My Kitchen Garden, Part 2

I've been spending a lot of time outside in the garden. It's been about 7 weeks since I sowed the first seeds and set out the first plants. Below are pictures of the garden about 3 weeks after initial planting.

My "gardening Bible" recommends dividing the garden into sections according to the category of plant to be grown there. For example, the above picture represents Group 4--Legumes, annual herbs and flowers. Here we have growing string beans, peas, and sugar snap peas. Also still incubating below ground are nasturtiums.

Now we have Group 3--Potatoes and the Cucumber Family. The three hills show seedlings of pumpkin, zucchini, and crook-neck yellow squash. Also in the back are three pepper plants, oregano, and chives.

Group 2--Root vegetables, is really a sorry sight at this stage. You can't hardly see anything growing, although there are some picked over (by the birds) onions. Carrots, dill, parsely, sweet william, and cosmos are all planted but not yet sprouted.

Finally, Group 1 (my favorite)--Brassicas and tomatoes. In the foreground are three different varieties of tomatoes, Big Boy, Roma, and Grape. Broccoli, radishes, spinach, arugula, lettuce, asters, and cosmos are all in varying stages of germination and sprouting.

The idea of planting in these groups is so that you grow vegetables together that are good for each other. They deter harmful insects, discourage disease, and require the same things from the soil. Next year I will rotate the position of the groups in the garden. Group 1 will move to the section where Group 2 is this year. Group 2 will move to Group 3 position, Group 3 to Group 4 position, and Group 4 to Group 1 position. In this way the soil throughout the whole garden will not be depleted and diseases to a particular group will not infect next year's crop.

The following pictures were taken today and show the progress over the last 4 weeks. During this time I also planted basil plants in Groups 1 and 4 and two sage plants in Group 3. I've planted succession rows of lettuce, carrots, and string beans, as well as additional flowers along the borders of the garden. It's been a challenge keeping the weeds down because of the neglect of the garden space over the last five years, but with pulling and hoeing and mulching, I'm making some good progress there.

Pretty big difference, no? We'll see what growth and change the next few weeks bring, changes that will hopefully include some harvesting!