About Me

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Montgomery, Alabama, United States
I'm a Zone 8. I'm doing a little gardening to satisfy a curiosity to see whether or not I can do it. People make it look so easy-- what's stopping me from making it work? Contrary to my name ("Hana" means flower in Japanese) I have a history of killing plants. Well, most of them. Let's see how this one goes!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Plotting.

I so wish that I had graph paper.

Anyway, I've been busily drawing, redrawing, and redrawing again and again plans for the garden setup. I need to get started soon because I want a little time for the lasagna to bake, so to speak, before I lay down my babies.

Anyway, the plan is going to be something like this:

BED 1: BEANS
This will be along the house on the south side. Since I need to construct trellises or teepees, I figure that having the extra support of the wall will help immensely.
WHAT WILL BE PLANTED HERE:
-Bush beans
-Pole beans
-Cucumbers
-Brassicas
-Radish
-Melons
-Basils

BED 2: PEPPERS
This will be a corner piece connecting the tomato and bean beds.
-Bells
-Cayennes
-JalapeƱos
-Carrots
-Oregano
-Eggplant
-Okra
-Basils

BEDS 3 AND 4: TOMATOES
I will have two beds devoted to tomatoes and their associated herbs. I really like tomatoes.
-Tomatoes
-Bee balm
-Basils
-Oregano
-Parsleys
-Chives
-Brassicas

Marigolds, petunias, alyssum, and nasturtiums will be planted throughout and around the beds. Debating on getting lovage and borage (I have heard horror stories about the prolific self-seeding action of borage), but their names are so cool that I can't resist them.

I have yet to figure out this little factoid: poles beans do not like sunflowers, yet bush beans do. Why is this? This makes me wish that I had labeled my beans better because I have tendergreen pole beans and Blue Lake bush beans mixed up. Dammit.

I also have to decide what I am going to do about substrates. I live near craptons of farms and feed stores, but I do not have a car and my boyfriend has a very small sporty thing that isn't meant even for passengers, much less hay and manure. Quite a quandary! I wonder if farmers or stable owners will haul off their wastes and deliver it to my house, or if they expect that anyone who delivers them from their poo must have burly arms and a pickup truck to grab it themselves. I suppose Craigslist could help in that respect. I just want old hay and veggie poop. That's all.

2 comments:

Meems said...

Hi Hanna: WOW. You are a one busy girl with all your seeds and pots and planning. It looks like you might have to re-write your profile since your seeds look to be coming along quite successfully. I, too, am starting my very first veggie garden this year. It is a little overwhelming in my thinking so I am kind of forging forward anyway.

I wish you all the best as you undertake your lasagna project. It sounds like you may have learned a few things from your parents even though you avoided the actual outdoor work.
:-)
I'll check back -- I'm curious to see if you get hay & poo delivered for free.

hanako! said...

Thanks, Meems! For some reason I think you'll probably have a higher rate of success than me, seeing as you've a reputation for being green-thumbed. I'm excited to see how your veggies come out! I will definitely be keeping track of your blog :D

As for my profile... we will see about that. The only thing that hasn't died in my care are a couple succulents that just *won't* die, no matter what I (don't?) do to them. Succulents are apparently not that great at dying.