The first project was to dig a space for the pallets to be "buried". We thought it would look better then laying them on top of the surface and looking like we threw pallets in our yard.
Once we dug up the space, we lined it with cardboard we got from a local furniture company (free). That way we were less likely to get weeds growing through. We scattered some dirt over the cardboard and placed the pallets on top. This step was frustrating - lol. Once we would get one in place, the next one would be taller or shorter so we would have to adjust the height of the dirt accordingly.
Next step was to fill in the sides of the boardwalk with dirt. We bought some solar lights, at Walmart for .97 each, to light the path at night.
Our next step is to plant marigolds along the edge of the boardwalk for color and pest control for the garden.
There are still a couple of spaces that need filling - on the pallets - mainly for reinforcement. But we can do that as we go along. Below is a picture of it at night :)
The total project cost less than $10!!
The garden is coming along pretty nicely. The temperatures are starting to cool off and its starting to feel like Fall is right around the corner! We got a started a little later than most people this last Spring. But since this is our first garden, I am more than happy with its progress!
Yesterday I trimmed back all of our tomato and pepper plants - I was so nervous that I had done too much. So as soon as it got light out this morning I went out to check on them - much to my surprise and excitement - they were all still alive!! And they were starting to ripen. Now I am pretty sure that they were already on their way to ripening, but it was still awesome to see! Especially the Cayenne peppers! I can't wait for those to turn their ruby red so I can dehydrate them! Oh and the Roma tomatoes, I am super super impatient with those :). I want to make salsa with those so bad! Then there are the purple tomatillos (not pictured) - I think those are the ones I am most excited about! And the hardest to wait for. With their "hot air balloon" husks on the outside of the fruit, it is hard to see their progression. So I wait... And wait...
The Cinderella pumpkins are doing great and I am getting pretty excited about having these out for decoration in the house and then for seeds and pumpkin purée later. I am just praying they hurry up and ripen before the kids in our town see them. I have heard stories about what has happened to people's pumpkins in years past.
Well, I guess I should get back to my cooking. Happy Sunday!
This is our first year of growing tomatoes from seeds. I am super excited and thankful to everyone that helped in this venture! I have learned so much from the pages I follow and from the tips and tricks from my fans! You all rock!! Here are some pics of what's growing and then a picture of our overall tomato and pepper garden.
Would love some recipes for using frsh tomatoes! So far my hubby has requested salsa - by the gallon - lol. So after that I am sure I will have some left. Any thought, recipes, links or suggestions would be so appreciated!
Ok, so maybe I am a little more excited than most of you that I am talking about tomatoes and not babies! :) As many of you know this is our first real garden! Everything we started this year was from Heirloom seeds - We didn't buy any pre-grown starters (not that there is anything wrong with that).
There are lots of baby tomatoes popping up everywhere! So far we don't have any ripe tomatoes but our plants our blooming and booming. Our purple tomatillo plant is Mega huge! And it is flowering like its spring, but still no babies yet.
I can truly say that I now understand what it means to love gardening. Knowing that we started these big beautiful plants from tiny little seeds, it is so gratifying. When I have tough days, I just go out into the garden or look at my pics and see the miraculous wonder that God has blessed us with in our garden. The colors, the smells, the tastes, and yes even the bugs. I love learning and growing like these plants! I love how God helps me blossom and bear fruit. I can say now, it is truly a gift from God to watch everything grow, including me!
