[IceFire]

Well, the weather has FINALLY straightened out enough to let me start on this year's garden. Have the "cool season" things started...swiss chard, spinach, lettuce, carrots, and peas. Also took a bunch of those tall "tomato towers" that open up, and linked them together to form a fence along the top and side of the terraced area, and some smaller wire fencing to the outside of it to HOPEFULLY keep the deer and other "critters" out of the garden this year.

Here are some pics of what is going on so far.

THis is the "overall view" of the right-hand terraced area.

The plants on the bottom tier are turnips that I planted last fall and allowed to overwinter. I'm letting them "flower", so that I can harvest and save the seed. In that same tier, I also have carrots that were also planted last fall and allowed to overwinter.

Up on the top tier, the peas and spinach are beginning to sprout. They're a little hard to see, but if you look close, you can see the baby pea plants

and spinach sprouts

I've also added something new to the food production this year...RABBITS!

The female is in the right-hand side of the taller hutch that is painted the same colors as the house. The male is in the smaller hutch on the right. I'll be breeding them tomorrow. The little guy in the middle is a pet, rather than a meat rabbit. An added bonus, is that the bunnypoo (of which they are prodigious producers) can EITHER be composted OR added DIRECTLY to the garden. So, in addition to their offspring providing me with meat, they ALSO provide plenty of fertilizer for the garden.

The additional 2 photos are one of the blackberry and one of the blueberry plants that I planted last year.

 

[IceFire]

Pretty much finished up the planting today.

Onthe top tier of the terrace, (where the spinach and peas are), I added Straight Eight cucumbers to follow peas up the fencing on the left side, and National Pickling cucumbers to follow peas up the fencing on the right side. In the central area of that tier, I planted (from left to right) Tomato, Principe Borghese (a "sun-dried" or paste type); Pepper, Sweet Banana; Tomato, Opalka (paste type); Pepper, Sweet Banana; Tomato, Martino's Roma; Pepper, Cubanelle; Tomato, Cherokee Purple; and Okra, Dwarf Green.

On the second tier, I have Roamaine Lettuce; Carrots; Green Beans, EarliServe Bush; throughout, then on the left, I added Melon, Cool Green (a honeydew type); and on the right is Cantaloupe, Iroquois; and Cucumber, Muncher.

On the third tier, I have Onions, Robin (a red onion); Tomato, Brandywine; Watermelon, Moon and Stars; Peppers, Red Bell; Onions, Walla Walla; Squash, Waltham Butternut; Eggplant, Prosperosa; Watermelon, Sugar Baby; and Tomato, Mortgage Lifter.

The bottom tier has (besides the garlic, carrots, and turnips from last fall) Squash, Acorn, Table Queen (to the left of the turnips) and Squash, Spaghetti to the right of the turnips.

On the OTHER side of the steps and arbor with grapevines planted on either side,

I have ANOTHER set of terraces

The top terrace just has the grape vine and a hyssop bush. Around the base of the Maple tree, there is Soapwort planted.

In the second tier, I planted Lettuce, Buttercrunch; Soybean, Edamame "Beer Friend"; Potatoes, Superior White; and Squash, Yellow Crookneck.

The third tier has Fennl, Sweet Florence on the far left, then the part to the right has Beans, Wax, Cherokee Bush; and Zucchini, Dark Green.

The bottom tier has Garlic and Chives (the garlic was planted last fall, the chives have been there for years); and Peppers, Ancho/Polbano; Tomatillo, Verde; Peppers, Jalapeno; and Radicchio, Early Palla Rosa.

Then, in my "raised bed" area (that my husband is going to be replacing with a storage shed in the Fall) there is a "permanent" bed of asparagus, strawberries, parsley,]and chives

In the center area, I worked in lime today, then planted Corn, Early Bantam; Beans, Black Turtle; and Pumpkin, Small Sugar. There is already Oregano and Horseradish in that bed

The bed that you can see to the front of the picture has Garlic (again, from last fall), Peas, Oregon Sugar Pod; and Swiss Chard of Geneva.

The "front" bed has Onions, Green Bunching; and Alpine Strawberries

I'll post more as things grow.

 

[ken k]

Ice Fire thanks for the view of your handy work! Very nice.:thumb:

Everybody loves pictures.....good job!...................ken

 

[oktx]

Looks really pretty. I really like the terrace idea.

 

[IceFire]

Looks really pretty. I really like the terrace idea.

Thanks. It was a LOT of work, but is a LOT better than what it looked like to start! Since I'm on the "hill from he!!", the previous owners had just put down black plastic and then dumped dirt on top of it. The dirt NEVER stayed in place, and it looked like crap. This is what it USED to look like.

It took me a few years, doing one section at a time, but I think the end result was worth it! Doing the terracing not only gives me permanent planting areas, but it also keeps the soil where I want it; improves drainage; and looks a HECK of a lot better!

 

[IceFire]

Today when I went to get some more paint for my basement closet, I found another blueberry plant to replace the one that the dog killed by digging it up 3 times; and artichoke plant (there were actually 6 in the pot, WooHoo!); and a rosemary plant, because they ALWAYS winter-kill here.

So, after I got home and finished painting the basement closet, I planted the blueberry, rosemary, and artichokes (that's when I found out there were 6--I had thought there were only 3. it was $3.48 for the pot, so it worked out to 58 cents per artichoke plant!). Since there were more of the artichoke seedlings than I had thought, I not only got them planted where I originally planned, but got 3 EXTRA plantings, as well!

 

[IceFire]

Well, the "garbage can" potatoes are up!

Also, there are a bunch of baby grapelets on the vines,

and there is more growth on the peas and spinach.

Finally, here is one of the baby artichoke plants.

 

[nveagle]

Great looking garden!

 

[Chrysalis]

I love your yard, you've done such a good job. I keep thinking about putting something on our ditch but starting is a daunting task. So is the cost of the bricks I like. Maybe next year. :thumb:

 

[IceFire]

I love your yard, you've done such a good job. I keep thinking about putting something on our ditch but starting is a daunting task. So is the cost of the bricks I like. Maybe next year. :thumb:

Thanks, Sara. When you look at the entire project, it IS daunting. (and expensive). I did the whole thing over a period of several years, and just did one tier at a time. I would just buy a few blocks as I had money (about 25 per trip, about once a month). It took a LONG time, PLUS I did it all with hand tools. The worst part is getting started. After that, it's just a bit at a time, as you have time (and money).

 

[IceFire]

New pics

Well, since I'm going to be losing my small (10x15) planting area where my perenniels (herbs, asparagus, strawberries, etc.) plus corn/beans/squash are grown, because my husband wants to put a storage shed in that location in August/September, I conned him into letting me take over part of the area behind the right-hand set of terraces...and it's going to be a LOT bigger (24x35) :

This is the area that will be the new garden area

The brown area in front of the little black fence in the back USED to be BEHIND the fence...I cleared out the area and straightened out the fencing, to snag a little more area The side dimensions will go along the entire length of the black fencing, and the length will be from where the top terrace ends back to about a foot away from the short fence (I'm going to leave a small walkway, so that I can still tend to the stuff behind.)

As for the rest of the garden, here you can see the growth of the pease, as well as the beans that have sprouted in the next terrace down

On the bottom terrace, the carrots, parsnips, turnips, and garlic that I overwintered have REALLY grown.

In the middle two rows of the left hand set of terraces, the potatoes, lettuce (on the upper row), and Wax beans are starting to come up.

The tomatoes, squash, melons, and peppers haven't germinated yet, since it hasn't been warm enough yet.

 

[IceFire]

progress

FINALLY finished getting the "outer perimeter" of the new garden area tilled and started getting in the first couse of perimeter blocks laid.

Up at the top (it's hard to see in the first picture), I made a walkway even with the top of the upper perimeter blocks, so that I can get to the area BEHIND where the new garden area will be, and tend to stuff back there. This is the walkway.

I'm kind of "stuck" for the time being, since I can't finish the left side until I get more blocks. After the first course is done, then I need to bring the lower levels up level with the top to even out the slope, and get a ton (or two) of topsoil dumped in to level the area out. After that, I'll be making raised beds inside the area. I'll post more pictures as the work progresses.

 

[Rosesandtea]

that walkway looks real nice

 

[IceFire]

Thanks. Between tilling the top section and one side, and setting in the blocks, I worked at it about 3 hours yesterday.

 

[oktx]

Very attractive!

 

[IceFire]

Just got the new asparagus bed tilled this evening, and the frame for the raised bed put together and placed, and the first of the manure and rabbit poo mixture put in. Tomorrow evening I'll be putting in the first of the asparagus crowns, and possibly transplanting the old asparagus plants. After I get all of the asparagus planted and covered, and the level built up, I'll be putting in the strawberry crowns.

Have 2 other frames put together and the wood for a third. I'll need to till those areas before "setting" the frames in though, since the area is on a hill and I'm trying to set the frames fairly level, so have to till to break up the heavy clay soil.

The "garbage can potatoes" are now above the tops of the cans by aout 18 inches. I'll try to get some more pictures in the next few days, after I get the raised beds done and the asparagus and strawberries transplanted.

 

[IceFire]

Tilled in the manure/rabbit poo mixture in the new bed an got the asparagus crowns in and got them covered. Also got more area tilled and got the other 2 frames placed.

The bed on the left is where I planted the asparagus crowns, After I fill it in more, I'll be adding the strawberry crowns. In the bed in the front right, I planted potatoes. The far left of that bed is blue potatoes, and the rest of the bed is red potatoes. As I add more soil/mulch/whatever to the bed, I will be planting some "companion" plants. Haven't decided what yet. The back bed on the right is currently not planted. I have to decide what to put in there. Possibly onions, since I have a buttload of onion sets. Need to get more soil in first, though. (It sure doesn't go very far in those beds!)

Finally, here is what my "garbage can" potato plants are looking like.

I've got to hurry and get as much of the rest done as I can, because I'll be having the surgery on my ankle on the 30th of this month. At least they can do it as an "outpatient" surgery, but I'll be on crutches for a while afterwards. Makes it a little hard to till and build, place, fill, and plant when you can't walk.

 

[IceFire]

The potatoes that I planted just a few days ago are already sprouting! Saw the leaves starting to break through the ground today. Planted the onion sets in with them, as well. Also planted some Spaghetti squash seeds in the bed with the potatoes and onion.

Finally got the third bed completely planted. Here's a picture.

Left to right, there are 6 eggplants, a greek oregano and Ancho/poblano pepper, 4 Jalapeno peppers, 2 Roma tomatoes, and 6 Sweet Banana peppers.

Planted another tomato (beefsteak) and a bell pepper plant I sprouted indoors in the terrace.

 

[Rosesandtea]

It's looking great! I sure know what you mean about the soil not going very far in the beds.

I hope you get as much as you want done before the 30th and that all goes well with your surgery.

 

[IceFire]

Got more ground tilled the other day and another raised bed frame (4x7) put together and placed and added a bag of composted manure. Today, thanks to a friend at work who told me where to find them, scored an entire flat of veggie plants (18 roma tomatoes, 4 okra, 3 bush cucumbers, and 3 honeydew melon) for only $5 (you could "mix and match" whatever plants you wanted. $5 per flat no matter what kind of plants.) Planted the tomatoes, okra, and cukes in the raised bed, and put the melons in the upper corner where I'll eventually put either alfalfa or grains of some sort.