I have this slightly obsessive need to document my garden’s progress. It’s a rather strange manifestation of OCD, but whatevs… When you first put in your starter plants it’s hard to imagine what they’ll look like in a few months. But if you take pictures every week or so, you start to realize how quickly the little guys grow and how easy it is to overlook the change when you see your plants every day. Tomato plants make for especially good pictures, thanks to the rungs on the tomato cages which clearly mark your plants’ progress.

As long as I’ve got this picture taking compulsion, I may as well put the results to good use and blog about it.

Now that the raised beds and plants are in, I’ve been spending a lot of time figuring out how to make the most of what I’ve got. I prowl Pinterest looking for homemade fertilizers, ideas to keep the vines in check, and sprays for powdery mildew and black spot on my roses. But it’s still fairly early in the summer, so here is a glimpse at where I started.

I’m trying some new things in this garden, and attempting to grow some things I haven’t had a ton of success with in the past. I’m even trying some new techniques. Apparently Epsom Salt makes a great, low cost fertilizer. Giving that a shot. Also, I’ve learned that you can grow squash on a  trellis. Totally trying that! 

What I’m growing:

A whole bunch of different tomatoes

Yellow Squash

Zucchini

Butternut squash

Collard Greens

Tomatillos

Basil (Sweet, Thai, and Purple)

Brussel Sprouts

Yellows Onions

Red Onions

Potatoes (whatever kind I had laying around in the kitchen)

Leeks

Bell Peppers

Jalapenos

Lettuce

Bok Choi

Pole Beans

Cilantro

Parsley

Rosemary

Lavendar

Mint

Lemon Balm

Lemon Grass

Blueberries

Strawberries

Blackberries

Spaghetti Squash (hopefully)