Summer in Laguna Beach this year was very gray and dreary. Not a lot of sun for tomatoes or peppers. But I kept at it. The cages around the raised beds did their job and I’m happy to say I only caught a couple rats!
Below I will share my harvests and some pointers for new gardeners. If I can save anyone any aggravation I’ll be pleased. This is my 10th year of this grand experiment–and I’ve learned a lot along the way.
Here’s my garden gate, one of the cages and my rain barrel. We had so much rain last winter it’s still full of water.
Radishes are always so easy to grow. If you’re a new gardener I strongly recommend them. All the varieties are good, but I love how these French breakfast radishes look and taste.
There’s nothing like just-picked sweet spring onions. Another good crop for a beginning gardener.
Corn! In years past it’s been a disaster, but somehow this year it was a success.
The first batch of artichokes were great…the second, not so good. Again, I think they needed more sun.
Leeks. Start them from seeds…wait several months…and you’ll get a treat.
This is when I think I lost my mind. I actually put small mesh bags around the peaches to keep them safe from the birds. But aside from the insanity, it actually worked.
My hard work paid off! I got a lot of peaches…but only 2 plums.
The tomatoes were delicious, but not as plentiful as previous years. Usually the sun gold cherry tomatoes grow like weeds–this year they were a bust.
Another surprise–grapes! I had so many! I hung little dangling mirrors and mylar ribbon around the vine and it really worked. I strongly recommend it!
Happy carrots. What can I say. And another great crop for beginners…start from seed and then wait.
Now for the bugs!
Hornworms! There’s nothing more destructive in a garden. Seriously, overnight they will devour every leaf on your tomato plants.
That pretty much shows you how I spent my summer vacation. Soon I’ll be preparing the beds for winter–putting in the chicken manure and getting the soil ready.
I’ll continue to share all of my gardening adventures…and please…leave a comment and give me your great tips!
Categories: Gardening Tips, Summer
Tags: fresh corn on the cob, garden gates, gardening tips for beginners, growing peaches, home-grown tomatoes, protecting peaches with mesh bags, raised and caged veggie beds, veggie gardens, veggie gardens near the beach
2 replies ›
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
beautiful photos!
Thanks so much!