What would YOU plant in a 12x9 plot
Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've visited this site but I'm glad to be back. My mom's friend wants me to design and plant a vegetable garden for her. She has three cute little kids, a boy who's 3, a 6 year old sister and a 10 month old girl. They also have two dogs, one of which eats plants but doesn't go outside. Anyway, for the past two days I've been digging up grass at their house and I've made 100 bucks in a total of 4 hours, not to shabby for a 16 year old. She wants me to decided everything that goes in her garden but she does want some flowers in there. I was thinking traditionally tomatoes and peppers because they are easy and fun to grow. I was also thinking carrots because kids love to pick those (I do too hehe). I asked her about zucchini and she wasn't too fond of that so I'm guessing eggplant is out too. Do you have any suggestions?? Give me anything you want!!
Hi Franco
Firstly well done on doing an honest days work! I would like to see my 16 year old go out and do some digging...fat chance of that ever happening!
I would plant Calendula officinalis (pot marigold) The flowers are bright and cheerful for the kids to look at and edible and/or Borago officinalis (borage) It also has flowers which are bright blue and they are also edible (taste a bit like cucumber). Both are very beneficial to a veg garden. The pot marigold attracts greenfly etc. away from the veges and the borage attracts bees and butterflies to the vege patch. Why not try a few climbing french beans as well. These can be grown up a wigwam of canes to take up only a small amount of room and sweet peas could be grown in between them which would make the vege patch smell nice too.
Firstly well done on doing an honest days work! I would like to see my 16 year old go out and do some digging...fat chance of that ever happening!
I would plant Calendula officinalis (pot marigold) The flowers are bright and cheerful for the kids to look at and edible and/or Borago officinalis (borage) It also has flowers which are bright blue and they are also edible (taste a bit like cucumber). Both are very beneficial to a veg garden. The pot marigold attracts greenfly etc. away from the veges and the borage attracts bees and butterflies to the vege patch. Why not try a few climbing french beans as well. These can be grown up a wigwam of canes to take up only a small amount of room and sweet peas could be grown in between them which would make the vege patch smell nice too.
Oh thank you so much!! We are actually going to the garden center after school tomorrow to pick some stuff out so I'm glad you responded so quickly! I'll tell you, if your son plays any sports he should really try digging grass. I've been wrestling for 5 years and I definitely consider this training lol.
- Gnome
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Franco,
12x9 is pretty small. You should consider planting some herbs, you get a lot from a small space. I really enjoy fresh Basil and Rosemary. It might not be too late to try some lettuce, you can re-use the same space later in the season for something else.
Carrots need a really deep, loose soil to perform well. Tomatoes are almost a necessity. I like the idea of growing vertically to get more from the limited space. Watch how you orient the trellises so as not to shade other plants unless you want them to, perhaps the lettuce could go on the dark side to shade them a bit.
Norm
12x9 is pretty small. You should consider planting some herbs, you get a lot from a small space. I really enjoy fresh Basil and Rosemary. It might not be too late to try some lettuce, you can re-use the same space later in the season for something else.
Carrots need a really deep, loose soil to perform well. Tomatoes are almost a necessity. I like the idea of growing vertically to get more from the limited space. Watch how you orient the trellises so as not to shade other plants unless you want them to, perhaps the lettuce could go on the dark side to shade them a bit.
Norm