To have a profitable garden, I suggest you research what grows well in your area at what time of year. Lesson learned. ;)
What didn't grow:
1. Carrots- I'm not giving up on carrots, but I think I'm gonna skip out on them this year. We literally got nothing editable from the seeds.
2. Green beans- we got maybe 25 total green beans the whole spring/summer...total fail! Did not make our money back.
3. Strawberries- I love strawberries so much...I want to try again. We got two tiny green berries on our plants that we bought and re-planted in our raised garden bed. The sun was too much for them I think.
What did grow:
1. Squash!!! Oh my we got squash galore for several months. We gave pounds away. I love growing squash too because it's a tummy filler, and it can be used with lots of things! We easily yielded over a $100 in squash with $2 seeds.
2. Tomatoes- We had a good tomato production. Except for the slugs ;( lots of tomatoes though...and I will be ready to fight those slugs this year!!
3. Basil- Loved having this herb. Used it for cooking all the time, and when you prune it to use the leaves, it grows back strong and healthy. Doesn't need much sun. The plant cost $3 and we yielded at least $75-100.
4. Mint- Same as the basil, this one was awesome! Love having fresh herbs, and plan to have a whole herb garden this year.
We also have a peach tree and plum tree but they are too young to bear fruit. Maybe next year! :)
As I get my garden ready this year, I am planning for: a whole herb garden, cantaloupe, squash, pumpkin, cucumber, broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers, berries of all sorts and more.
Do you have any gardening tips for me? I am still learning ;)
4 comments:
Hi there. I found you through Somehwat Simple's site and decided I would pop by. I love gardening as well, and am still a novice but I do have some tricks and tips for you. Strawberries usually take two years for any kind of first production, so don't give up on them. If you have an abundance of squash (and I don't know if you are grouping zucchini in there too) you can shred it and freeze it then use it throughout the year for breads and cookies and for mixing with dinners. Try using a cup or two of shredded zucchini in your pasts sauce. It's delicious. I usually thaw mine out, then squeeze any liquid out and use it. What part of the high desert do you live in? I grew up in Apple Valley. We didn't grow a huge garden but we did grow sunflowers and tomatoes. I really like your blog and will he reading more often.
Thank you so much for your comment!! We are in the Antelope Valley! ;) not far from were you grew up! Thanks for all the tips! I will do that! :)
How I wish we lived in a warm climate! We have a small garden with beans, lettuce, kale, carrots, blackberries, raspberries, potatoes, onions and strawberries. Everything does well except the strawberries. Seems like the birds get them before we do mo matter what we do. That and there are only a few tiny berries... Think we will take those out ext year.
I am putting in our first garden, too! I know I will have a small patch (raised bed? pots?) for some herbs and I will keep the rest of it small since I also work full-time, go to the gym 3 days/week, and have a toddler. But I'm thinking tomatoes, squash, sweet peas, and maybe lettuce or spinach. Will love to hear about your gardening adventures!
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