I challenge you to grow some...

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Just bought a house and there is a 3-4 foot deep garden surrounding our rather large deck.  Unfortuneatly the previous owners uprooted and took most of the stuff with them.  They did leave us with a rosemary plant and a pepper plant.  The rosemary is thriving through the winter, not so much for the pepper plant.  I had planned to bring that in for the winter but forgot.  Any suggestions on what to plant in the northeast? I may give tomatoes a shot next year, this year getting used to cutting a lawn again each week will be enough.

[Mafoota]

Last time I grew my own I ened up with a criminal record

[rketterman]

Just bought a house and there is a 3-4 foot deep garden surrounding our rather large deck.  Unfortuneatly the previous owners uprooted and took most of the stuff with them.  They did leave us with a rosemary plant and a pepper plant.  The rosemary is thriving through the winter, not so much for the pepper plant.  I had planned to bring that in for the winter but forgot.  Any suggestions on what to plant in the northeast? I may give tomatoes a shot next year, this year getting used to cutting a lawn again each week will be enough.

 

It looks like I'll be moving by the end of summer so my wish for a nice garden is going to be out.  We're going to try to find  a place with a decent yard so we can have an even bigger and better one next year.  at least thats what I'm hoping for.  For now I'll be growing some herbs, greens, and maybe cherry tomatoes...maybe.

 

Last time I grew my own I ened up with a criminal record

Lol...lets avoid these types of plants for this project.

[Katinka]

We're planning on putting in some raised beds this year, so hopefully I'll have lots of great vegetables and herbs. I'm also starting some from seeds, which I always kill and swear off, but I figure if they don't take I'll still have time to buy transplants in the spring. I'm planning on tomatoes, jalepeno peppers, basil, zucchini, mint, cilantro, and whatever else I can get my hands on that looks good. Last year I planted too late and my tomatoes weren't ready until October, so I'm hoping to do a little better this year

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

What's the deal with the raised beds, does it keep the critters out?

[cracked_belle]

I really wish I could. my friend gave me some rosemary, and I managed to kill it.

I've had (just in the last two years) a catcus, two aloe plants, and that rosemary all die. like seriously, I live in southern Louisiana where it's stupidly humid. how the frak did I kill a cactus??

[Katinka]

We're doing raised beds because the ground where we live is absolutely awful. It's new construction, and neighbors who have been there longer say that it took them 3+ years to get all the rocks out of their lawn, and from what I've seen of the area in general, all of the ground has lots of rocks in it once you go down 3 or 4 inches anyway. So for us, it's an easy, neat way to get good quality soil for our vegetables to grow in.

[minderly]

I just went from a 16 by 14 plot to a 3 by 9...so it's going to be difficult to grow the same variety as I did before. But challenge accepted...once it's season for each of my veggies that is!! I grow peas, beets, lettuce, cauliflower, toms, cucs, squash, eggplant, bellpeppers, and some herbs...I'll have to do less this year...maybe carrots, lettuce, beets and peas.

[RiotBricker]

Stopped reading after "Big Brother" which, unfortunately was in the first 25 words of the OP.

 

But I do intend to grow some herbs this year; basil, parsley and whatnot so: challenge accepted (I assume)

[Georges]

Stopped reading after "Big Brother" which, unfortunately was in the first 25 words of the OP.

Gosh I hope you meant "Big Business."  OP seems concerned with tasty, non-trucked flavor, not conspiracy theories.

[Twentythree]

Here's a way to grow 12(!) herbs in a tiny area, an herb spiral. I have done hundreds of these, in all sorts of soils, climates, etc. An easy afternoon to build, and depending on where you buy the plants, fairly cheap too. Minimal care, as the thing is designed and oriented to the sun in such a way that you literally care for it by turning one valve.

 

 

http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profiles/blogs/how-to-build-an-herb-spiral

 

If anyone wants some tips, PM me. I built 2 on sunday afternoon for some friends.

[Raincloak]

I really wish I could. my friend gave me some rosemary, and I managed to kill it.

I've had (just in the last two years) a catcus, two aloe plants, and that rosemary all die. like seriously, I live in southern Louisiana where it's stupidly humid. how the frak did I kill a cactus??

I think that one's easy to answer.  All three of those plants like to be dry, especially the cactus.  If they're too wet, they can rot or mildew.  Your poor desert dwellers probably died of the humidity.  Remember, TOO MUCH water is even worse than too little.  Get an orchid and some tillandsia (air plants), which love humidity, and everyone will be happy.

 

 

p.s.  Love that herb spiral, looks gorgeous!

 

For whoever wondered ... there are several reasons for raised beds.

 

1.  You can control the kind of soil that goes in it.  This is much much easier than improving the dirt in your entire yard, if you have crappy or polluted soil.  If you want to lay the hardware for automated watering or watering at the roots, you can do that with the beds and not have to tear out the whole yard.

 

2.  Putting borders in between "veggie" and "lawn" looks neater and helps you remember where you put things.  You'd be absolutely amazed how often gardeners forget where they planted what... well you would too, if you buried something and six weeks later it's turned into an anonymous little sprout that doesn't look like any of your package photos.  And the tendency of plants to crawl around, self-sow, produce suckers at random, and get dug up and moved by squirrels doesn't help.  My mother has gotten tulips sprouting in her tomato beds.

 

3.  Staking out a specific area also helps control weeds and conserve water.  For one thing, it marks the spot you specifically have to feed/weed/water/mulch (and you can let the rest of the lawn run wild).  If the bed is higher than the surrounding earth, the weeds have a slightly harder time crawling or floating or dropping seeds in.  It also puts a small obstacle in the way of slugs and animal pests (not a big obstacle, but with a bed it's easy to lay slug traps at the edges).

 

4.  Raised beds are way easier on the back.  Imagine if all your gardening was at table height, instead of on the ground.  Much less bending and squatting.  They can even make accessible beds for people in wheelchairs.

[Katinka]

Here's a way to grow 12(!) herbs in a tiny area, an herb spiral. I have done hundreds of these, in all sorts of soils, climates, etc. An easy afternoon to build, and depending on where you buy the plants, fairly cheap too. Minimal care, as the thing is designed and oriented to the sun in such a way that you literally care for it by turning one valve.

 

 

 

http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profiles/blogs/how-to-build-an-herb-spiral

 

If anyone wants some tips, PM me. I built 2 on sunday afternoon for some friends.

 

That is absolutely beautiful, Twentythree! It may have to be pushed back to next summer, since our landscaping/gardening budget is already pretty full this year, but I've already pinned it

[Twentythree]

I'm also interested in making some of these. I have a friend that's almost ready to take the leap......*hones persuasion skills*

http://www.appropedia.org/Bag_gardens

 

If you can't tell already, me likee gardens and food.

[rketterman]

Stopped reading after "Big Brother" which, unfortunately was in the first 25 words of the OP.

 

But I do intend to grow some herbs this year; basil, parsley and whatnot so: challenge accepted (I assume)

 

When I said big brother I didn't mean George Orwells '1984' Big Brother.  I meant we've become less dependent on ourselves and more dependent on other resources for our food much like a younger sibling may become dependent on an older sibling.  Why get tomatoes from a big box store that have been sprayed to make them "ripen" faster when you can grow a few yourself?  I'm wanting people to become less dependent on those other resources and more dependent on themselves. 

 

 

Gosh I hope you meant "Big Business."  OP seems concerned with tasty, non-trucked flavor, not conspiracy theories.

You would be correct with you're statement about tasty vs. conspiracy theories.  The quality of food you grow yourself or get at a farmers market even is generally better than what you can get at your local supermarket.  And like I said above it's also about dependence.  I think people have become so reliant on mega farms and factories that we've forgotten how to take care of ourselves and our families.  This is a generalization though and doesn't mean that everyone out there falls into this situation.  Many people do the best they can with what they've got.

 

I also realize that many people in this community follow a paleo diet and this is great for many of them because this will allow them to know more about where the foods come from and what has been used to take care of them.  Some people are ok with pesticides and other chemicals while others prefer more natural remedies for the same issues.  It's completely up to you what you choose. The vegetables can be grown as organic as they want (unless they want certifications...that might be an issue).

 

Twentythree-I've seen similar ideas to the bag garden you posted there but it just required you to buy a bag of soil and cut holes in it to put in your plants/seeds.  I like what you have there a little better.  Also I love the spiral.  I'll have to try that sometime.

[bloom]

I've already got radishes and onions in the ground. Potatoes are next...once I finally get out there and tear up the plot for them.

 

I've never, ever had luck with tomatoes and think I'm going to give up and try melons for summer instead.

 

For those who kill everything, try your hand at chives. I neglect them to the point of plant abuse, but they always grow. And I'm serious when I say abuse...I left some chives in a  dark garage for a month once without watering them and they still thrived despite me. And have some currently in a pot with drainage issues that got submerged in several inches of water and then froze over...and they're growing thick and tall now.

[Anduril]

Here's a way to grow 12(!) herbs in a tiny area, an herb spiral. I have done hundreds of these, in all sorts of soils, climates, etc. An easy afternoon to build, and depending on where you buy the plants, fairly cheap too. Minimal care, as the thing is designed and oriented to the sun in such a way that you literally care for it by turning one valve.

 

 

http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/profiles/blogs/how-to-build-an-herb-spiral

 

If anyone wants some tips, PM me. I built 2 on sunday afternoon for some friends.

 

This is gorgeous! I love the plans there too.

[Anduril]

I've spent the morning repotting my pineapple and aloe vera plants. Once I get them all done I'm going to start a packet of ruby chard seeds for along the front walk. It's much too cold to plant them out yet.

[rketterman]

I've heard you can grow a pineapple plant from the leftovers when you cut up a fresh pineapple but I've never tried it...successfully.  I may revisit that at some point.

[Vector]

This is good to see!

I'm in Tennessee, mild winter, vicious summer. We've managed salads all winter from our cold frames, and had probably 60# of tomatoes last summer. I've only been at this two years, it's a blast.

[BarefootViking]

Already started cleaning up outside and need to get more seed starting trays.  I have 'appropriated' some ground for garden space in the HOA's common area.  Need to find some new and cool things to grow.

[Fonzico]

I just found out we're moving to a house with a backyard in two weeks! We won't be allowed to put in a traditional garden, but there's tonnes of space for containers, plus some smaller beds. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm going to figure it out! I'm in canada, so I've got some time - we won't be frost free for another couple months

[Grizzy]

I might actually be living in a place where I'm allowed to garden this year, so I think it would be a lot of fun to join in! I already have a basil plant indoors. I want to try out tomatoes and spinach. Hopefully some squash and green beans as well, which my family has always had good luck with in their garden.

[Georges]

Got home from a weekend away and Mr.Georges let me know that our Spring Mix is germinating!    (It's on the porch right now, and we might not have greens until the snow is gone, but germination is my "first harbinger of Spring," and I'm looking forward to fresher-than-grocery food again!)

[rketterman]

I have some spring mix I'm going to plant.  I have a few small containers I'll be using for greens and herbs.  I'm not going to have the extensive garden I was hoping for but I can't pass up fresh herbs and lettuces.  I eat salads like crazy so it gets a bit expensive to buy sometimes.