Finally! I have a veggie garden!

This is so pointless I know. But I'm a (dare I say it) middle aged, woman and for my whole adult life I have longed for a veggie garden. My grandmother is smiling down at me, I just know it. Last year I bought a house in the country and this year, FINALLY, I planted my first ever veggie garden. I'm a little late for this area but I had trouble finding someone to dig up the tough grass and sod. I bought a Mantis but it was no match for the hard ground and the stringy grass. So I had to get help but it's done! I am so excited! It's 21x21 and I have a whole row of corn and 8 tomatoes, bush beans, okra, summer and winter squash, bell and hot peppers, watermelon, cantalope and pumpkins and eggplant. I'm sure I'll have questions and I know I'm going to have to fight the deer for every single bean I get but i just HAD to tell someone that I finally did it!

Of course we're supposed to have horrible storms tomorrow so I covered the most tender seedlings with pots. Hope this will protect them Sunday and Monday. I staked the tomatoes and peppers and I'm hoping for the best.

Forgive my childish enthusiasm but this is a really huge thing for me! Next spring...chickens!!!!!

Liza ~ congratulations on your successes. Please feel free to ask any questions you have. You will get more answers than you can shake a stick at... and when you get your chickens, the same is true on the poultry forum. Best wishes... pod

Congratulations! I know just how you feel... this is my second year growing vegetables, I just know my granddad would have been so proud of me. Every time I try something new, I wonder what he would have done. I'm growing lots of veggies he had in his garden, and always think of him, when harvesting.
One never appreciates how much they meant to you, until you are older. Such a pity...

I mentioned to my husband last week that I would love some chickens. He pretended not to hear, then when I mentioned this morning that I can actually hear some chickens when I'm in my garden, he replied that I can surely not be serious... (?!? what does he mean by that, I wonder... !?)
I have two metal chickens that I bought from a vendor, but I would so love to have the real thing. Imagine eating your own fresh eggs every so often...

Happy gardening,
Elsa

This message was edited May 2, 2010 5:58 PM

Liza, how exciting for you! Be sure to keep us posted!

lol deaf husbands...

Congratulations! Feel free to come here and be just as excited as you like, any time.

LizaMouse - I feel your enthusiasm! How great that you finally fulfilled a life-long dream. You have a great start this year. Check in with us often.

My own crystal ball tells me that you have chickens in your future :)

Congratulations Liza. I know just how you feel and I suspect you're going to feel the same excitement from now on. I wish you much beginner's luck. It certainly sounds like you're off to a great start and you've come to the right place for all the help you'll need.

Congratulations on your 1st garden, Liza -- beware, though, it can be extremely addictive!

It can also be frustrating at times, especially when planting in a new spot; don't be afraid to come here when the weeds and bugs are driving you crazy, it happens to everyone. Please keep us posted on how you're garden is doing and share photos if you can!

Sandy

Thanks everyone! I felt kind of foolish after I posted but I see I'm not alone in being so thrilled about a garden. I just keep staring at it. The heavy rain has passed so I uncovered the seedlings. There is a low spot on one end where water is pooling that I'll have to fill in. But other than that I got it pretty level.

Elsa, there's a website called backyardchickens.com. You should go there. Evidently chicken mania is sweeping the country. I just lurk as I'm only a wannabe chicken owner right now. But next spring I'm getting them. I promise myself that I will. Oh, and I have a big metal chicken too. Kinda pitiful aren't we?

I'm sure I'll fight the battle of the bugs and deer and armadillos and everything else. If I could've gotten the armadillos to dig where I wanted them to, I wouldn't have had to hire anyone. But they seem to dig close to the house for whatever reason.

I'll take some pictures once things get growing. Or...if things get growing.

Holly

P.S. My legs sure are sore!

congratulations on your very first arden. i felt the same when i started my first toooo many years ago. LOL i hope you don;t have trouble with the deer. they are the main reason why i now container garden on my deck.

Oh, no! You are not alone! I've been dancing with glee on this forum for the past several months. I've finally got my garden properly fenced and am soooo excited to finally get the proper veg garden going at last--I know just how you, LizaMouse and Elsa123 feel! There's nothing childish about it. This is the good life!

Congratulations on your first garden Holly! You have just embarked upon a wild adventure! Please share your successes (and failures - there will be some) with us! We love to hear stories and see pictures and help any way we can!

Have fun with it - that is the most important thing!

Kelly

Oh how exciting, Congratulations on your Veggie Garden. DG is the best place to learn how to grow a garden. Holly

This summer is definitely all for fun. I've already made up my mind that even if nothing does well this time, at least now there is a garden plot where there was just a bunch of grass and I can work with it from here on. I didn't get to do much preparation like composting, etc., so this is really an experiment. I'm not used to doing any kind of gardening in Louisiana. I had flowers in Tennessee but down here, everything is completely different. And of course, these are the history making first veggies anywhere.

At any rate, there will most surely be a battle with deer. I usually see the girls in groups of three or four either in my yard or hanging out at the horse farm next door. The biggest battle though is going to be with water. The yard can get really wet during the rainy months. Worms in the garden are a good sign. Crawfish in the garden...I dunno that that's a good thing. If it's too soggy this summer I thought I'd spend the winter adding "lasagna" layers and build it up into a raised garden.

I know worms mean you have good soil but I wonder, what do crawfish mean? 'Cause when it gets wet, I have tons of them. Maybe the crawfish are here to eat the worms?

Herbie, containers on my deck are not safe from predators...as you can see.

"At any rate, there will most surely be a battle with deer."

I have lots of deer here too, but they don't bother my garden. I have a scarecrow that I bought as a Halloween decoration a few years ago. It has a face and its arms and legs blow in the wind. Ever since I put it up the deer don't come by. Now if it only worked with the squirrels and other critters...

LizaMouse, Is that a donkey? My donkeys will run off deer. I struggled with converting our pasture to good veggie beds, etc. We have good soil but it is covered with *#$% bahia. The roots are a mile long! I have finally settled on rototilling to break it up and then lasagne beds on top. It is slow going but it works!

bolino, That is some scarecrow!

I've got some of those scarecrows. I'm addicted to Halloween decorations. I'm hoping the cats will deter the smaller critters like rabbits and squirrels. But I have tons of opossums and they don't give a flip about the cats. I never see the armadillo but I know he has a hole under the house and he keeps the area around the deck dug up. The opossums are after cat food and bird seed. I guess the armadillo is digging for grub worms and such. Maybe he likes crawfish 'cause I've sure got 'em.

Yes, that's a donkey. He lives on the farm next door and they have that rubber fencing so he just scoots under and comes to visit. He chases stray dogs but I've never seen him pay any attention to the deer when they're in the paddocks. He actually would come up the stairs onto the old deck which is in the picture but since the new one is up, he only comes to the edge. He doesn't like the new stairs. I feed him treats so he considers this yard his to guard as well.

Terri, I have one solid acre of that horrible grass. It is the toughest, stringiest stuff I have ever dealt with. That's why there was no garden last year. I was completely overwhelmed with the grass. I swear you can see the stuff growing. I hate it. I tried to till it but I only have the Mantis so five guys came and with pick axes and dug out the 21x21 square. They chopped out and hauled off all of the sod so I have a really clean start. But about a quarter of it is sitting low so I'm going to have to get some top soil to fill in. By next summer, this may be a raised bed too. Do you frame yours or just build up the area?

Oh Liz.. What a cute Donkey.... We had one years ago who lived at our place for many years. The kids loved her and named her Donkey-Boo..(can you tell our then small children named him) Sweet little thing, but your right, she loved to chase dogs... While she was alive, we never had a stray dog on the place...

I admire the donkey as well.

Have ya'll considered solarizing to kill that bahia mess? I'm using some large sheets of black plastic to kill my weed patch so I can expand the garden. I peeked and in only a week all the stuff under it is turning yellow. It takes awhile but once you get the sod killed and degraded, it's much easier to dig and keep it clean.

LizaMouse, I just mounded. I built the lasagne bed up to around 24"--maybe a little more and put weed block over the top with pavers and ground stapples to keep it in place. It has settled to between 19" - 16" which is where I wanted it. Save that donkey poo! It will be great for a layer in your lasagne bed.

twiggybuds, I tried solarizing the stuff the first year I moved in. I left the black plastic on for six of the hottest months including a two month drought. Once I took the plastic off it took the bahia about a month to grow back--with me trying to pull and chop it out as I tried to grow veggies. It does not seem to be able to make it back through the lasagne bed. I have two that I built last year begining in September. One for a veggie bed and one for roses. So far I have no bahia invasion with either bed. I think it might be the wet cardboard at the bottom (I used double walled, brown cardboard from packing boxes). The carboard is taking much longer than estimated to deteriorate, but I think that may be part of the success. I don't think the black plastic keeps out enought air or moisture to really knock that bahia back. Just a theory. In addition, when it really rains here I can get standing water. The additional height helps with that.

LizaMouse,
That's a mighty big dog you got there!

Welcome to the group! Congratulations on your veggie garden. And never, never, NEVER feel abashed about your joys here in the garden. We all celebrate success -- we even celebrate some failures, 'cause it gives us all a little more knowledge about what NOT to do, and saves some of us a lot of trouble.

Welcome to Dave's Garden. And, keep your camera ready. We LOVE pics!

Linda

Liza, be prepared, where there r chicks, there are chicken snakes, and where u live they can get over 7 feet long. then there r the other birds, hawks, owls, that think they love little chix. then the rats, too love little chix. If u buy adult hens, like from one of the commercial henhouses, u dont need but 5 hens as layer hens, they produce enuff eggs to sell them and replace their own feed. But definitely do check out the hen raising areas, the lists at the back of the electric coop monthly circulars, and get your mags to read during the cooler parts of the year. order your free cats, places like Murray McMurray Farms have a ton of info in them, and show chicks.

Snakes don't bother me in the least. A spider infestation...that would send me running into apoplectic fits. Bugs really creep me out and spiders are the worst. It probably all goes back to when I was 14 and a stag beetle got caught in my very, very long hair. I was scarred for life. He got zapped in my mom's "bug fryer". BZZZT, BZZZT it went and PLOP, he was in my head. Gives me the creeps even today.

Well, the veggies are just "sittin' there". It's been kind of cool at night so maybe they're exercising caution. Or then again, maybe they're miserable in their surroundings. It just doesn't look like a miserable garden to me. Nice view. Lots of birds. Good dirt. The low spots don't have anything in them at present so no problem there. Charlie hasn't eaten anything yet and he has promised me complete cooperation from the four legged fertilizer factory next door. But JEEZ, this grass is a CURSE.

I have been to the Murray farms chicken website! I picked out all sorts of fancy chickens! I have a picture of the exact chicken coop I want to build. It's very luxurious. But really, I worked on a horse farm for a while and we had chickens and I really liked them. So even if I get a bunch of mutt chickens, we'll be happy together. I have four very large parrots and we get along ok so chickens shouldn't be a challenge.

My camera, at present, is broken. I dropped it into a cast iron pan of corn bread batter. Don't ask.

I do my cornbread in a cast iron skillet....I don't have to ask...I'm from New Orleans. Been in Houston since '84...

Is it the cornbread? Or the cast iron skillet that makes y'all drop the camera in it? * )

LizaMouse, Have you checked out Ideal for chickens? I have nothing against Murray, but the shorter the distance in shipping the better. Some of the chicks just can't take the stress of more that a day or two of shipping. Just be aware that if you order too early in the year they will send extra male chicks for warmth. Lots of folks don't want them. I've only made one order (to Ideal) and I made several calls until we decided how and when would be the best time to ship so that I wouldn't get the extra males. Alternately you can get chicks from Tractor Supply in the spring (most will take pre orders for exactly what you want). Or I think My Pet Chicken will take small orders. Check out the Poultry and Livestock forum if you haven't already (I've been so busy lately I haven't been reading properly, so sorry if you've already posted there).

LOL! I had my chicken coop spec'ed out for months before DH found out that's what I wanted. I had a photo of it as a screen saver. He got it for me for Christmas!

PS. When those chicks grow up they just might start pecking away at the crawdads. Mine eat any mouse that strays within their path. The peacock taught them. I feel sorry for any snake that happens by them as well. Between the Corgi and the chickens and peacock a snake doesn't stand much of a chance if they get caught out at my house.

I'm actually from Memphis. But I did cornbread in an iron skillet there too. Minus the camera. I've been in Louisiana for 8 years but it doesn't seem that long. Houston was my original target when I left Memphis but after spending two days driving around and around that Beltway, I gave up and headed east. Houston was too big to tackle without any friends or relatives there. Mandeville was more manageable so that's were I landed. Then moved to Covington a year and a half ago.

Gosh Terri, we must really be on the same wavelength. Peacocks are on my want list as well. And a turkey. I've got peacock experience but no turkey experience. I had no idea that chickens would eat mice! But I'll bet peacocks would eat the crawfish. During this past wet winter, I had hundreds of them. There is only one mound in the garden but it is huge! The cats are trying to get him out.

And speaking of... The corn is up! And the beans! And even a few of the pumpkin seeds and they were three years old. I think I've stared at the okra so much that it's too scared to move.

Recording here for historical reference...I've had my first casualty. Something ate all of my cantaloupe vines last night. Not a single leaf left in sight. Bummer.

But on the bright side...more pumpkins came up!

Hi, I am doing this for the first year too - all in containers (and also all an experiment!). I am so excited too and very pleased to hear other people feel the same! I'm also so pleased to have found this website where everyone shares such a passion!!

When my tomato seeds sprouted, it was practically overnight and I was very excited - first thing to sprout! - and I said "wow have you seen my tomatoes?" (I am living with my parents just now) and my Dad said - laughing a lot - "yeah, I had one for lunch!" He doesn't really share my enthusiasm!!! But I bet he'll be happy to eat them.... if I manage to grow some!

And I sympathise with the canteloupe story... I think our resident groundhog ate my borage...

Welcome!!!! We love newbies. The more the merrier.

Liza that was a dirty trick. Hurry up and plant some more. Did you see any tracks or other clues?

LizaMouse, I'm the queen of "Did have a garden--eaten by varmits"! Replant and start looking at fencing and/or live traps.

way to go, you will love it. to me when the problems of live are really getting me down, then I spend more time in the garden and life is good again.

take some pictures and post them as we all love pictures.

Janet

The thief didn't leave any clue at all. No incriminating feetprints in the dirt...nothing. And the only thing eaten was the cantaloupe but whatever it was ate every single smidgen of them. . So I stuck some more seeds in the ground. I thought for sure by now I'd have donkey feet in there but not yet. Some wire with pie tins will keep him out. He doesn't like anything he's not used to seeing.

It's hot now so I'm watching for the okra to start growing. Everything seems so s-l-o-w. Could be that I'm looking too hard. You know, "a watched pot". I'm going to fertilize some things this weekend. The tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and okra. Maybe some of the bigger squash plants.

gmun, I'll be so excited if I get tomatoes, won't you? I planted enough of them that surely I'll get something. The grocery tonight had green ones and I had to buy a few for frying. My little vines are so small though. I was very late starting for this area. My big thing is the corn. I was positively thrilled when the corn came up. If I get a single edible cobb I swear I'll feel like a real farmer.

Please feel free to post your pics here. I've got to get a new camera.

LizaMouse I will be so excited if I get anything!! My tomatoes are beginning to bloom as are my cucumbers and peas, so I am hopeful!

I definitely think the groundhog ate the borage. The other day we were out on the deck and he was quite happily munching on the grass, didn't seem too bothered by us! I got some photos...

And my destroyed borage - he ate two full plants and just munched on this one:

Wow! That's a pretty big field mouse you've got there! He's not shy, is he? You know it makes you wonder how any of us ever have vegetables...

I think Charlie may have eaten the cantaloupe vines. There are donkey feetprints in the dirt now. He walked straight down the middle of two rows and didn't step on a single plant. I can put scarecrows or something out to keep him away from the garden. I have no idea how you'd deter a groundhog.

I've got a few tomato blooms too but my plants are still very small. Some peppers are blooming and it looks like the squash is about to take off and go crazy. I put out a little Zoom Organic fertilizer this evening. It smells sooooo bad.

Fred caught a squirrel this weekend. I would've never thought he was fast enough. Maybe you need a big fat cat to scare off you mega-mouse.

LOL! That is one cool cat!

LizaMouse, I do believe Fred and my Sneakers have the same kind of "catitude" -- and they definitely help with the rodent population!

They both look so innocent!