula, I'm no expert but it sounds like your dill has "done its thing". Since it has flowered, it is putting all its energy into producing seed. I *think* if you had cut it way back before it produced flowers you may have gotten a second round. You could save the seeds and use them next year tho! Just be sure to let them dry thoroughly.

This is our first year with our raised bed garden. We're doing the square foot gardening thing. I have to admit it is so pretty and tidy looking! I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing it. In that garden we have: 4 regular tomato plants, 3 cherry tomato plants, peas, bush beans, carrots, chives, onion, garlic, broccoli, lettuce, radishes and some flowers tossed in for fun. (Dahlias, blanket flower, marigolds, zinnias.) Actually the marigolds are supposed to keep those nasty moths away from the broccoli, but it seems they aren't quite up to the task.

My herb garden is coming along nicely. I have: spearmint, peppermint, lemon balm, cilantro, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, bee balm, tarragon, fennel, more chives, echinacea and of course, lavender.

We also have flowers, esp for dd2. Painted daisies, regular daisies, poppies, monkshood, tulips, irises, glads, sunflowers, pansies & johnny jump-ups, coreopsis, columbine, hollyhock, more dahlias, flax, one rose bush. A couple of peonies are waiting to get in the ground.

I'm rather obsessed with gardening! It is so hard to stay inside these days! Since we're so far north, the only thing we've been able to harvest so far is the radishes. First round of lettuce should be ready this week tho!

[shauna]

Paula - you and I are both experimenting with a container garden this year it looks like! I'm pretty happy with mine, although I'm going to post a separate question about my jalapenos....

Anyway, with regards to conainer gardening on a budget: I'm in the SAME boat! I really wanted fresh home grown vegetables this year, but with dh unemployed, I really can't justify the money to sink into containers... so - I recycled a bunch of stuff I found in the garage!

I found some large, white buckets that dh has saved from drywall compound that were washed out. I had him drill 4 holes into the bottoms, then lined the bottom with 2 layers of rocks before filling with dirt so that I'd have good drainaige. I also had several empty containers from previous years' hanging baskets that I had saved.... I just took off the "hangers" and also lined them with rocks before filling with dirt. I also found, at Walmart, that I could get a rectangular planter cheaper than 2 round planters. So I have a few of those, and put 2 bush bean plants in each one, spread as far apart as I could get them. So far, this seems to be working as I am getting beans.. so they must not be too crowded.

Some of my containers don't "look pretty" but they are functional. I bet if you dig in your garage or storage, or at your parents house, you could find some containers to save for next year... just be sure to drill drainage holes in the bottom before filling!

Shauna