Hello everyone π
I am so wonderfully excited that it is spring. Wonderfully isn’t even a good enough adjective to describe how excited I am.
I’m over the moon.
I. love. gardening. so. much.
I’ve not been as active on the blog lately and this is partly due to the fact that I’ve been spending all kinds of quality time with little green things…and the little brown things that they come from π
Little seedlingsπ±π±π± below (picture captions are still being glitchy).
Clockwise from left: radish sprout, hot pepper plants, radish and carrot sprouts, marshmallow, dill sprouts, tiny beets, and alllll the tomatoes.
I have done a lot, and I mean a lot of work on my garden. I’ve expanded it, which is a short phrase to describe a long and back breaking process associated with the relocation of S-O-D.
But you don’t want to hear about that.
**Just for the record, before I dive in. I’m in a zone 6, so planting usually doesn’t happen till memorial day/late May.Β
Crop Rotation
For a visual on my expansion and what I’m growing this year vs. last year check this out.
This β¬β¬β¬ is last year’s garden. Dimensions are about 12Γ13′.
(In an additional garden bed #8 by the house I grew sweet potatoes and marigolds.)
And I got bored of it.
I read in The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible: Discover Ed’s High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions, (by Edward C. Smith) that if you find you are bored with your garden, add more to it. Woo hoo!
So I did.
Here β¬β¬β¬ is this year’s garden plans. It measures 20Γ17′. New garden beds this year are #s 2, 3 and 7.
So the old beds that I rotated are #s 1, 4, and 6.
Confused yet?
Here is a better description:
Bed #β¬Β Β Β 2017β‘2018
- Corn β‘ cucumber, nasturtium, bush beans, carrots
- (New bed)
- (New bed)
- Tomatoes, marigolds β‘ cauliflower, dill, carrots, radishes, onions
- (Unchanged)
- borage, cosmos, thyme, basil β‘ borage, echinacea, marshmallow, bee balm
- (New bed)
- Β Sweet potatoes, marigolds β‘ spinach, strawberries.
Basically, it’s all about taking care of the nutrients in the soil so the plants grow better. And It’s also about planting the right things together so that they benefit each other.
I understand it’s mostly rotating the heavy feeders with the lighter feeders.
Companion Planting
And that’s crop rotation. But what about companion planting?
Companion planting is just planting things in the same bed or row that will benefit each other. Those plants are friends. They grow up together and make each other happy, either by keeping away pests, or giving each other nutrients or both.
Q: How did I implement companion planting this year?
A: Pretty much any way I knew how to.
Companions
Bed #β¬
- cucumbers & nasturtium. Bush beans & carrots.
- sweet potatoes & marigolds, onions & tomatoes.
- tomatoes, onions, hot peppers and basil all go together.
- Cauliflower & dill, carrots, radishes and onions. The onions area divider of sorts because dill and carrots do not go together.
- (Unchanged.)
- Most herbs go together, especially bee & butterfly friendly flowers. π π
- See above.
- Spinach & strawberries. π±π
Found some spinach randomly growing in the garden…didn’t want it there, so I picked it and ate some!
Got any garden plans? Do you have any fond memories of gardening as a child, teen (or even as an adult)?
What do you think of crop rotation and companion planting?
Wow, I’m learning so much!! I want to try to grow lavender on my balcony and maybe try to get a hold of some strawberries.
I’ve nominated you for the Light of the World Blogger award. It goes to bloggers who are shining the light on Christ and the gospel! Congrats!
https://nobledevotionblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/light-of-the-world-award/
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Sounds like a good plan! π If you can find someone growing strawberries, you might be able to get some from them for free. That’s how I got mine. They spread so much that sometimes people just want to be rid of them.
Thank-you for the nomination! I’m honored that you see my blog as shining a light on Him. It’s one thing I aim for..He’s the one that prompted me to come back to blogging and with His and other’s help I’ve been able to keep at it. Thank-you! I will have to check out the post again and visit the other blogs.
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π you are so welcome, Rachel!!! I’m so glad that God encouraged you to continue blogging. You truly do shine the light on Him. β€
There are so many amazing bloggers out there. I hope you find some that speak to you as they have to me. π
I know Grace has some strawberries, but otherwise I don't know anyone.
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Thank-you! I appreciate your encouragement so much ππ»
It is amazing how many awesome blogs are out there. It’s a bit daunting sometimes trying to keep up with all of them. Everybody has such great, uplifting and thought provoking posts!
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Yes, I totally know what you mean!
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I love to garden. I grew up on a farm, and we grew everything we ate. I didn’t like picking weeds hahaha I told my mom a few years ago, while I was weeding my garden that picking weeds made my childhood miserable hahaha. I haven’t been able to do a garden for the past few years. Logistically it wouldn’t work, as I am away some weeks for 3 to 4 days at a time. And you know you can’t leave those babies unattended for that long :):) Your babies are looking so pretty and healthy. What a blessing :):) Thanks for sharing your garden π
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Oh yes I have the same kind of gardening memories! Those weeds and that hot sun and the monotony…haha. But in the end, seeing the harvest and pretty flowers..such a good feeling. But I think it’s easier to appreciate as an adult π
I love my baby plants! It feels so odd to be so affectionate about plants but I don’t care haha. π±π±π±ππ
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I know what you mean. It was/is hard work but the reward is those wonderful gifts of yummy veggies. What a miracle to put a little seed into the dirt, keep the weeds out, and you have a plant, then a veggie that you can eat. It really is a miracle :):)
It’s not odd at all, it’s gratitude for the blessing from God :):)
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