How To Start A Home Vegetable Garden

Yep, this diva is turning into a gardener.  I've staked off my vegetable garden, purchased a compost bin, and drawing plans to install additional flower gardens over the course of the next year.  I've decided to start small and gradually add in various gardens. 

Right now I'm going to start with the beds around my house and the vegetable garden.  The soil is great for edging my beds and clearing out weeds, so that will be my week-end chore depending on the  weather.   I pulled out a spade that I had in the storage building to see if I had the stamina to make the edging around the beds, this is something that I normally pay to have done, snap - I've figured it out.  I must also say, that my trench is better than the landscaper's too.  I'm so glad that I tried this spade, I was heading to Lowe's this week-end to buy one of those half-moon edgers.  This will do just fine!  Oh, please disregard the weeds, I'm getting to them.  Can you believe that I've had this tool in the storage building for 20 years, lol.  I'm debating on whether I should pull up this Alberta Spruce.  This is suppose to be a dwarf.  I didn't know that a dwarf would reach 6 feet, lol.  I love it, but it has become too big for the spot that it's in and it's overshadowing my Azalea.  I would love to relocate it, but I don't know if it would survive the shock of moving it.  I want to place Double Knockout Roses on that corner and a few other places in the border. 

I've staked off my vegetable garden.  I'm using the tarp to kill the grass, but it is as green as ever underneath.  I may have to resort to Roundup.  I debated on a raised bed, but decided to go with the rich soil in my yard.  My development used to be a farm, and my little acre of ground used to be a pig pen.  Everything grows!  I've decided to do some container gardening as well.  I'm going to plant a few tomato plants, cucumbers and herbs in pots on my decks.  In the garden I'll plant squash, zucchini, lettuce and a few pumpkins.   

Another project that I will be working on is putting up a privacy fence.  My neighbors have a dilapidated barn behind me, which is another story.  I want to hide the ugly barn and use the fence as a backdrop for my gardens.  As soon as the rain stops, we'll clean the fence line, till the garden and install a 6 foot wooden fence.  I'll be planting shade, butterfly and a cutting garden as well as a little reading area where I can admire the fruits of my labor.   I'm going to use field stone to use as a border.  I got lucky, there's a couple who has a retaining wall made out of field stone and they no longer want the walls.  I can take as much as I want for free.  I'm having a few garden benches, birdhouses and a tree house made for my grandson.  I'm in search of old benches, bird baths, and old watering cans so I'll be attending auctions this summer in search of a few fabulous finds.  As a matter of fact, I'm heading to a flea market in Amish country next month.  I love Lancaster, Pa. and try to spend a few days there every year.  It's such a peaceful way of life, the food is great and I always find a few treasures.   

Stay tuned for my adventures in gardening.  I'm actually thinking about starting a gardening blog to chronicle my growth as a Zone 6 gardener?  Do you garden?  If so, please leave me a comment with a name for my gardening blog.  If you have a gardening blog feel free to leave a link.  If you don't garden, please leave me a comment/suggestion anyway.  I love them!