It was a really busy Saturday as we built our raised cedar beds (four 4x4), filled them with local, organic compost, planted seeds and the plants we started indoors about 6 weeks ago.
In an approximate 20ftx20ft area of our backyard we planted:
• 6 green beans
• 6 tomatoes (paste, heirloom, cherry)
• 3 okra
• 1 zucchini
• 2 cucumber
• 1 rainbow bell pepper
• 3 red pepper
• 2 winter squash
• 1 acron squash
• 2 baby watermelon
• 1 pie pumpkin
• couple basil plants
• 2 small, sweet red peppers
• kale
In my vertical garden are wildflowers and herbs:
• oregano
• parsley
• lemon balm
• stevia
• spinach
• cilantro
• dill
• chives
Mixed in with flowers in the front and side garden beds are rhubarb, blueberries, strawberries, currents, lettuce, chard, chamomile, echinacea, and snow peas. We used organic compost in all of our landscaping so that we could add vegetables and fruits in with the flowers and bushes.
I have maximized every bit of garden space I have to get as much food as possible on a 1/4 acre of land while still looking beautiful and presentable in a subdivision.
If you didn't get a head start and plant your own seeds, don't worry, you can still start a garden with well-established plants that you can buy for a local, organic nursery. This year, and last, I bought mine at Marvin's Organic Gardens in Lebanon, Ohio (about an hours drive from Kentucky). They have a wonderful selection, great prices ($3-$5 per plant) and have beautiful grounds—well worth the hours drive for a great garden!
To put it into perspective, you may spend $5/pound on good organic tomatoes when you can get a plant for $5, grow your own, and get a plentiful harvest for the whole summer. Even if you just grow a few favorites in containers, it's well worth the money and time spent to grow your own food.
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