Is your veggie garden ugly?

Well, my veggie patch wouldn't win any beauty pageant; the tomatoes have all fallen over in their useless tripod cages and weeds abound, but hey, it's still a lot of fun.

GardenRant.com had a guest post about ugly -- or neglected -- vegetable gardens that has set off quite a buzz in the garden-blogging world. Add your thoughts at the above link.

Our first raised veggie bed

Here's the first of two. It's 4' x 8' and the other will be 4' x 10', and both will be plumbed for drip irrigation. They're made out of pressure-treated lumber, so the insides are lined with black plastic bags (a quick stapling job). Next, I have to line the bottom with something to keep nematodes at bay, probably newspaper, brown paper and old cotton blankets.

The designer and general contractor is Dan the spouse who insists on getting things nigh-on perfect, which is way more than I would do (and I'm a Virgo!). He thought of finishing the bed off with a 2" x 6" board to make it easier to sit or kneel, and it's a brilliant idea, not to mention it looks nice.

Anyway, I'm extremely grateful that he took it on because gardening is not his thing, except that he likes to cook so he does have a vested interest.

Growing veggies

Dan told me he caught some nitwit on one of the cable news programs talking about the benefits of locally grown produce. Apparently she said that, "some people are even growing their own. But you don't have to be that extreme." And this is several weeks after Michelle Obama started her organic veggie garden at the White House.

I have three collards, bought as small plants from Home Depot, growing in a big clay pot. Dan cooked a bunch last night, with a ham bone, for the first time. They were really good. I was a bit dubious because they are a cold season plant, but I'm glad to say I was wrong. We'll have to see how long they last into the summer. (He also made cornbread and deep fried some catfish; it was a feast!)

In late October, I started lots of tomato seeds (a mix of hybrids and heirlooms) and was surprised that almost all germinated, resulting in an excess. I gave half away to friends. I've had mixed results, and I really don't understand why some varieties do well one year and fail the next.

I also bought a young lemon pear from Home Depot when I bought the collards, and it seems to be the only heirloom that has done well this year. My black Russian has flowers that are dying and has produce four toms so far, three of which were eaten by something else. My green grapes have been a disaster, and my Brandywine is going gangbusters, but has produced very few flowers, despite lots of tomato food.

The only ones that have done well, other than the lemon pear, are sugary and black cherry. All three are cherry sized.

I mostly grow them in sterilized seven gallon pots, but I planted a few in the ground at the side of the house. They are pathetic, but I'm wondering if a neighbor's dog is using them as a place to pee.

Anyway, it's going to be too hot for the fruit to set soon. I'd like to get one Brandywine and one black Russian out of the effort before that happens.