Author: Sarah

The New Garden: Getting Closer To Being Done
Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

The New Garden: Getting Closer To Being Done

Sarah

In parts one and two, I wrote about building the new garden. Part 3 was about creating a Hugelkultur Raised Bed style. In April, I also discussed my planning.

The real work waited: moving in the soil and filling the beds. The truth is, I had to do a fence before this; had we not had one up, it would have been far faster. But that is the price one pays for having some of the first beds planted and growing, and keeping deer out.

Peas and Bok Choy.

Middle of September. The first beds were filled, and three of the beds were being used to grow food.

14 cubic yards delivered from Maryland, just across the river from us. A rich blend of mushroom compost garden bed soil. It is from a Mennonite-run nursery.

Slowly, the beds are being filled, one Gorilla cart load at a time.

There were good rains this week, which helped the soil settle into the branches below, and showed us which beds needed more soil.

We also pulled all the 5-gallon grow bags out of storage and filled them. They will be ready in the spring to start planting. But also as a backup for soil. I don’t want to leave the soil leftover, sitting out on the lawn, where it will go to waste. Better to fill up bags and have them ready to use.

When I bought this raised bed kit on sale for just $100, I didn’t think about its size. I almost didn’t have enough room, but then we tried it out in front of the gate – and it fit in nicely, and still allowed access to the other beds. The trellis is quite high. But it is bolted to the bed frames for durability. It wasn’t too hard to put together overall. Our youngest son has built all 16 beds.

These are deeper than the other beds. So we added plenty of wood.

And on the other side. Better to do this and let it slowly develop into rich soil.

As the work winds down.

Side angle view. The final beds need soil added.

If you are wondering why I chose raised beds for this new garden, there are a few reasons.

One, we have groundhogs here, and I don’t need them digging up the ground.

Two, I am not getting any younger. It’s okay to want to do less actual work. Build once, top off the soil every year or two. Don’t deal with tons of yearly work.

Three, I appreciate the lower maintenance and ease of gardening, which allows me to continue my other hobbies, such as camping and hiking. I don’t have to till the land over and over, nor spend days weeding with a hoe when it is 80* out.

Four: We have numerous rock seams on our land. It is more work to figure out where to put everything and deal with the seams that are hidden under a thin layer of topsoil. It is also farther away from the house.

But the biggest reason is planting density. It uses less water and produces good crops using square foot gardening.

~Sarah

September In The Garden
Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

September In The Garden

Sarah

Summer slips into fall. Well, maybe eventually.

Eastern Black Swallowtail in caterpillar form, eating my Lovage plant. They eventually chewed it down to a nub, then left town, but by the end of the month, it had started to recover.

The chive plant started from seed this spring.

Pea shoots are just starting.

After a good rain, they doubled and tripled in size.

Strawberries.

Merlot Lettuce starts. I grew all the lettuce from seed in August.

Mesclun Lettuce.

Marshmallow herb.

Bok Choy starts. Also grown from seed.

Dual crop Red Raspberry. We got it planted in what will become the raspberry bed, and it shot up so much growth quickly in September, still producing ripe berries almost daily in September.

Eating the first fall crop.

Seeds coming up.

Three of the beds are in full production. Byu the last two days of September we finished filling all the beds.

I think a Buckeye? Happily, on the basil plants.

The second crop of peas is starting to come up.

Transplanted more Swiss chard and kale.

Filling in the strawberry bed with a few herbs.

Mid-September roses. On the 29th, there was still one rose that had just opened.

Sun setting on September 14th.

Herb garden lush.

I had planted a Pineapple Sage in early summer, and while it grew, it struggled where it had been. Once moved to the garden, it finally started flowering. At the end of the month, the entire plant is in full bloom.

Veggies growing.

On the 28th.

The plants have become lush.

The 14th raised bed was filled on the 28th. We added a dual double raised bed at the gate, which was filled on the 29th. My goal had been to have the beds filled before the cool weather arrived, so that we would be ready for an early spring next year.

September is winding down. It rained heavily for a couple of days, promoting growth. The nights are still warm, in the 60s, and the days are in the high 70s to mid-80s.

When we first moved here in late March, I had wondered when I would get a garden built. I am glad I forced myself to push both myself and the kids till we got it done. I feel like it is more my home now.

~Sarah

Fall Planting Schedule For Grow Zone 7a
Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

Fall Planting Schedule For Grow Zone 7a

Sarah

Fall showed up this week on the calendar in the Eastern Panhandle, but not in the weather. We did get rain, which is essential, after a long, dry August and most of September. It’ll be a while till sweater season. The nighttime temps are still warm, which has encouraged my fall crops that I planted in August. So that is a good thing.

Bush peas, dwarf peas, and bok choy. The other side of the bed has kale and swiss chard growing.

But what do you need to be planning now? What seeds do you need? Fall gets busy, so you need to plan before September is done.

The first “average” frost date for grow zone 7a is October 29th, but where I live in 25442, it is October 19th.

You want crops to have time to get established before there is a risk of frost. Garlic should be planted three to four weeks before the first frost, which is very soon.

The other is tomorrow, we slip to 12 hours of light. Plants need as much light as possible. Even if it is warm, without enough hours of sunlight, they don’t grow well.

What To Plant In The Next Two Months:

Seeds (plant as soon as possible):

  • Dwarf bok choy
  • Dwarf kale
  • Radishes
  • Dwarf lettuces
  • Arugula
  • Small carrot varieties – this is the time for the tiny finger ones, not the arm-length ones.
  • Beets – look for fast-growing types, but you can always eat the greens
  • Spinach
  • Green Onions

You will notice I use “dwarf” often. Why? They are smaller plants and grow to maturity faster. Will you get as big a crop? No, but that is ok! You will enjoy fall greens and crisp vegetables. And that is always better than not planting anything.

Other:

Potatoes. I learned a lesson this first year here – you can grow spring potatoes. But not summer ones, unless they are in the ground. I literally cooked my potatoes this summer, trying for a second crop. I was used to that working back in the PNW. I planted a crop in mid-September, and we shall see how it goes. Sometimes fall crops are ready for harvest; if not, they emerge in very early spring, for an early harvest.

Bulbs:

Elephant Garlic – It can go into the ground at any point from now. Give each bulb 8″ between and a wide row, so it has room to grow. It will grow tall, so plan accordingly to avoid shading lower crops. As the first frost approaches, mulch to protect.

Garlic – plant in the ground 3 to 4 weeks before the first frost, allowing it time to develop roots. You can buy garlic at farmers’ markets, garden centers, online, or, if not easily available, you can buy garlic from the grocery store to plant. However, only buy certified organic so it isn’t sprayed with growth retardants. Before first frost mulch well to protect over winter.

Shallots – pick up bulbs to plant; usually, you can divide them into two separate bulbs. A trick is to buy at the grocery store. Like garlic, make sure it is US-grown and certified organic to avoid the use of growth retardants. Not all varieties can be grown from true seed, so using the bulbs is far easier (especially for fall planting). Plant just below the surface, let it sprout, then mulch to protect it in winter.

Protect Against Frost:

It’s also time to consider protecting late summer/fall crops if necessary. Last year, I had picked up this set of grow tunnel hoops for spring, but then I didn’t open them due to the move. I got them assembled quickly and into a finished bed. Now I can put on frost fabric or plastic quickly. To keep certain things warm.

In action:

Enjoy the time outside before the cold weather arrives. And get the work done as soon as you can.

~Sarah

Trespassers Will Be Composted
Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

Trespassers Will Be Composted

Sarah

Last fall, I saw a cute sign at a local plant nursery, but it was so expensive I nearly blanched.

I was wandering through Amazon, rotting in bed, when I saw this one:

It was twice the size and perhaps not as rustic-looking, but it was an affordable luxury that I treated myself to. At $9, I was pleased to find that when it arrived, it was in perfect new condition, and it is well-made, of metal, not plastic. The only downside is that the 4 punch holes on it are on the tiny side, so you will need to pick up skinny zip ties. I was out, so I used a metal wire to hold it to our fence.

~Sarah

Going To A Native Plant Sale
Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

Going To A Native Plant Sale

Sarah

With our move at the end of March, I missed out on having anywhere ready to plant in the spring. But with fall looming, I was ready.

While this plant sale wasn’t for West Virginia – it was held in Northern Virginia, let’s be real: Until 1863, it was part of Virginia. So a lot of plants/animals are the same here, on this side of WV. And I am not too picky. I had no idea what I would find, so I was a little shocked to see so many medicinal herbs native to the area when I got to the sale.

This opened up a lot for me, knowing I could add to the herb beds.

It was held outside of Leesburg, in Loudoun County, VA. Loudon County goes all the way to the state boundary with West Virginia. It is an easy drive out of the Shenandoah Valley and over the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is where the Appalachian Trail (AT) runs across. Northern Virginia is beautiful, with a lot of it rural, full of horse farms and wineries.

I had seen the event through Yellow House Natives, a nursery in Berryville, VA. I bought quite a few plants from them – they were packed, so I didn’t get a photograph of their booth. Andrea, who was volunteering, was SO much help answering my many questions.

It was held at a park, and the place was well set up. It was sunny, though, and very warm.

The other side. Talks were going on, booths were set up, and even a food truck was making lattes.

I picked up a couple of plants from Seven Bends Nursery. They are also located in Berryville, VA.

Hill Houe Farm & Nursery got my money as well. They are located farther down in Virginia, so it’s a great option to have close by for shopping when they travel to sell.

So what did I pick up? Here are some of my finds:

Dicentra – which is also native on the West Coast, but I love its delicate flowers in spring – and I am going to let it overwinter, then put it in down at the creek.

Mountain Mint. I will also plant this down at the creek in the spring. It has a very strong smell, almost menthol. If you crush and bub the leaves on your body, it can naturally repel mosquitoes.

Virginia Bergamot (Bee Balm) is native to the mountains here, and makes a great herbal tea, as well as a pollinator friend.

Spicebush, which I paid…gasp…$45 for. It will be winter here, so I will either bury it deep in the ground or get a jumbo grow bag. I have time. If I prune it, it can stay there for years. The leaves and berries are edible.

Boneset. I went back and put a trellis around it. I have wanted a plant of it for a long time, and happily snagged it. Boneset was traditionally used as an infusion when dealing with fevers.

I also picked up more flowers and wild strawberries. Which left me happy and planting it all.

~Sarah