From eating dust to growing produce!

Who knew that we would be building a vegetable garden this spring!  It certainly wasn't something we were thinking about until COVID-19 arrived.  I still remember Jim and I were sitting outside on our lower level.  We were slumped down on our canvas camping chairs, having just returned from a 2 day medical trip to Campbell River.  We were tired but very happy to be out of town and home,, having loaded the truck with extra food and toilet paper, of course.  As we sat there, overlooking our dirt domain and view beyond,  Jim had a brainwave.  

Jim said "What about shifting gears and creating a vegetable garden instead of inside projects?"  It seemed like a no-brainer!  The timing was right, spring was upon us and we had the space.  Boy did we have the space. So, on March 18 we began our amazing, wonderful, fun-filled experience of starting a garden from nothing.  Here is it...the best shots of our before and afters...

March 18, 2020

July 17, 2020

So...the following is a quick look at March to July in our garden...

 

The raised beds were made out of cedar boards, driftwood logs, left over planks, etc. and a few screws.

Fence was the #1 priority so we could keep deer and other critters out.  Then we were off to the races!

This is me working at the end of the bed then the finished garden from same area.

This dirt pile was our starting place to create new soil. We added loads of manure, all the
compost we had been working on for a year, a couple of loads of sea soil, etc.

It doesn't look like much but I'm holding a worm!  Big news when you have little good soil. 

The dirt mound was renamed Squash Mountain.

This is a driftwood shade structure Jim built.  This part of the yard gets VERY hot in full sun.

These potatoes were gifts from the gods

After nursing the new potatoes for weeks Jim planted them on the hottest day of the year.

Same plants mid July.  Of course, we're still not sure wha't s underground...

No we didn't plant plates!  But they worked great as wind blocks for our tiny broccoli.

Giant broccoli ate Jim!  No flowers yet!

May 2018

 

Jim planting strawberries under a sheet because it was so hot on Mother's Day when we planted.

  We kid you not!

July 19, 2020

We have had lots of produce already.  Another blogs shows you that and flowers and baby veggies.

Cheers for now.

Tricia and Jim

Fruits of our labours...

Not only did we have to build the raised beds but we had to get cracking with starting plants too!

Layering soil, manure, seaweed, etc and cover with mulch before planting.

We ordered most of our seeds from West Coast Seeds and some small back up packages from Amazon.ca. 

Every windowsill in the house was holding pots of seedlings.  We started garlic and onions from plants too.

Now we're getting produce!  Lettuce since the end of May and still coming.  Kale, chard, spinach, carrots, parsnips, garlic, onions, tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, peas, beans and zuccinni.  Think that's everything.  What a joy it is to sit outside now, surrounded by flowering plants, bees, butterflies and peace.  

Our very first salad greens

Preping kale chips to bake in the oven.  Turned out great!

Keeping the greens picked is almost a full time job.

We expect to be harvesting young peas, cucumbers, lettuce and zucchini in the next couple of days.  Life is good!

Jim and Tricia Bowen