Yesterday, one of my favorite bloggers, Amanda Soule (aka Soulemama) announced a new feature on her site. “This Week in My Garden” is a periodic update on what’s growing that week in photos and notes. Since I am still a beginner gardener, I thought it would be fun and helpful to follow along and compare notes. Welcome to our tiny garden . . .

IMGarden05222013_1We have two 4 x 4 wooden raised beds, with a small wooden box for lettuce, a whiskey barrel planter full of poppies, and a few smaller pots with herbs (cilantro, basil, and dill). I bought dirt from a company in my town, and was told it was suitable for growing vegetables. But since I am trying to grow organically, I am a bit worried about the plastic pieces and small bits of trash I’ve found in it. Next time, I will get my dirt from a more reputable source because I’ve since learned that all dirt is not equal and having good soil is one of the most important parts of organic gardening. I added compost this year and fertilize with a diluted fish emulsion every few weeks.

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IMGarden05222013_4This year, I am trying to grow broccoli and kale (which I started from seed) for the first time. They still look pretty puny but they are hanging in there.

IMGarden05222013_5In the second raised bed I planted sugar snap pea and beet seeds. The sugar snap peas are doing well, but I accidentally “weeded” the beat seeds because I forgot I already planted them (whoops!). I just replanted them last weekend. I bought some really fun cucumber and tomato varieties at the Southside Community Land Trust Plant Sale this year.  I am most excited about the Husk Cherry, a small, sweet fruit that looks like a tiny tomatillo. I plan to put those four in their own containers, but since I haven’t gotten around to that yet, I left them inside the fence so little rabbits won’t nibble them down like they did last year. I think I could be using the space more efficiently, so I expect to pick up some more vegetables over the next few weeks, and maybe plant more lettuce in these raised beds.

IMGarden05222013_6We also have an area for strawberries and rhubarb. I think I planted the rhubarb too close to the rock. It’s over two years old and they stalks still haven’t been big enough to harvest. Those alpine strawberries are so pretty and tiny and taste like Skittles! It’s always a race to get the ripe berries before the birds and squirrels.

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