Admittedly, I’m later in getting the veggie boxes done this year than ever before – in large part because my world of art has been unusually demanding – but I’m glad to say the veggie boxes are now fully planted. You should have heard the birds chirping while I planted – as if to say, “Better late than never! Finally the monkey is feeding us!” The first step was to bolster my aging veggie boxes and add new soil. We then “repaved” the pathways with some palm tree leaves (makes a great weed deterrent on my paths!). Then plant, plant, plant! The boxes are filled to the brim with tomato plants (I went for all cherry and pear tomatoes this year – Sweet 100, Sungold and Yellow Pear), golden peppers, golden beets, rainbow Swiss chard, leek, romaine, mixed lettuce, pole beans and a few other past year favs. Of course, not one to give up on what hasn’t worked – we are also trying (AGAIN!) sweet golden corn (the raccoons have beaten me every time), seedless watermelon and green cucumbers. -And something entirely new – Gerbera daisies. It seems our vegetable garden has some very shady corners (thanks to a very happy red flame seedless grape vine), and so rather than fight the shadows and stubbornly plant veggies that won’t thrive there, I’ve decided to plant colorful lovely Gerbera Daisies. I’ve also added a water feature, with a solar pump that is interesting and in its second week. My husband kindly put in a romantic arbor for the grape vine to meander over, and we put a few chairs there to sit and enjoy the view. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Tomorrow I’ll add in my homemade compost, full of happy worms, and go back to the business grind of art. Oh, if all I needed to do was just paint and plant!
The Veggie Boxes always start so neat and tidy!
Pretty Gerbera Daisies Tolerate Shade - here they are in the grapevine box
A handpainted Spanish bird bath with a small solar fountain pump are just what my garden needed! See also the palm tree leaves, which deter weeds, make a great mulch for pathways!
Long view across the vegetable garden. See the happy grape vine!
