2 Jun 2009
End of May Backyard Garden Update
- Front side yard…we’re just beginning to plant fruit, nuts and berries…
We live in a typical urban development that can be found most anywhere..in the United States.
Here’s a quick tour of the backyard/frontyard grow operation as of the last week of May.
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- View from the gate..looking into the backyard
EDIBLE FOOD ON THE PROPERTY.. LAST SUMMER (2008) = 0
EDIBLE FOOD ON THE PROPERTY.. so far.. THIS SUMMER (2009)
Apples Trees = 6
Peach Trees = 5
Apricot = 1
Cherry = 2
Asian Pear = 3
Pomegranate = 2
Almond = 2
Fig = 4
Lemon = 1
Lime = 1
Mango = 1
Avocado = 1
Blueberry = 5
Raspberry = 6
Strawberry = 10
Grape = 5
Gooseberry = 6
Serviceberry = 2
Wolfberry = 10
Blackberry = 5
Boysenberry = 1
Cherry Bush = 5
Currant (Red and Black) = 2
Aloe Vera = 20
Agave = 5
Prickley Pear = 1
(the trees are mostly dwarf and ultra dwarf varieties)
- Our first berries…blueberry and boysenberry
….and to go a long with this fruit, berry, nut tree list…..we experimenting with growing traditionals like corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, potatoes, onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage…and tons of different herbs…some fun ones for our drinks like Stevia and Tulsi and Astragalus!!
- Here’s our first cucumber….ever! Growing happily in the dome.
but… our staple is the green leaves, for green smoothies, like kale, collard, lettuces, chard, and so on..so we’re learing to create microclimates to attempt to allow these more heat delicate crops to grow. We’re using arched PVC pipe with shade cloth draped over it in the summer time and construction plastic draped over it in the winter….it worked really well last winter!! Check out the “GROW GREENS YEAR ROUND“ post…to see what I mean.
- Here’s a few raised beds…..a lot cooler under the shade cloth for greens! The straw mulch really helps as well!
square foot gardens...blue hopi corn...and in the other box... are the brassicas..kale, cabbage, broccoli, and LOTS of swiss chard!
The white cloth is AGRIBON..covering the Brassicas from invaders
No bugs munching on these leaves...
more greens/flowers and herbs coming up...
Far southwest corner of our property looking back up toward the gate.
Composting operation to the right...and looking east down the backyard..you can see the vertical grow boxes.
The vertical gardens.. the first two beds are tomatoes..vining up yellow twine..
First Mr. Stripey coming on....
For the last vertical bed...we're experimenting with nylon netting...muskmelons of all types are just peeking up. There's a stepping stone in the middle of each section, so we can step into the box and harvest from all sides.
I Spent most of May, like many gardeners… outside…taking advantage of the awesome warming weather…..which, before I started gardening and eating live foods, I never took too much notice of the weather….except how it affected my weekend or travel etc…
Now, I’m constantly observing its rythms and natural flows…..like the sun’s ever changing trajectory in the sky, and how it affects shadows in the garden etc….and I of course check weatherbug.com quite a bit!
- Current beds I’m working on and ……the dome….. venting
- inside the dome..path leading to the right
- path leading to the left..
- aerial view left
- aerial right
- looking north across the dome
- Looking south across the dome..
- Looking East across the dome
- GREAT meditation space!! ..gotta have at least one sitting spot..
- It’s harvest time!! Lacinato Kale and Nasturtium in the back
- After a little journey through the yard…it’s time to eat.
You can also take the ”May” video tours of the “backyard” and “growing dome”…..check them out below…..
HAVE FUN……GROWING YOUR OWN!!
