Get Your Summer Garden Started: Planting Tips and Progress Updates

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Discussion Overview

This thread centers around participants sharing their experiences and progress with summer gardening, including the types of plants they are growing and the challenges they face. Many contributors discuss their planting activities, while others reflect on their gardening successes and failures.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, shared their excitement about starting their garden, having planted various tomato and pepper plants, along with herbs in planters.
  • Another participant mentioned that their gardening efforts were hindered by a shed being placed in their garden area, impacting their ability to grow vegetables and flowers this year.
  • Several users reflected on their past gardening experiences, with one noting that they primarily grew weeds but had a resilient yellow squash plant returning this year.
  • One participant expressed a lack of gardening skills, humorously stating they have a "black thumb" and struggle to differentiate between weeds and vegetables.
  • Another participant shared their husband's gardening prowess, highlighting the variety of plants they have grown, including tomatoes and peppers.
  • Some participants discussed their planting lists, which included a wide range of vegetables and herbs, with one noting they had already started growing wildflowers and sunflowers.
  • One participant humorously mentioned their inability to keep even air plants alive, while another shared their admiration for their partner's gardening skills.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ among participants regarding their gardening abilities and experiences, with no clear consensus on the effectiveness of their gardening efforts.

Contextual Notes

Participants shared a variety of personal gardening experiences, reflecting different levels of expertise and success. The thread captures a range of emotions from excitement to humor about gardening challenges.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers within the consultant community who are interested in gardening, whether as beginners or experienced gardeners, may find the shared experiences relatable and engaging.

DD and I planted cucumbers, peppers, cilantro, basil,oregeno, parsley, rosemary squash and green beans.
We also planted some flowers.
 
Here's my garden (and my son)

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc293/lindachild/017.jpg
 
Wow Linda - huge garden! Nice...
 
Well I'm burnt to a crisp today!! We spent the whole weekend outside. My yard is really small so this year I planted:
Strawberries (to add to the one's I already had)
Tomatoe's (3 different kinds)
Tons and tons of different kinds of herbs
hot peppers plants

Redid two flower beds
planted a tree
6 planter boxes
 
Thanks Janet - I planted all of it last Monday - I was sore for 3 days! Thankfully DH has a tractor with a tiller so he takes care of the hard part, then he drove the golf cart through it to mark the rows...that is so much easier than the hoe!

I forgot, I also planted spinach, beets (red & yellow), radishes and shallots
 
That's more like a farm Linda then a household garden :)
 
rennea said:
That's more like a farm Linda then a household garden :)
Click to expand...
Yeah, I enjoy gardening and I tend to get carried away with my planting. The neighbors love it though!
 
No food crisis around your place that's for sure!! Good for you, I wish I had the land for a huge garden.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #39
pamperedlinda said:
Here's my garden (and my son)

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc293/lindachild/017.jpg
Click to expand...



Wow Linda! I can only dream of that type of real estate for my garden! But, I had to chuckle at your fence!

I have chicken wire all around mine to try keep out rabbits and other critters....don't think your fence would do the trick!:D

4 years ago, I grew 2 rows of the most beautiful looking sweet corn you've ever seen. I was giving DH a day by day update on when it would be ready to pick, and the day finally came! I walked out back to pick my corn, and there it all was, every single stalk broken and laying on the ground, and almost every ear had been partially shucked and eaten. NASTY RACCOONS! I CRIED :cry: :cry: :cry: , and then I called DH at work to tell him.....and he laughed at me! I was so angry, I almost didn't let him have any of the salvaged corn that evening for dinner!

Since then, I have refused to grow corn (can't handle that disappointment) and I put up a scarecrow, and a chicken wire fence. (I know it won't keep coons away, but it helps me psychologically.:rolleyes: )
 
You can't see it very well, but the fence is actually lined with field fence to keep the dogs in. The garden is in the corner so we put up some extra field fence around the garden to keep the dogs out of it.

I know how you feel about the corn. I grew corn 2 years ago and didn't realize it until it was too late that the Japanese Beetles ruined it. I was devastated - it didn't seem to bother DH too much. It was silver queen corn too - the best!
 
Linda,
My DH would love your garden spot. He wants a big garden. This yr DH (not me) planted 8 tomato plants, 1 row of lettuce, 2 rows white onions, and 1 row of green onions. The only thing I care about are the tomatoes. We are thinking about doing peppers in the back by the fence. We also have rubarb that came with the house.:yuck:
 
pamperedlinda said:
Thanks Janet - I planted all of it last Monday - I was sore for 3 days! Thankfully DH has a tractor with a tiller so he takes care of the hard part, then he drove the golf cart through it to mark the rows...that is so much easier than the hoe!

I forgot, I also planted spinach, beets (red & yellow), radishes and shallots
Click to expand...

Okay, are you related to Martha Stweart?!?!?!?!

Amazing garden or should I say what an amazing mini-farm! How cool is that?
 
Kitchen Diva said:
Okay, are you related to Martha Stweart?!?!?!?!

Amazing garden or should I say what an amazing mini-farm! How cool is that?
Click to expand...
I love channeling my inner-Martha! (except for the whole jail thing) LOL
:chef:
 
pamperedlinda said:
You can't see it very well, but the fence is actually lined with field fence to keep the dogs in. The garden is in the corner so we put up some extra field fence around the garden to keep the dogs out of it.

I know how you feel about the corn. I grew corn 2 years ago and didn't realize it until it was too late that the Japanese Beetles ruined it. I was devastated - it didn't seem to bother DH too much. It was silver queen corn too - the best!
Click to expand...

I could see the lining in the picture. I first caught by seeing it in the bottom right corner of the picture. Then when you look closer you can see the rest.
 
janetupnorth said:
I could see the lining in the picture. I first caught by seeing it in the bottom right corner of the picture. Then when you look closer you can see the rest.
Click to expand...
That is actually a tomato cage that we haven't installed yet. Instead of tying-up the tomatoes we make tomato cages with field fence and cut holes around it to get at the tomatoes. It's so much easier than constantly tying the tomatoes, just keep as much of the plant in the cage and all is good. Now, if they get too big, you might have to tie them some. You do have to steak down the cage though. I'll get a close-up picture if you want to see it better. These cages work well with other plants too (peppers).
 
pamperedlinda said:
That is actually a tomato cage that we haven't installed yet. Instead of tying-up the tomatoes we make tomato cages with field fence and cut holes around it to get at the tomatoes. It's so much easier than constantly tying the tomatoes, just keep as much of the plant in the cage and all is good. Now, if they get too big, you might have to tie them some. You do have to steak down the cage though. I'll get a close-up picture if you want to see it better. These cages work well with other plants too (peppers).
Click to expand...

Sure, I'd love to see it...I have some of that in a pile from when we had a few chicken and it would be great to reuse it!
 
Wow Linda, you are quite the gardener!
I had big plans to try to plant some veggies this year, but haven't had the time yet. I wish I'd have inherited my mom & grandma's green thumbs they have, but I'm not as good! I love to plant flowers too. This new house of ours has nothing planted around it, so I've got some work to do!
 
Tomato CagesHere's the pictures:

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc293/lindachild/001-2.jpg

close-up of the holes:

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc293/lindachild/002.jpg


another hole (look towards the bottom half of the plant)

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc293/lindachild/003.jpg

You need to stagger the holes and have several of them so that you can reach inside and get the tomatoes. Put the cage on the tomato plants before they start filling out, it's easier to get the cage over the plant w/o breaking it. Also, when you cut the wires, don't cut them flush with the hole - cut the wire longer and bend it back, otherwise you might scrape your arm on the wire and have a long gash that goes from the inside of your upper arm all the way to your wrist (wanna now how I know that :o ouch!)
 
  • Thread starter
  • #49
Hey Linda!

I see the wire now! Guess I should have looked closer!:o

I use tomato cages too - so much easier than having to tie them up.

I didn't have enough for all of my tomato plants this year though - but at the Memorial Day Parade (which passes right by our house!) the local Hardware Store (where I used to be the Housewares buyer!) was passing out great coupons, so I snagged a couple, and as soon as the brownies are out of the oven, I am going to go buy some more cages, plus I want one of those attachments for a water hose that is an expandable sprayer.....I've decided I NEED one!:D

Then, home to finish the garden, and make potato salad (again - mine is famous!) and then head over to my BIL & SIL's for Hamburgers on the grill, and to see their new lambs!
 
  • Thread starter
  • #50
Jennie4PC said:
Linda,
My DH would love your garden spot. He wants a big garden. This yr DH (not me) planted 8 tomato plants, 1 row of lettuce, 2 rows white onions, and 1 row of green onions. The only thing I care about are the tomatoes. We are thinking about doing peppers in the back by the fence. We also have rubarb that came with the house.:yuck:
Click to expand...


Oh - how lucky you are! If you need ideas for using the rhubarb, let me know - it really is so very yummy!
 
I'd share pictures, but I rarely take pictures of anything--no digital camera, and too lazy to do the whole getting-film-developed thing.
 
I live in a small townhouse, so i really don't have much room. I have a tiny gardenia bush, some calla lillies, petunias, pansys and for the first year I planted Nasturcians (sp?) so we'll see how that goes!

Also have a pot of Cherry Tomatos, cilantro and basil! Yum! That's all I could fit on my porch this year though! Maybe next year we will have a REAL HOUSE!
 
I went a little crazy this year and planted roses. Hybrid teas, known for their neediness, especially in MN. So we will see how I do with those. Also, tomatoes, lots of herbs, and plenty of annuals.
 
Don't know how I missed this thread......We do a big garden every year because we sell eggs and vegies at our local farmers market. It's long so beware

Okra red & green (20)
blue lake beans (20 now stagger planting)
yellow wax beans (20 now stagger planting)
Sugar snap peas
snow peas
Sweet peppers (7 different varieties, 20ish plants)
hot peppers (6 different varieties, 15 plants)
Lemon cucumbers (9)
Armenian (SP) cucumbers (9)
Japanese cucumbers (6)
Reg. cucumbers (3)
Japanese eggplant (9 3 varieties white, pink, purple)
globe eggplant (6)
Bianca eggplant (6)
Plus 2 more varieties I am spacing right now.
Cabbage red and green (24)
Tomotillos (1 this year so I can make my green salsa. I love it)
Tomatoes:
Sun sugar (2 orange cherry)
red cherry
black cherry
snow white cherry
black plum (mini black roma)
early girl (2)
early stripy
beef steak (2)
celebirty (SP)
Old german
Pinapple (white beefsteak)
green zebra (yellow tomatoe w/ green stripes)
Black beef steak
black prince
roma
brandy wine
yellow brandy wine
yellow jubilee
golden something can't remember
Morgage lifter

There's a few more, but can't remember 25 total

Squash: If you haven't noticed I am big on variety.
Spaghetti squash (6)
Pumpkins 8 varieties (12)
Zuc. (yellow, dark green, grey, jade, dark round, yellow round, light green round, Italian stripe) 4 of each going in stages
crookneck (6)
straight neck (3)
white scallop (4)
butter scallop (3)
Patty pans (dark green, light green, Yellow) 3 of each

Strawberries
Blackberries (on the river bank)
Rhubarb (just planted and it says I can't use the first crop, sick of not finding it in the stores when I wanted to make pie)

Cilantro
sweet basil
reg basil
cinamon basil

Melons
Watermelon (5 varieties sugar baby, striped, orange inside, yellow doll, pink lady)
Honey dew
Casaba
Sharalyn
crane melon
Banana Melon
cantalope (best melon you ever tasted)
spanish melon

If I got everything this is it. I would say 80% is planted. Some of the plants are staggard in planting due to the demand at the market. Summer squash is hard to sell at the begining because everyone has it except the different varieties. Then at the end I can never keep enough when people let their plants go. Since I teach this is my summer income, but it teaches my son a lot since we grow our own vegies and raise our own chicken eggs (we don't eat our chickens our neighbors do).
garlic chives
 
Oh yeah forgot green leaf lettuce
spinach
Just enough for the fam, too hot to try and grow for the market
I didn't include our fruit trees.
 
I think I love you Amanda! Wish you lived closer to me (I wouldn't eat your chickens though).
 
Ooh...that reminds me...I did plant some asparagus last year...I just remembered where! Yikes - I might have pulled it as a weed this year! We'll see if it comes up!
 
Last edited:
  • Thread starter
  • #58
pamperedalf said:
We do a big garden every year because we sell eggs and vegies at our local farmers market. It's long so beware

Okra red & green (20)
blue lake beans (20 now stagger planting)
yellow wax beans (20 now stagger planting)
Sugar snap peas
snow peas
Sweet peppers (7 different varieties, 20ish plants)
hot peppers (6 different varieties, 15 plants)
Lemon cucumbers (9)
Armenian (SP) cucumbers (9)
Japanese cucumbers (6)
Reg. cucumbers (3)
Japanese eggplant (9 3 varieties white, pink, purple)
globe eggplant (6)
Bianca eggplant (6)
Plus 2 more varieties I am spacing right now.
Cabbage red and green (24)
Tomotillos (1 this year so I can make my green salsa. I love it)
Tomatoes:
Sun sugar (2 orange cherry)
red cherry
black cherry
snow white cherry
black plum (mini black roma)
early girl (2)
early stripy
beef steak (2)
celebirty (SP)
Old german
Pinapple (white beefsteak)
green zebra (yellow tomatoe w/ green stripes)
Black beef steak
black prince
roma
brandy wine
yellow brandy wine
yellow jubilee
golden something can't remember
Morgage lifter

There's a few more, but can't remember 25 total

Squash: If you haven't noticed I am big on variety.
Spaghetti squash (6)
Pumpkins 8 varieties (12)
Zuc. (yellow, dark green, grey, jade, dark round, yellow round, light green round, Italian stripe) 4 of each going in stages
crookneck (6)
straight neck (3)
white scallop (4)
butter scallop (3)
Patty pans (dark green, light green, Yellow) 3 of each

Strawberries
Blackberries (on the river bank)
Rhubarb (just planted and it says I can't use the first crop, sick of not finding it in the stores when I wanted to make pie)

Cilantro
sweet basil
reg basil
cinamon basil

Melons
Watermelon (5 varieties sugar baby, striped, orange inside, yellow doll, pink lady)
Honey dew
Casaba
Sharalyn
crane melon
Banana Melon
cantalope (best melon you ever tasted)
spanish melon

If I got everything this is it. I would say 80% is planted. Some of the plants are staggard in planting due to the demand at the market. Summer squash is hard to sell at the begining because everyone has it except the different varieties. Then at the end I can never keep enough when people let their plants go. Since I teach this is my summer income, but it teaches my son a lot since we grow our own vegies and raise our own chicken eggs (we don't eat our chickens our neighbors do).
garlic chives
Click to expand...

Having a garden like that would be my dream! but we would have to move out of town and into the country to do it.....I'd love it, but not sure DH would go for it. I've always thought it would be so rewarding to be able to set up at a Farmers Market, and plant enough in veggies and fruit to not have to buy them! Of course, our growing season is probably WAY shorter than yours!

And the rhubarb - that's exactly why I planted rhubarb.....but I did use it the first year. I wonder why you aren't supposed to?
 
ChefBeckyD said:
Having a garden like that would be my dream! but we would have to move out of town and into the country to do it.....I'd love it, but not sure DH would go for it. I've always thought it would be so rewarding to be able to set up at a Farmers Market, and plant enough in veggies and fruit to not have to buy them! Of course, our growing season is probably WAY shorter than yours!

And the rhubarb - that's exactly why I planted rhubarb.....but I did use it the first year. I wonder why you aren't supposed to?
Click to expand...


Don't harvest rhubarb the year it is planted. Only a few stalks should be taken the second year. This is important to let the plants become well established before harvest stress is imposed. An established planting can be harvested for about eight weeks, beginning as soon as the stalks are large enough to use --- harvest only the largest stalks ( 1/2 to 1 inch diameter).
 
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  • #60
janetupnorth said:
Don't harvest rhubarb the year it is planted. Only a few stalks should be taken the second year. This is important to let the plants become well established before harvest stress is imposed. An established planting can be harvested for about eight weeks, beginning as soon as the stalks are large enough to use --- harvest only the largest stalks ( 1/2 to 1 inch diameter).
Click to expand...

Interesting.....it hasn't seemed to have much impact on mine....It's doing really well! :confused:
 
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