You don't need lots of space to grow herbs and vegetables. At Sunset's headquarters, test-garden coordinator Bud Stuckey planted this organic vegetable garden in four raised beds, each 4 feet square and made of 2-by-6 composite lumber called Trex.
Before planting, he double-dug all beds, turning the soil to a depth of about 22 inches, then amended it with compost. Here's what we grew and liked.
QUADRANT 1: 'Blue Lake' bush beans, lettuce (dark red leaf, 'Red Grand Rapids', and dark 'Lollo Rosso' ― located in the shade of the beans' obelisk to prevent bolting), 'Bolero Nantes' carrots (between the lettuce plants), and peppers ('Golden Summer', 'Ariane', and 'Purple Beauty').
QUADRANT 2: 'Celebrity' and 'Early Girl' tomatoes, 'Dark Opal' basil, 'Long Red Cayenne' peppers, 'Sun Gold' cherry tomato, and sweet basil.
QUADRANT 3: 'Ambassador' zucchini, Japanese eggplant, 'Orange Bell' peppers, and sweet basil.
QUADRANT 4: Mostly herbs. Chives, English thyme, golden lemon thyme, parsley (triple curled and Italian), nonbolting rau ram (Vietnamese cilantro), savory, and a few 'Inferno' peppers. 'Blue Horizon' ageratum and white sweet alyssum surround the bed.
Seeds and seedlings
You can buy seedlings of many vegetables at nurseries. Or order seeds by mail; the following companies sell seeds of healthful fruit and vegetable varieties.
1 comment:
I love this simple garden! Thanks for the great tips. I will be following you this spring. My garden was tough last summer. I'd love for you to follow my blog at www.greencitygardengirl.blogspot.com
Also, if you're interested there is a sweet book out called Simple Pleasures of the Garden: Stories, Recipes & Crafts from the Abundant Earth that migh be right up your alley. You can read it for FREE at www.libertary.com
If you like it, please post of link of it on your website. I'd love for more garden blogs to include it. Let me know what you think. Here's the link if interested: http://www.libertary.com/book/simple-pleasures-of-the-garden
Thanks for great garden content!
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