Tips for Planning the Spring Garden........

[boggybranch]

.....from Organic Gardening . Really liked the idea of "Think Outside the Rectangle".

http://www.organicgardening.com/fea...owingatoz-_-plan_a_beautiful_vegetable_garden

 

[lesa]

Nice article, boggy! Nice to lose myself in the thought of spring planting, with the temps in the single digits here! I do plant most of my veggies in rows- but I mix them up, with flowers. None of my flower beds are rectangular. I love the more natural forms. I also seem to end up with some variation of kidney shaped! I have a flower garden in front of my rows of veggies, so the view is softened. I must say the basil I planted in various gardens did way better than what I planted in the rows in the veggie garden... Think spring!

 

[vfem]

Awesome... I am going to share this with hubby as we're planning the new garden this year. How exciting!!!

He's all about function, and I want some design aspects to it.

 

[digitS']

Yes, I am mostly about function, too. But, I'd like some design elements - especially in the yard here around the house.

I often look out my south window and try to think how that little area could be an outdoor "room." It just doesn't quite come to me - there are too few square feet! It is almost a room since it is mostly "walled in" on 3 sides by the house, greenhouse and the neighbor's fence. Hardscaping is all I can think of - okay, how does replacing the lawn improve design. . .

Garden rooms and vistas seem to work just fine for large properties. I had a garden at one time in the back part of 1 3/4 acres. The landscaped part of these folk's yard was attractive but it ended at what they called the "gully." The lower part of that ground wasn't really part of their property. By law, it belonged to the state since it wasn't far above the highwater mark of the river - which was the southern property line.

On the other side of the gully was 1/4 acre that was completely neglected - until I got there . For 7 years, I had a vegetable garden on that level, triangular piece of ground. The river was at a cast-able distance from the garden .

The ground was entirely in beds by the 4th year but since it was triangular - there were 3 triangles along one side so that things would fit. It was fun!

The folks grew old, developed serious health problems and ultimately sold the property. Once again, the new owner does absolutely nothing with that triangular 1/4 acre! I mean, I was just a guest but I darn near built a bridge over that gully. And, it would have been an attractive bridge, with just a little design element to it!

Now I'm once again back to level rectangles and using every square foot efficiently. Oh, there's 1 triangle under the trees at 1 garden. I try to keep it attractive and growing colorful mixes of lettuce helps me do that.

Anyway, thanks BoggyB - the article gave me a chance to reflect back on a challenging piece of ground that really required me to place design over function, at least, a little bit.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Inspiring article Boggy, thanks! Sigh.. I always start the season with a Martha Stewart vision of my veg beds, but my reality is 4x20 rectangles that I'm "raising" by adding lots of humus to every year.It would be so fun to make the veg garden pretty! I'm pretty happy right now if I can keep everything reasonably tidy.
I do have a "room" garden that I built a couple of years ago. I took over a patch of lawn on the south side of the house about 16x24 and enclosed it on 3 sides with a picket fence. It's still not finished as I change plants out and rearrange. Even though I have other garden areas and beds this one is more personal and makes a nice spot to have a quiet chat, or read or doze. I know it doesn't really qualify because it's not a veg garden (but it could be!)
Here's a view of it, a work in progress...

oh...

 

[obsessed]

Thislebroom absolutely goresous.

 

[digitS']

Ha! LOL

Thistlebloom, you have to understand that beneath O's enthusiastic (and somewhat random choice of) spelling, her well-intentioned meanings are at 100%!

Steve
who has gotten himself in trouble in the past with interjections like this one

 

[lesa]

Thistle- is there anything more beautiful than a garden surrounded by a picket fence?? Just lovely! Would love to see more pics....

 

[ninnymary]

O.K....just make the rest of us jealous with gardens like that! Oh, to dream of having that much space (sigh). Picket fences are so charming surrounded by flowers.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

I am fortunate and blessed to have so much space to garden in, and I am grateful . Per Lesa's request here's another:

. Not a lot of garden action there...

Steve, I was called Flower Bag by a little boy once. I took it as a compliment. Although I suppose he could have meant Flour Bag, in reference to my figure?