Last year was our first full summer in the little house, and since we had a little time for a weekend project we decided to put in a vegetable garden. Mister built four four foot by three foot plots, we grabbed mulch and compost and soil, and built a little place for me to grow veggies and herbs.
Kitchen gardens hold a special place in my heart. I love how old fashioned and relentlessly practical they are, and growing up my Baba’s garden was one of my favourite places. I loved pulling out peas and carrots for snacks, and when I was really small I would hide under her huge rhubarb plant with her tabby cat Chuckers, and pretend that I was Alice in Wonderland and that Chuck was my tiger guard.
Last year I was over zealous with my planing and my first attempt garden got huge so quickly that I stopped taking pictures of it in favour of trying to beat it back as fast as was humanly possible. This year I was careful not to over plant, and I’m hoping that I can enjoy it at more of a leisurely pace…
How about a tour? :)
I have five raspberry bushes that are starting to give a little fruit, lettuce, basil with leaves the size of my hand, all kinds of different hot peppers, pickling cucumbers, four different kinds of tomatoes, beans and even leeks!
I’m definitely just making up my gardening skills as I go along, but so far my plants are getting super sized really quickly. And while I don’t have a tiger guard in my grown up garden, peeking into the backyard to see everything grow and waiting the right time to dive in is a pretty close second.
And until my garden is ready to give me more food than I can eat? I have two words: farmers market!
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Homegrown fruits and vegetables have a much richer taste then something you pick up from the supermarket. Love your garden it looks so neat, thanks for the tour.
-M
Hello!
First off, typical blogger cliche – long time blogger, but I don’t know that I’ve ever commented. Bummer.
But more to the point – I love gardening! My husband and I have been living in Italy for the past year, and have about 11 more months, and when I moved here I was moving under the idea that I wouldn’t be getting a job. Seemed reasonable at first, but being that I’ve been working as long as I could work, the novelty only lasted a couple of weeks. Anyways, as a solution to my cabin fever I took up gardening. It is honestly one of my favorite things to do now, and to think I waited until I was 27 to try it out. It’s amazing the amount of vegetables, fruits and herbs you can get from just a few plants – it’s spectacular. Right now we’re drowning in cherry tomatoes (I know, what a horrible fate).
Anyways, I just wanted to wish you pleasant gardening and say that the old fashionedness and practicality of it is great, but the amount of success I feel when I plant a little seed and a couple of months later I’m picking the vegetables off – that’s just perfect :)
Happy gardening!
All my best,
Carolina
Your gardens look fantastic! I only managed some patio tomatos and peppers this year. I go to the St Norbert Farmers Market every Saturday morning though…right now I cannot get enough of the strawberries…YUM!
Awesome! I’m so bad with keeping any kinds of plants alive I don’t think I could do this but everyone tells me once you start gardening it’s really relaxing!
This year is my first gardening attempt (because it’s the first year in our house) and it’s been a disaster.
I’ve had slugs, rabbits and clay. And I just pulled out my green beans because they were too depressing, and my radishes because they turned into mutants. I’m replanting my tomatoes to take their place – BUT they green tomatoes hanging on the vine are misshapen.
At least my jalapenos are prospering (knock on wood).
I love that you garden. Gardens always remind me of the big gardens my grandfather plants. I don’t really have a green thumb, I’m trying to keep my four little pots alive but we’ll see if my dill comes back to life.
Oooo — great job, Kyla!
I don’t think Jessica’s cucumbers did anything so we might have to come raid your garden…
your garden is too cute! i’ve always wanted to try having a little garden, but i feel like i’m destined to kill every plant i touch :(
If you ever had a gardening workshop, I’d definitely attend! :) Your garden looks amazing and I bet the process of seeing them grow is exciting! Bad news about my flowers – they died. Apparently 114 degrees is too hot so I’ll have to try and plant flowers again after summer cools down.
Last year was our first year in our tiny house also. We inherited a raised bed for an edible garden when we bought the house and as soon as spring rolled around, I planted a bunch of fruits and veggies.
I proudly showed off my accomplishment to my neighbor, who has a beautiful garden, at which point he told me I planted about 10 times too many plants for that small space. He was right. But I sure did enjoy my overabundance of tomatoes and peppers.
This year, I planted less. Basically just want I’d need for a salad: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and some leftover strawberries from last year. There is nothing like needing ingredients and just picking it right out of your own backyard.
Oh, I am so excited about your little garden.. I wish we had a backyard and we could plant something, too.
My co-worker has recently started providing me with the fruits (zucchini, cucumber, peppers, squash,…) from her own garden and I just LOVE it.
Some day…!
Otherwise, I am a big fan of the Farmers Market. It’s as close to your own little garden as you can get :)
Oh, yay! I can’t wait to have a garden someday. My mom plants an amazing one every year and I like to fondle it on occasion.
In that non-perverted way, of course.
Looking good Kyla! Enjoy your gaden magic!
Gardens are so fun! I’m allergic to most bug bites, but I love the fruits and veggies my mother in law brings in from her massive one. It’s a blast to watch my little niece pick tomatoes and eat them on the spot.
This is awesome! See! This is why I can’t wait till I can live in a place with a yard. I would LOVE to be able to grow my own garden, both flowers and vegetables. This is so cool. Thanks for sharing! <3
One of the things I hate the most about living in a condo is the fact that we have no backyard – so now garden! I grew up playing/working in my grandma’s garden, which is about the same size as your typical potato field :D (Seriously, she gives the tourists who come to town tours of her garden, it’s that massive!) This year Nathan let me have one hanging basket for our balcony and I’ve got my Four Little Pots but that’s it :( So tragic … I can’t wait to have my own garden!
I currently am keeping two plants alive this summer: a tomato plant and a strawberry plant. In DRY and HOT Kamloops this requires watering at least twice a day! I’m proud I’ve kept them alive this long *knock on wood*
One day, when I have a little house, I’m hoping to have a little garden like yours! I love that idea!!
Right now, I’m just working on my Four Little Pots. Next year, I’m hoping to plant a larger herb garden. Husband’s grandparents have a HUGE garden next to our house, so I think next year, I might take them up on borrowing a plot of it for some of our own gardening.
The raspberry looks delicious!
We live in a concrete + glass shoebox in the sky so having a garden is out of the question. I try to soothe my heart with farmers market veggies but I dream of a backyard with a garden overflowing with zucchini and basil and tomatoes. And a pumpkin patch! My life would be complete if I had my own pumpkin patch.
I can not wait to have this kind of space again! Your garden and produce looks awesome :) Is it too late in the year to plant my 4 Little Pots? I FINALLY found the right pots! :)
I have massive respect for anyone who has the patience to maintain a garden! :) And I still have to venture out to one of these farmer’s markets one day…
Yum! We have a baby garden at our new place that our neighbor put in and she said she is going to build us another box so we can garden more stuff! I cannot wait. Raspberries are definitely going in there.
Oh I absolutely adore that garden. Perhaps one day I will get the urge. Until then, I just need to move someplace where there’s a farmer’s market.
Tomatoes + basil + mozzarella + olive oil + balsamic vinegar = yummy Caprese Salad!
And I have a good recipe for tomatillo salsa – let me know if you’d like it!
Fresh veggies straight out of the ground are so yummy! I haven’t had space for a garden in ages, but I have a little front porch now so I planted zucchini and a few herbs this year. My zucchini is starting to flower, I can’t wait until I can pick it!
Awe, I love your garden!! I’ve always wanted to grow my own raspberries. My poor little garden only has a tomato plant and some basil this year!
This is one more reason why I can’t wait to own a house – very soon! Your planter boxes look fabulous and I love how organized it looks.
wahoo! go girl! i hope i can plant at my next house. I’m moving at the end of July, eeek!
Oh… I’ve always wanted an herb garden. Alas, I live in the city…
what a perfect raspberry! i love gardens, and farmers markets!
You never cease to amaze me.
Hopefully I’ll be able to have a garden and keep it alive sometime before I’m 30 :) I’m sure I’ll be asking you for pointers!
I am envious of your outdoor space! I would love to have a garden. But then I guess that would mean I would have to actually learn how to NOT kill plants and other green things…. We had a HUGE garden when we were growing up. So buying produce was a foreign concept to me. I miss those days!
Omg, omg, omg! Our new home has a huge backyard and I’ve already starting trying to figure out how I want to do raised or closed off garden because of the pups. Yours is perfect! I love it with all of my heart. Can I steal your four four by three plots with that cute little fence?!
Your garden looks like so much fun! I only have a little herb garden (and am waiting on replanting everything until after winter is over here) but gardening is so relaxing and I’d love to have a big veggie garden. Maybe I’ll give it a try. :)
Your garden is so pretty! I absolutely love growing my own food! I’ve got tomatoes, raspberries, blackberries, an assortment of peppers, a watermelon, and a zucchini plant that yields the best zucchini I’ve ever tasted.
Oh my gosh your garden is beautiful! I would LOVE to have one in the city. Sad face!
Aaa! Your little raspberry is so cute!!
Seriously. I put a veggie garden in this year too!
xo – jami
i m a g i n e
We have been contemplating this for a bit, but how much time do you say you end up needing to devote daily/weekly? I think that is my biggest hesitation between getting home at 6pm and having homework to start and things?
Well, that and the 3453453 wild bunnies who think our backyard is a jungle gym, but that is what fencing would be for!
PS How was the hedgehog? And more importantly, is he in the mail to TX yet?
I’m the worst for spending time on my garden! lol Our climate is really moderate, so I only go in and water every few days if we’ve been without rain. As for weeding… once every two weeks I’ll spend a half hour on it? I trim the plants back really diligently but that takes no time, maybe 15 minutes every two weeks.
It’s very low maintenance :)