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guitarnan
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 12:25pm | IP Logged
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True confessions time...I hate gardening. But...I love fresh veggies and I love the idea of getting them inexpensively via my own garden. My son built me a raised bed (couldn't use it last year because of our construction project, but we had a bumper crop of "stealth" gourds anyway), but the thought of spending tons of time on a garden is not too appealing.
Help me change my attitude, please! Do you have any tips on turning vegetable gardening into a pleasant hobby instead of a chore?
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 12:27pm | IP Logged
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I'm all ears! I really enjoy planning my garden but I wish I was wealthy enough to hire a gardener.
You're not alone Nancy!
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
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SaraP
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 12:44pm | IP Logged
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If you don't require that your garden be pretty as well as productive you can get away with doing very little work. You do have to plant things - I don't know of any way around that  - but once the plants are 6-8" tall they will generally hold their own against the weeds and you can stop weeding unless you get a vine-type weed which starts growing up your plants (these are not common at least where I live).
I've had several summers of very weedy, very productive gardens in my gardening career.
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Mama to six on earth, two in heaven and two waiting in Russia. Foxberry Farm Almanac
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 12:51pm | IP Logged
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Really, if you follow the true Square Foot Gardening method, after you put your garden in there is very little maintenance -- watering and staking are about all I do during the season.
But you have to lay the bed with a weed blocker -- lots of wet newspapers or the fabric, then lay the Mel's Mix into the boxes. Put in the grid, plan the layout (this link is awesome).
I've used this method for over 7 years. The years I didn't use enough Mel's Mix for the new season was the year I had more weeds, so I do try to replenish it.
I'm only a suburban gardener, with 4 boxes, so I'm not talking a huge amount.
I also would try having a dedicated herb and/or flower garden. How about a cottage garden, a cutting garden or dyer's garden...something that is visually rewarding without much work? That has rejuvenated my gardening enthusiasm.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Michaela
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 12:54pm | IP Logged
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My vegetable garden brought me more joy than anything I've done in YEARS. The sense of accomplishment, order, feeding my family what I grew.....on and on. The memories  my daughter laughs when she thinks about how I would pull her out to the yard every day just to look at the changes.
I believe the way to keep it a pleasant hobby rather than a chore is to keep your garden manageable....small.
Obviously plant the vegetables you will eat, but I like to see progress! it's so encouraging. soooo...I'd encourage you to plant veggies that you can harvest quickly (30 days)....loose leaf lettuce and radishes. Tomatoes are wonderful, but you have to waaaaait so long far that reward. Mix it up a bit to give you a reason to go out in the yard daily. If you plant something that takes 2-3 months, you might be less likely to care about the garden. Lots of watering and weeding with no reward. Well, for me, the rows, the order,and the colors of the garden make me happy!
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Michaela
Momma to Nicholas 16, Nathan 13, Olivia 13, Teresa 6, & Anthony 3
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 12:58pm | IP Logged
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I'm right there with you Nancy.. you can also cut way down on weeds with a good mulch.. once your plants are tall enough you put the mulch around them.
But.. some of those things just don't work here.. mulch also keeps the soil colder.. and we have a short growing season as it is 
But then the advantage to a short growing season.. I don't feel like I need to do more than one crop.. no early and late season gardens for me.. no winter gardens 
But I should/do need to figure out how to start my own from seeds and then transplant into the garden when it's warm enough. Ah well, the advantage in that is I have a lot more choices of what to grow
And this year will be much easier since I'm not pregnant.. and the previous year was when I had my miscarriage.. so if the weather just cooperates a bit.. this might be a good garden year.
ETA that it can be a good time for some quiet time.. or science with the younger kids.. or prayer.. I mean.. pulling weeds doesn't exactly keep your mind busy so it's a nice time for praying.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 1:26pm | IP Logged
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I second Square Foot Gardening. It really is less work, and you already have a raised bed! The Mel's mix works really well, and we get next to no weeds. My brown thumb comes from forgetting to water 
I probably will not get a garden in this year since we are moving and there are too many inside projects to work on, but next year, we plan on putting in raised beds (even though we will have plenty of space for a tilled garden) and starting over with the square foot method. You can find the book easily at the library.
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Erin
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 1:55pm | IP Logged
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I'm with Nancy and Becky.
So weeds are okay?
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Erin
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mavmama
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 3:06pm | IP Logged
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Here's the system I used before we moved to suburbia and had to build raised beds.
1. Live in a big, 102 year old farmhouse so that when winter comes, you will have to pile straw bales 2-high all around the foundation to keep from freezing your toes and pipes.
2. In the spring, before it gets too green, move the bales to the garden and peel off "leaves" about 5" thick. Lay these "leaves" all over the garden, like a carpet.
3. Plant your crop rows in between the rows of straw leaves.
4. All summer, watch your garden grow, weed free and without watering because you have such a great mulch layer in place.
5. Before the first killing frost, add new bales around your foundation.
6. After the first killing frost, burn off your garden. Yes, just light that straw and watch it go! You are adding nutrients to the soil which will soak in with the winter rain and snow. You are also killing all pests and their eggs so that next year you will have a cleaner garden.
I used this system for several years on the farm and am now using a modified version in my raised beds. I haven't yet figured out how to burn them off and not burn the sidewalls, and my pest problems are bad, I believe in part, because of not burning.
I learned about this method from Mother Earth news and it worked very, very well. If you cannot find good straw, use grass clippiongs, but be certain the grass has not had chemicals applied to it. I miss my BIG garden!
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Liz
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 3:09pm | IP Logged
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That sounds like the Ruth Stout Lazy Gardener system. I was going to use hers if I wasn't doing SFG.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 3:13pm | IP Logged
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Liz -
I love your system!!!
I didn't get to garden last year, but this upcoming spring we're looking forward to a combination of square foot gardening, lasagna gardening, with insight from my new Christmas book that is so interesting - The Resilient Gardener.
My problem? The oppressive heat and humidity of southern summers. [Insert Scarlet-O'Hara-hand-to-the-forehead-with-near-fainting-expression emoticon here!!!] Utterly blows my mind.
I will not abandon the garden in August....
I will not abandon the garden in August....
I will not abandon the garden in August....
I will not abandon the air conditioning in August...
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Jen Mackintosh
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 3:21pm | IP Logged
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Ah, yes Lasagna Gardening! Those are the three books I used to get our method together: SFG, Lasagna, and Ruth Stout.
Basically, I dislike the heat intensely. So anything to prevent weeds (and still be as organic as possible) is what keeps me from being in the heat!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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mavmama
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 4:01pm | IP Logged
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You are so good! I couldn't remember her name, but yes, that was her method and it WORKS!!!
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Liz
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Betsy
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I have used this method, without the burning and it's really great...especially after a few years. You will never need to buy worms for fishing, they are so plentiful in the garden!!!!!
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 6:50pm | IP Logged
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If I might be allowed to quote my one and only blog post..
Quote:
| My garden will never grace the pages of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine but it does grace our table with produce and that's sufficient |
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Michaela
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| Posted: Jan 07 2011 at 7:29pm | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
If I might be allowed to quote my one and only blog post..
Quote:
| My garden will never grace the pages of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine but it does grace our table with produce and that's sufficient |
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Very nice, Jodie! 
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Michaela
Momma to Nicholas 16, Nathan 13, Olivia 13, Teresa 6, & Anthony 3
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: The Reluctant Gardener
