My First "Real" Garden!!!

lemon grass is perennial here with no problems as far as freezing goes....but it does get large!
Debbie

I LOVE lemon grass. In a different house, in a different state, in a much different zone i had lots of it. I don't miss the state or the house, but i do miss having lemon grass :(

I suppose i could grow it in a container and bring it in in the winter. Do any of you know if it starts well from seed?

Tombaak - I havn't started mine from seed, just by dividing as it got bigger and bigger. I initially bought 1 plant for $1.75, and then just divided it each year as it got bigger and starte to outgrow the container.

kanita

Hope you like the book, kanita!

Never even thought of growing lemongrass. Hmmm... checking zones....

How wonderful ! I've never even heard of a community garden.
I grew up in Tulsa, Okla. which is a pretty large city per sey. I wonder if there's ever been anything like that in Tulsa. . Just because I never heard of it, dosen't mean it never existed..............lol. (might have been right under my nose )

I think what you're doing is absolutely great ! So many folks who have been raised in cities never have the opportunity to even be exposed to gardening. Much less learn to grow their own food. Good luck, and may you have a happy harvest.

Kanita, I've looked for a plant, maybe i'll try to order one. No one around here sells it because it isn't hardy.

Kanita.....whereabouts in LA do you live. How far is the "garden".....I admire your tenacity to have this garden in an undesireable area however, it reminds me (a little out of context) of entertaining angels unawares (no I don't remeber which chapter and verse)....It may be that you are the changing force to turn someone else's life around who will see your garden and what you are doing....Even though I suspect there will be trials (weather and otherwise) remember from where your strength comes and know you have all our admiration and support. You are truly an inspiration.

Thanks so much Faronell. I am in West Los Angeles (West Adams Historic), which is about 15 miles away from where the garden is. I have to be honest though, when I first drove to the garden and saw the area, I did a u-turn to go back home, but the gentleman who started the garden was standing outside of the gate waiting for me, so I made another u-turn and went back, and I am actually glad I did. Now every one I know thinks that I am crazy, but thats okay, none of them have ever tried gardening :-)

Tombaak - apparently, lemongrass is pretty easy to start from seed. Here is a link, I think I will order a pack myself to plant throughout the garden. http://www.sandmountainherbs.com/lemongrass_east_indian.html

kanita

I sure don't think you're crazy kanita, I understand perfectly and I'm sure most others on Dave's Garden do to. I've had back problems for 25 years and the past few years (I'll be 61 this month) have been difficult. I was advised to forego the garden this year and despite the fact that the wife and sons certainly think I'm crazy, I'm at it probably 100% this year by the time I'm done planting. Sure it's nice to pick fresh produce, my lettuce has already accounted for 3 delicious salads, but it's even nicer to watch the plants grow, marvel at the miracle unfolding before your very eyes, gain a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment, and most importantly to me have someplace to go and sit down that's serene and peaceful in my mind even if the traffic is flying by only 30 ft. away. Gardening is most certainly food for the soul.

Rich

Thanks Rich, I couldn't have said it better myself.

Hi All!

Just wanted to give an almost 1 month update since I started the garden. Everything is growing great! Lots of lettuce, a couple of cucumbers, chard and bush beans. The tomatillos are doing great as are all of the tomatoes so far. This weekend was our first that was warm, bright and super sunny.

I cleared out one side that borders a brick wall, laid down weed cloth, and planted a row of sunflowers of various colors and heights.

Your garden is looking GREAT & doing well. I SALUTE your hard work & wish you the Best!!!

God bless...
LarryD

Congratulations!! You've accomplished A LOT already in that space -- WOW! I'll bet salad has never tasted so goooood....

:-)

Thanks soo much Larry, I really appreciate the salute.

Here is an update of Plot 2.

Thanks Critter! Here's a close up of some of the beans you sent me. The Brandywine Sudduth seedlings are going in this weekend.

Wow... zone envy strikes again... your bean plants look better than my peas! At least my tomato plants are in the ground now.... hardening off peppers this week....

Your garden beds look great!!

Kanita,
Your garden is looking really nice! I greatly admire your will to garden. I hope it just gets better every year.
Melissa

edited, because i actually spelt my own name wrong!!!

This message was edited May 16, 2006 2:26 PM

Kanita,
I live in rural KY and have a veggie garden and never give it a second thought about the space it takes. A garden can really be very rewarding.
In more than one way. My sister lives in a small city, but her lot is very shaded. She has mentioned trying a city operated garden spot. I think it is a very good thing. We grew up on a farm and it is just in her blood to want to plant stuff.

I built a trellis this weekend for my pole beans and cucumbers. I got the directions out of the book Square Foot Gardening, and it is working great! It was cheap to make, but is really sturdy. It is 8'x6'. I'm going to make more for the garden to use for other things such as tomatoes and small melons.

Your gardens are lovely! I bet you find it all very satisfying. I started gardening in a community garden here in New Mexico. It was wonderful because there were other more experienced gardeners to give me tips and just to chat with. Eventually, I bought a house with a vacant lot behind it. That is where my garden is now -- no commute. I gain peace of mind, exercise and healthy vegetables from my garden. No doubt you are experiencing the same. Big cities need gardens!

Thanks Pajaritomt! Congrats on your house and garden! I hope to be in your position someday, and maybe Los Angeles won't be the place that I do that.

Bluegrassmom - Your sister should definitely get a space in a city plot, especially if you guys grew up on a farm. It's not the same, but it a great break away from city life which I know I could definitely use sometime.

kanita

Haven't visited this thread for a while, but wanted to say, So wonderful to see your garden growing! Many blessings to you.

Thanks Kmom! How is your enormous garden coming along? Any photos yet?

Hi All!

Just thought I'd post more pics from the garden. It is really coming along well. Some bumps in the road, but I expected as much. The garden gets a lot more sun than what I am used to. I planted some swiss chard on Saturday, and Sunday it looked like it had been completely melted by the sun!

Here is plot 1, the sugar snap peas got a lot bigger that I had expected and now the tepee I built is about to topple over. The reached well over 6ft as I used 6.5' bamboo poles.

Edited to add: In this plot is: bronze leaf and romaine lettuces in front, 2 brussel sprouts on the right, red bell peppers, red & green swiss chard along the left and right edge with some celery mixed in. Kellogg's Breakfast tomato (really big cage), pink brandywines, and romano pole beans.

This message was edited Jun 16, 2006 9:18 AM

Here's Plot 2. For some reason, this one seems to growing a lot slower that plot one. You can see how small the lettuce is in this one, it never got as big as the lettuce in plot one.

This is plot 3. This one has potatoes, a couple of tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and herbs. The zucchini produce lots of baby zucchini's but they turn yellow before they get big, so again, it seems that the 1st plot is for some reason doing much better.

Plot 4 has strawberries, more potatoes, cherry bomb peppers, lemon balm, sweet marjoram, basil, shishito peppers, celery, roma tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, watermelon (growing outside of the box).

I have a couple of Earth boxes in the garden, as well as tons of containers. In this EB I have my sugar dot corn growing. There's only 12 in there, although and EB can hold 18 stalks of corn.

Again, growing corn is a first for me. Mr. Jones who runs the garden told me that last year, the ants got all over the corn, I am hoping that I have alleviated that problem by putting d. earth around the EB itself.

Here's the cucumber EB. The cucumber started to grow so big so fast that I haven't had a chance to put up the trellis which I will do tomorrow. Right now its just a mountain of cucumber leaves with over 20 cukes hidding below them.

Kanita,

Your gardens look great! You've really done a good job, especially considering that you're doing most of this away from your home. The pics are very nice and I hope you'll keep posting them as you get ready to harvest. We'd like to hear about some taste comparisons also (cukes, maters, lettuce).

Since much of your garden is in the ground (yay!), I can overlook the eb's. lol - just kidding all you eb'ers :-)

Flip

Fabulous! I am *so* impressed with what you've done with these garden plots... hard to imagine that you're gardening like that in the middle of such an urban area... what a wonderful oasis you've created!

BTW, I don't think cucumbers really need a trellis, although the vines will take up less space as they grow vertically, and you may get longer/straighter cukes. So put one up if you're so inclined, but don't sweat it!

Kanita,

You should write your own book on urban gardening. You've done a fantastic job. Would never have dreamed you could grow as much as you have in such limited space. I'll admit, when you posted the lists of plants you were putting in your spaces, I kinda smerked at your "novice gardener" optimism. Well, your success put me in my place! And I never would have imagined growing corn in a box! You've taught us all a thing or two.

To quote critterologist......"YOU GO GIRL!"

Debra

Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone! I just got back grom the garden, and I keep thinking that I will have less and less to do, but somehow I manage to stay occupied there for 4 to 5 hours, so I bought a portable grill so that by the time I am done I have food that I can take home ready to eat right away.

I never realized how exhausting gardening can be!

kanita

kanita - i haven't been here for a while but what a difference from your first pictures. you should be very proud for all you have accomplished. the gardens look so healthy. keep up the good work.

kanita--the pics of your garden look great. thanks for sharing. everything looks great, most importantly it sounds like you are having fun. it looks like your trellis is really holding up and doing well for you. I started a raised bed this year too, but it isn't very deep. It is only about 8" deep. If you don't mind me asking, do you think I could plant potatoes in that bed or do you think I should plant potatoes in a deeper bed?

How cool is it that you took a grill to your garden! That is awesome. Now you can cook some of your harvest up right away. Corn cooked on the grill is delicious, have you ever tried that before?

Keep having fun and please share pics of your harvest.

Wonder how much corn you'll get from that EB...

Garden looks wonderful keep the pictures coming.

Ms_Merae you let me know if Michelle isn't nice and sharing seeds *G*

Thank you Saint for the offer. I might just have to see what you have. Hmmmmm. I was thinking today how I need to order another EB or two because my mater list keeps getting longer and longer. he he.

I want to try and worm *coughcough* I mean buy the guys behind me's unused EB's (he says he doesn't like them) to bring my total up to 15, although I'm afraid at 15 the DH might beat me! *drool* I could have like 20 mater plants AND corn, cukes, beans and melons...ohhhhhhhhh

Herbie - Thanks so much.

Ms Merae - I can't wait to grill an ear of corn right off the stalk! According to my book (Square foot Gardening) the potatoes will be fine 8" deep. you might want to mound soil if the potatoes start to poke through the soil but thats about it. The potatoes were so easy to grow and they grew so fast.

Has anyone tried growing potatoes in a basket? Have never tried it, but want to in the future. Sounds like a possible solution to shallow beds. If I remember correctly.....the theory was to take an old bushel basket with the bottom cut out (or a wire frame for that matter). Fill about 1/3 with soil, compost, etc. and plant your potatoes - adding leaves and compost as the vines grow eventually filling the basket. When potatoes are ready to harvest, just lift basket and there they are! No digging!

Debra