My first veggie garden

...in approximately ten years.

This one will be wonderful because I'm planting more than beans and radishes.. and it won't be next to the house near the dryer vent anymore. (Gotta love linty veggies).

First, near the end of February, I went on parkseed.com and had a field day, purchasing seeds and their greenhouse-esque seed starter. Aside from the SLOOOOW shipping and lack of concrete shipping times, everything arrived in good happy condition in time to plant.

I started a bunch of seeds.. and let me tell you that "Bio Dome" thing is amazing. Nothing has failed to germinate or grow a strong seedling, which has made thinning the double-seeded pods a difficult decision.

This past weekend, I built an 8x8 raised bed in the backyard out of earth-friendly composite lumber. We bought two 2x6x16s, had them halved, drilled pilots, and bolted them against corner stakes in the yard. That part was actually fairly easy. The most difficult part was digging up all the grass within our designated square. I never want to do that again.. but thankfully, I won't have to.. until I move again of course. My poor boyfriend suffered through Day 2 of that.. poor Dad suffered through Day 1. Thank goodness for help, or I'd still be out there pulling up sod.

We filled with a 3rd peat, a 3rd garden mix which included some manure and vermiculite, and a 3rd topsoil.

I'm playing with the Square Foot Gardening method outside, though for now I just gridded off the southern 4' half of my garden and planted there. The taller summer plants will go on the back half when it's safe to put them outdoors.

Here is a current plant list and growth update:

Tomatoes: 2 varieties, started indoors, kicking butt
Eggplant: started indoors, slow-growing
Sweet Banana Peppers: "Bonus" seed packet, started indoors
Jalapenos: started indoors
Early Butternut Squash: started indoors, taking over my windowsill!
Cukes: Read early butternut
Summer Squash: started indoors, late to germinate, but now they're quite healthy

Radishes: seeds sown outdoors
Carrots: "
Lettuce: "
Spinach: "
Peas: "

Beans: waiting to sow til soil has warmed outdoors

The next thing I need is some fencing for when my plants pop up outdoors... we have LOTS of rabbits nearby who I'm sure will give my veggies an unwelcome pruning.

I'm looking forward to not killing these vegetables and having something nice to eat in a few weeks. At least I know the radishes will survive!!