World Plant a Veggie Garden Day

Tomorrow is World Plant a Veggie Garden Day - I'm not sure who comes up with these "days" but they are fun. I've been wanting to put in some raised beds and grow some veggies for years! But time has eluded me and our yard decided to take on a mind of it's own!

Enter Captivity.



When we were all given the stay at home order and I got laid off my job, I suddenly had time. But being the old person I am (well, can't blame age - the seriously out of shape person I am), the whole project overwhelmed me! So I took our 10,000 square feet and broke it into zones A - K - little blocks of projects. And guess what zone A was? Some raised beds!

It took some time to get the ground cleared and worked. My husband pulled out some boards he already had and we started putting them out. Thanks to my neighbor Eric, the ground got tilled - and thanks to his friend Theo, the beds were built in minutes! Wowza! Eric went and picked up the dirt and Dennis and I spread it.

No plants in it, but there I stood, hands on hips, admiring this gorgeous planting space. Before I chose the spot I actually did a light study to make sure there was enough sun. But oops - I forgot the giant tree would leaf out so it's a little shadier than I wanted. The plants seem to be doing well, but we'll need to cut a few branches.

So here is my veggie garden as of yesterday. I go out there every day and enjoy the birds singing and just sit and look at what will become fresh food in a few weeks.

Beans, peas, zucchini, 2 kinds of culinary lavender, cucs and eggplant

Cilantro, two kinds of basil, chard, three kinds of peppers, three kinds of potatoes

Zone B was where I had been doing my container gardening. One I didn't need pots for tomatoes and cucs - I planted spinach, horseradish and garlic in them. And the wheel barrow was buried in the ivy and bamboo. Pulled that baby out and planted beets! Just look at them. The raspberries have been there (in a container to, yep, contain them) for several years, and they are loaded!

Beets in a barrel

Look at all those little fruits!

Check out this box. It's an old bottle box I got at a yard sale a few years ago. Never really know what I'd do with it, but now I do! It sits on the deck along with some of my herb plants for easy pickings - Lettuce! Three kinds!

So get inspired. Go get some pots or build a raised bed. Plant some veggies and plant. It's cathartic to play in the dirt - the sounds of nature are relaxing - and without the sounds of the TV or the radio, it's meditative to just sit and be still.

So what are you going to plant?
(Share in the comments - would love to hear about your successes!)