Already planning for next year!

[tedln]

I haven't even got my tomatoes planted for this years garden and I find myself looking, thinking, and mentally rearranging for next years garden. I already know I will need to expand it. Our daughter told me two days ago that she and her neighbors have decided I need a larger garden. My wife was shopping yesterday and friends were stopping her asking when my tomatoes and cucumbers and squash will be ripe and available this year. She called me on the cell phone (I was working in the garden) and asked if it is to late to expand my garden for this year. I told her the new thirty foot long bed I added this year will have to be enough for everyone for the spring crop. I may be able to add another thirty foot bed and two eight foot beds for a fall crop, but I will also have to rework my buried watering system. I don't really want to be digging around in beds replacing the water pipes while I have crops growing. Since I want to contain the new beds within my existing garden fence, they will be limited to 24" widths instead of my standard 48" widths. That will still allow me to get the lawn mower between the beds. I may simply have to give in and expand one side of my garden fence.

Since my wife and I only eat less than 10% of the crops I grow, it means we have a lot of friends and neighbors and family stopping by during the summer. We share a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea and they leave with a large bag of fresh vegetables.

I love gardening. It helps keep life from becoming boring.

Ted

[rainbowgardener]

It's an addiction! Amazing how it all keeps expanding.... I extended one of the shelves in my seed starting operation this year and added a shelf in front of living room windows for the over flow. I'm walking around my property looking for places I could put in another garden bed....

[tedln]

It's an addiction! Amazing how it all keeps expanding.... I extended one of the shelves in my seed starting operation this year and added a shelf in front of living room windows for the over flow. I'm walking around my property looking for places I could put in another garden bed....

Yes it is an addiction. Since I am testing my ability to start plants early from seed this year on a small scare, I will probably expand that operation next year. I am already looking and thinking about building a climate controlled green house for next winter for winter gardening and seed starting. This year I am starting seed in my shop on top of a trolly that has a flexible neck light on it and is covered with 1/4" thick rubber. Since it is in my shop, it stays warm and the light can be moved around as needed. Unfortunately, my shop has no outside windows for light so I have to provide all the light they need.

Ted

[gixxerific]

I feel ya ted. Good luck on all your plans and keep those peopl fed. That should be enough of an insintave there. At least you know they are eating fresh produce and not a bunch of junk that most Americans eat.

I have already extend my main garden last season and a new section a month or so ago so that will be it for me (for now). As Apple said my indoor is growing almost faster than my tomatoes. I started with nothing in Dec now I have 3 four foot lights down there, 2 four bulb lights and a 2 bulb light. I'm actually on my way to Lowe's to see if I can get another cheap 4 bulb light. I'm running out of room. Next year it will be different and more thought out.

Again good luck. We have to feed those friends of ours. Mine may have thought they got a lot last year, but I hope they are more hungry this year.


Oh yeah I'm also extedning a flower bed too in the front. Though I will sneak in some veggies there for sure. Swiss chard sure is pretty.

[applestar]

Next year it will be different and more thought out.

It doesn't matter HOW well thought out your plans are. You'll have to stay off the Helpful Gardener forum during the seed starting season or you're going to over-plant. GUARANTEED! (...and there's no way you can do *that*, can you? )

Even if you carefully manage your seed buying sprees, restrain yourself with heroic effort, and manfully (or womanfully) turn your head away from those seed racks at the gardening stores, well-meaning souls keep sending you extra seeds! (I love you! )

But you know what! You love it! *I* love it! There's ALWAYS room for more!!

[GardenJester]

yeah, never "shop" the seed rack. Have in your mind exactly what you need and buy only that and leave. Or else you are going to buy way more seeds than you have space for then you would want to expand your garden. Bigger garden leads to more seed buying and pretty soon, gardening will take over your life. muwahaha...

[Duh_Vinci]

It is an addition, but a healthy one!!!

I can related indeed, already drew up the plans for expansion for next year too!

Good luck with expansion, Ted!

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

Next year it will be different and more thought out.

It doesn't matter HOW well thought out your plans are. You'll have to stay off the Helpful Gardener forum during the seed starting season or you're going to over-plant. GUARANTEED! (...and there's no way you can do *that*, can you? )

Even if you carefully manage your seed buying sprees, restrain yourself with heroic effort, and manfully (or womanfully) turn your head away from those seed racks at the gardening stores, well-meaning souls keep sending you extra seeds! (I love you! )

But you know what! You love it! *I* love it! There's ALWAYS room for more!!

What I meant by "more thought out" was my seed starting area will be more effeicient, so you do the math on that.

[tedln]

I also will be working on another garden expansion this year as a volunteer. A church in our community purchased fifteen acres of land to use as a community garden. They have divided the land into three equal five acre plots. One plot will grow nut trees and fruit trees. The second plot will grow vegetables destined for local food banks and homeless shelters. The third plot will be subdivided into manageable size plots for anyone who wants to grow their own garden for their own use. It should be a lot of fun to work with people who have never experienced the pleasure of growing anything before.

Ted

[gixxerific]

I also will be working on another garden expansion this year as a volunteer. A church in our community purchased fifteen acres of land to use as a community garden. They have divided the land into three equal five acre plots. One plot will grow nut trees and fruit trees. The second plot will grow vegetables destined for local food banks and homeless shelters. The third plot will be subdivided into manageable size plots for anyone who wants to grow their own garden for their own use. It should be a lot of fun to work with people who have never experienced the pleasure of growing anything before.

Ted

Ted I would love to get hooked up with something like that but I havent' been able to fing anything like that around my area yet. I have tried somewhat but not really sure where to start.

[tedln]

Dono,

The only way I found this one was the fact that our daughter and her family attend the church. We attend a different church.

They had their first volunteer meeting back in December. About 200 people showed up to volunteer to work. They had to clean old farm structures and dilapidated buildings from the property as well as scrub brush. About 150 kids and adults showed up the first weekend to clean and prepare the property. The really neat thing is the fact that the volunteers range from Master Gardeners to kids to house wives to college students. A really good mix of people of different interests and races.

Ted