Garden Planning

A little gardening inspiration

So, I've never really talked about this, but part of my job involves gardening. It normally doesn't, but I sort of volunteered myself for gardening services. Then, I applied and won a huge grant for said gardening services. So now, I have to perform said gardening services and do it well. I've been putting in a lot of hours gardening up a storm. I have access to a greenhouse. It's all pretty awesome.

But there's a lot I don't know. I've never gardened in a greenhouse, after all. Nor have I had land in which to grow a vegetable garden. I have that now, too. It's all a bit overwhelming, but I love it. I just wish I had more time to do it. In the summer, when work is a bit slower, I'll have more time to putter around and take my sweet time out there. As is, I'm putting about six extra hours of work a week into this project.

See? That's part of why A.P. took me to the Conservatory for our anniversary. So that I could get inspired for my own greenhouse. And inspired I got. This past Saturday, all I did was research gardening. It was awesome! I learned so much, and am excited to try out what I've learned, but I still have so much to learn.

So far, I am growing the following:

- Watermelons
- Corn
- Yellow and Green Summer Squash
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Green Zebra Tomatoes
- Carving Pumpkins
- Little Jack Pumpkins (the tiny ones you buy with your gourds each fall)
- Strawberries
- Cucumbers
- Various herbs
- Various flowers
- Mesclun Greens
- Four Seasons Lettuce

That's only what I've started inside. I'm also planning to grow some other veggies and sunflowers. It's going to be very interesting to see my successes and failures, but I keep telling everyone this is my trial year to see what we can do with the land/resources. Next year, I can learn from my mistakes.


Here are some interesting things I learned that I'm going to try out, as well as some photos of my seedlings. The seedlings are actually much, much bigger now. I will try and post updates, especially closer to summer.

How to Build a Cold Frame
How to Grow Lettuce in a Greenhouse
How to Turn Storage Containers into Self-Watering Tomato Planters
Hanging Gutter Garden

and the coolest one...the one I'm most definitely going to try to do this year:

How to Grow 100 pounds of potatoes in 4 Square Feet

And here are the seedlings...

Right after planting:


About one week later:



African Violet, right after watering:Boredom:


(Gardening Inspiration Photo via Pintrest)