Comments on: Lessons Learned from my Ugly Garden!

By: Amelia Sprout

Amelia Sprout — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 02:50:04 +0000

I lived in Maryland for two years and grew the most enormous basil plants you have ever seen there. I think there is something about the humidity.

I hope this year’s goes well. We went all vertical for our garden when we finally got one in. I did 4×4 square containers on the the yard, so I knew exactly what the soil was like. Last year, 7 foot tall tomatoes.

By: sandra

sandra — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 08:23:38 +0000

Gardening is great. We moved my mother to live in town with us 3 years ago and one of the best parts is her overflowing garden. With gooseberries, currants, salad, herbs, raspberries ripe right now. It is the reason I can cook, because when you need to find something to do with a ton of veggies, you’re forced to be creative.

One note on the home garden though..which I thought of when seeing your picture. I read a great article in the boston globe several yeara ago about toxins in urban soils. Heavy metals stay in soil forever. Lead is the most common as paint from old houses gets in the soil.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2008/08/11/lead_may_lurk_in_backyard_gardens/

So, plant that garden, but get your soil checked for contamination first or move it away from your house.

By: Gardening Advice | Winter Gardening | Indoor Gardening

Gardening Advice | Winter Gardening | Indoor Gardening — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:09:11 +0000

Congratulations on a very beautiful garden. It looks awesome. I’m glad you spent time out in the garden instead of the TV, especially with your toddler. Good job!

By: roni

roni — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:10:19 +0000

Valerie – I’m SO sorry I missed your question! The pots are big, you can kind of see them in this picture…
http://greenlitebites.com/2008/06/22/lemon-sage-chicken-packs/

By: Cara

Cara — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:05:32 +0000

Your garden looks beautiful–just like a garden should. I call them organized chaos because once those plants start growing, they spread everywhere. When we lived in apartments, I always had a vegetable garden in contaners.

Now we have a home and we have fruit trees, grapes, and vegetables and I am in heaven even when the harvests are smaller in drought years.

You’re teaching your toddler such a great lesson and he will carry it with him throughout his life.

By: Zoey

Zoey — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:13:56 +0000

Hi Roni,

Your vegetables are beautiful!

I am growing a garden for the first time this year too and it is a lot of fun. Unfortunately I got a late start so I don’t have anything ready to eat yet.

After seeing your pictures I am going to try for cherry tomatoes next year.

By: roni

roni — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:32:08 +0000

Thanks everyone! I’m loving the garden!

Bev – Yup – totally organic. It’s just top soil and seedlings. :~)

By: Bev

Bev — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:35:55 +0000

Is it organic ? Do you use compost? Ryan will learn so much from this :)

By: kyree90

kyree90 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:17:01 +0000

I’d love to have a garden of my own … but living in Flagstaff, AZ, the ground is too rocky for that. Besides, I don’t have a green thumb, either. I tried to grow a tomato plant one summer, in a pot on the deck, and it died without bearing any fruit. :P (I think it got too cold at night for the poor thing.)

My parents had one when I was growing up, and I loved the tomatoes and zucchini … and corn and green beans.

By: Janice

Janice — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:02:50 +0000

Roni, Your garden rules! I need to get a garden started next year. No more excuses.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:37:19 +0000

When I lived with my parents, my dad and I always had a garden. There is nothing better than corn straight from the garden. Squash is easy to grow. One tip I have is to plant marigolds near your garden. They naturally repel bugs, are pretty, and really compliment the coloring of tomatoes.

Thanks for showing us a picture of your garden. Your tomatoes look beautiful!

I’ll probably start my garden next year. We’ve been trying to get our yard under control, and I am flower crazy, so we’ve been focusing on flowers.

By: Virginia Claus

Virginia Claus — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:02:50 +0000

So exciting! I just started a blog about living locally and I’ve been posting recipes etc… I can’t wait to do my garden next year. You may want to look into “Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholomew. He takes alot of the “grunt work” out of gardening and shows you how to lay out a raised bed garden.

Love your blog and recipes!
Virginia

By: Valerie

Valerie — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:01:24 +0000

What size containers did you use that first year? I really want to do some containers next summer but have no idea where to start… I had tomato plants and bell pepper plants in hand one day at Home Depot and The Spousal Unit told me we’d go back for them. Hasn’t happened yet and it’s August… He just doesn’t want to deal with it… lol

By: Christy

Christy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:00:21 +0000

Congratulations on the garden and veggies. I wish that I had the chance to plant a garden. We live in a three story apartment building (in Germany) and we have very little grass outside our building. On day though…we will have a house and yard of our own.

By: Havana

Havana — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:21:25 +0000

Roni, you are such an inspiration. :) Everytime my friends complain about trying to lose weight or saving money via home cooking, I tell them to go to your site. You made ME fall in love with cooking for other people!

But this post lifted my optimism! I’ve been entertaining the notion of trying to grow my own veggies but I, too, have killed every houseplant I’ve ever had. I want to grow them for precisely the same reasons you love it. What are some tips for the total amateur? Could you perhaps make a post about it sometime in the near future?

By: MizFit

MizFit — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:28:57 +0000

thats some pretty impressive fruits o’labor!

love,
Mrs. Black Thumb

By: roni

roni — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 02:42:47 +0000

Thanks guys!

Michelle – That’s a good question! I never thought about planting in the winter months. I’ll have to do some research!

By: Tom Aarons

Tom Aarons — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:29:57 +0000

What beautiful veggies. That’s really inspirational!

By: Suzy

Suzy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:11:41 +0000

This year I have my second *successful* garden. Still… I managed to kill my zucchini plant after it had only produced 2 zucchini… ~sigh~ Still learning! :)

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:27:28 +0000

This year was the first year I planted a “real” garden and I loved it! Now I’m trying to figure out what and when to plant for the “cool” weather. I know you live on the other side of the country, so we’ll have different planting times…but I was wondering if you will be planting anything for the fall/winter months?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:02:47 +0000

Yaaay! I’m so happy you a) have a garden, b) eat — as a family — the food from it, and c) got so many beautiful veggies from it!

Local food is a cause that’s dear to my heart, so I fully support you. I don’t know if you’ve read it (and I doubt you have the time lol) but Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is all about her and her family’s decision to move to a farm and, for one year, eat only what they could produce or procure locally. Fascinating stuff. :) Toddler’s adorable, as always!