Garden 2011

Suffered a bit during shutdown. But yield is still decent. And plants, fruits beautiful as always. One of my good friends was adamant in this design concept: one does not need a big space to produce big yield. Our long-term goal is to be working example of this. Years provide iterative lessons and some things drop away and some things are further tuned. I am such that I like to go with what my surroundings can support and sustain; I won't bust my ass to grow something that doesn't want to grow around me. No going to store to buy all kinds of nutrient or special this or that. Grow brother grow and I won't get on your case or give you an unwanted neighbor. The garden is made of cast off buckthorn and scrap lumber. Enrichment (which was very necessary and is ongoing) is achieved by amending with compost from our home operation and from some neighbors' kitchens. Most water is caught via downspouts. Many perennial flowers and herbs, of which some are edible and some can be dried for tea. Hummingbirds, big fat moths, butterflys like these plants. And they can please the human eye. What I need to work on most is drinking beer in the presence of all this, seated and relaxed, enjoying it all. I mean to redouble my efforts on that.

What works around here:
Perennial crops that need be just left alone:
Raspberries (patch coming along okay)
Bluberries (just a novelty patch)
Grapes (favorite plants in the world)
Rhubarb
Black Walnuts

Other:
Tomatoes (all started from seed in garage)
Peppers (all started from seed in garage)
Beets (second favorite in world)
Lettuce (speckled trout lettuce is best variety for our plot)

What doesn't work around here:
Squash (too sprawling)
Pumpkins (too sprawling)
Potatoes (too sprawling)
Carrots (continual failure so gave up)
Monopa Spinach (won't germinate well)

We did cheat a bit and grow some zuke, squash, potatoes out at a friend's place.