John and I love food. A lot. In fact we both took a “how-compatible-are-you” test back when we started dating and we both listed eating as one of our favorite hobbies. So it’s no surprise that we finally got around to converting a formerly bushy bed in our backyard into an herb, vegetable & fruit garden for chowing down on fresh and organic produce all summer and into fall.
We cleared the bushes out (although we kept a little rose bush in the corner) and planted some organic lettuce seeds (along with a $9 raspberry bush from Lowe’s) back in March. And then a little peony plant surprised us by popping up in the back of the garden out of nowhere. Bonus! The next step was hitting up our local farmer’s market (South Of The James Farmer’s Market here in Richmond) for some delicious veggies and herbs. The vendors are always amazing, as are their wares. Check out these cheerful buckets of blooms…
… and these gorgeous radishes all purple and plentiful…
In fact the fruit and veggies were so enticing that we couldn’t return home without snagging a big box of fresh strawberries and a bag of arugula. But we also came home with eight new plants for our garden. For just $10 (!!!) we grabbed: one cherry tomato plant, one golden tomato plant, two basil plants, one zinnia, one parsley plant, one swiss chard and one oregano plant. Along with our existing rose bush, our new raspberry bush, our surprise peony and our newly sprouting lettuce, we knew those eight additions would be a great start to growing our own fresh eats out back.
But we also knew that we needed to add some lush and lovely evergreens to keep the space from looking sad and bare in the winter months once the herbs and veggies disappear. We swung through Lowe’s and picked up two Winter Gem Boxwoods (for $14.98 each) and one Cypress King’s Gold (for $14.98) to add color, structure and year-round interest. Then we returned home and laid everything out to come up with a loose idea of our layout.
With a rough idea of the plant placement under our belts, it was time for some quick soil amending. Although you can do this extremely thoroughly with a rototiller (they can be rented from Lowe’s and Home Depot), since it was such a small area we decided to rough up the soil with a shovel. Yeah it took a bit of elbow grease but we were able to dig about 8″ into the soil and get it ready for some pretty delicious organic nutrients (free courtesy of our backyard compost bin).
Not only did we add a good amount of compost to our roughed up dirt, we also threw down some nutrient rich topsoil just to be sure that our little sprouts would continue to, well, sprout. Then we raked everything together and turned the soil for a while until it looked blended and ready for planting.
There are many different formulas when it comes to amending soil (depending on whether you have sandy or clay conditions to start with, etc), but we have found that compost is really the magic touch to any garden- you just can’t go wrong adding some organic, nutrient-rich compost.
Then it was time to plant everything (we tossed a bit more compost into each hole), and afterwords we mulched the whole garden to keep weeds at bay and help everything stay moist. Here’s Burger stealing our new garden’s thunder. He’s such a camera hog. As you can see, the three evergreens provide structure and fullness that will last throughout the year while our rose bush (back left), raspberry bush (back middle) and peony (back right) will add eye candy and mouth candy too.
We also have a cherry tomato plant (in front of the rose bush), some swiss chard (in front of our boxwood) a zinnia (between the boxwood and the cypress), two basil plants (on either side of the cypress), and some parsley (to the right of the cypress). And of course there’s another tomato plant, some lettuce that we planted in March sprouting up and some oregano on the other side of the boxwood on the right (not pictured).
Here’s a close-up of the gorgeously colorful swiss chard and our surprise peony that’s ready to pop.
We love our little garden and we already have big plans to spruce things up even more (adding some pretty trellises for our raspberry and tomatoes to climb, power washing the brick, bringing in more herbs and veggies if we’re successful with our first attempts, etc).
But for now we’re taking pleasure in the simple things. Fresh basil…
… pretty red blooms…
… and raspberries that should be appearing soon.
We also love that we can actually see the garden from our sunroom. Now there’s no excuse not to eat our yeilds! Here’s a shot from above (I was standing on the daybed) just for one more vantage point.
And now for the budget breakdown. Eight herbs/veggies ($10) + three evergreens ($44.94) + mulch/top soil ($5) = $59.94. Not too shabby, right?
So what about you guys? Do you grow anything edible? Any plans for a container garden or even some windowsill herbs in your future? Tell us all about your planting to-do list.
Laurie says
I love gardening and last fall I made my veggie garden a little bigger. I grow the traditional stuff…lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, basil, parsley, zucchini, cukes, etc….I also planted strawberries last year but I don’t know if they come back every year? I’m thinking they do so I shall just wait and see. I want to plant rhubarb too, I have great memories eating the stalks dipped in sugar when I was child, and would like to re-create that for my own kids :)
heather s. says
I recently planted a small container garden for tomatoes, basil and cilantro (you can read about it on my blog – athomewithh.blogspot.com). I had to go the container route since I have rabbits that would eat anything I put in the ground but I think it looks great and I’ve already started harvesting the basil leaves (in fact I had tomato, basil and mozarella last night before dinner – yum!).
Jaime @ Project [Casa de Ayala] says
Very pretty! Love the garden! Can’t wait to see the raspberries!
P.S. Voted this morning.
two Excited nests. says
I envy your lovely garden, and a SURPRISE PEONY? Wowza. We live in a townhouse with limited space, and I just have no clue where we would start to grow a little somethin’, somethin’. My friend recently planted some lemon basil. My mouth gets all watery just thinking about it!
Alison says
Not much of a gardener, but I must say I love that one pic of Burger sneaking in. Hilarious!
EastEnd says
There’s a farmer’s market in Richmond????? How can I find out more about it? I’ve looked high and low for one and have been lamenting the lack…..
I’m also soooo jealous of your garden! Apparently my yard is known in the bird world as a bird sanctuary, to the point where one actually built a nest in the wreath on my front door. They eat everything I plant. There are cds fluttering in the wind and I have one of those owls from Lowe’s that scares me to death but the birds just bash it around. I keep trying though….they’ve already devoured my brussels sprouts plants but I’m resorting to deer netting and pinwheels now……
Bree says
What a great idea to create a garden from an existing flowerbed by the house! I’ve been planning to plant a good-sized garden for a while now, but can never seem to get my husband to build me the boxes! Oh well… We are pretty lucky in that we have 2 tangerine trees, a navel tree, and a lemon tree, as well as the most amazing Blackberry bush growing in the yard from the previous owners. The berries are just now turning black and are huge!
Melissa says
Looks great! Can’t wait to see your progress with the garden this summer. Will we also see an update soon on the seed starter kit you started a couple months ago?
Oh, I also wanted to mention in case you’re not familiar with raspberry plants – they can get wild pretty easily! We were so excited that we had raspberry plants growing along the side of the house we bought late last summer. This year, those babies have spread everywhere! I had no idea they would take over the side yard so quickly! We spent time pruning them this spring and pulling out some of the new plants that started growing this year. Seriously, they were invading our yard. I think the key is to keep an eye on them each spring and control them by pulling out new plants that are sprouting in places you don’t want them. We did enjoy our raspberry harvest last summer, though. It was great to have fresh raspberries for breakfast, smoothies, and to mix in to refreshing adult beverages! :)
Wendy says
We have an herb garden planted beside our back deck, next to our grill. Whenever my husband grills, he grabs some of the herbs and integrates them into whatever he’s cooking. We like to cut pieces of the rosemary bush and grill veggies or shrimp on them and he even rubs the rosemary and lemon balm on steaks and chicken – it’s yummie!
Melissa says
We plant about eight basil plants each year so I can make pesto and freeze it to last all year long! We also plant tomatoes and rosemary, and this year, we’re trying out broccoli. In pots, we planted thyme, oregano, chives, Italian parsley and mint. We’re trying to sell our house, so I wanted to be able to take those with us! It’s amazing how much more cost-effective it is to grow your own herbs and veggies!
By the way, I love your blog! I’ve gotten so many ideas for our next house, which hopefully won’t take too long to find!
stephanie says
OH I love growing our own food!
Last year we planted some peach trees and I am so excited to see the beginnings of lots o’ little peaches showing up! For Valentines day my husband gave me Lemon trees because my FAVORITE drink is lemon water. We have grape vines planted along our fence. Spinach and tomato, corn and pumpkin, are all growing as well. First attempt at corn and the pumpkin was a happy accident. (after the ‘experiment’ of watching our jack-o-lantern decompose–our girls could not stand to watch them go in the trash) Our fav by far is the strawberries ’cause we can enjoy them knowing there aren’t any chemicals in them! It’s taken several years but we are finally enjoying strawberries! We also have a few chickens! So we get fresh eggs as well. And less trash-what doesn’t go to compost can usually be fed to the chickens. And yes we are a normal family livin’ in the ‘burbs! we just have a fabulous big back yard!! Enjoy your garden!!
Notesfromthegrove says
Last year my husband and I planted an herb garden which turned out pretty well. We learned not to plant it in too much sunlight…those delicate little plants need shade too. And there’s pretty much no such thing as over-watering. I think we did basil, rosemary, cilantro, chives, and thyme. The only thing I’m still trying to figure out is–what’s the best way to preserve those herbs since they grow quicker than we use them. Advice, anyone?
Meredith says
I’m totally jealous that your plants are already in the ground! I am still waiting for our backyard to be tilled :(
I can’t wait to see the progress and what you guys learn! Most importantly, I can’t wait to see the veggies! I think I might cry if none of mine actually produce veggies.
Also, thanks for the tip about looking for raspberry plants at Lowe’s–I keep looking at the local granges, and they’re all out!
Amy says
Your garden is so cute! Very inspiring.
We have some wild blackberry bushes growing in our backyard. Last summer, I tried my hand at planting some herbs, but that didnt work out too well. We plan on building a raised garden in the backyard eventually. Hopefully by next summer it will be ready for some veggies!
Molly says
We’re actually working on a compost bin right now. And although we’re not planting anything edible, we did plant a Carolina Jessmine vine in our backyard to lush things up, working on some stepping stones to our table & chairs area, and using our grass clippings in the yard to get a free application of fertilizer by the end of the year (all those grass clippings through the year add up to what one chemical fertilizer application would be). And with a 2 year old running about, we certainly don’t want any chemicals laying on the grass. :) Even if they do say that they are safe after a period of time being in the yard.
Pamela says
I’ve got 3 gardens – 2 flower/herb and 1 veggie. We have basil (sweet & globe), oregano, lavender, catnip, and cilantro for herbs. In the veggie garden I have tomato (regular & cherry), 5 types of peppers, lettuce, soy beans, okra, green beans, and zuchinni. We should get our first peppers and cherry tomatoes this weekend-ish.
I like the idea of using an area on the side of the house for veggies instead of bushes. I wish I had thought earlier to use one of those flower garden for veggies. I didn’t think it got enough sun, but as we get deeper into summer I see the angle of the sun is changing and my poor little part sun/shade plants are going to burn!
Emily says
What happened to the seeds you started this spring? Did they not make it?
YoungHouseLove says
Melissa & Emily- We meant to mention that our indoor seed kit was a total bust. They did amazingly well until the put-them-in-sunlight step, and we wondered for weeks where we went wrong (everything up and died pretty quickly). Then we learned from a master gardener in our neighborhood that it was probably our new Low-E windows! Apparently they reflect sunlight to keep the house cooler, but they can also keep plants on interior windowsills from getting an abundance of sunlight. We’re beyond thankful that all of our other more established house plants survived the window switcheroo, but apparently growing things from seed isn’t as effective as snatching up affordable plants that are already hardened off at our local farmer’s market for us!
East End- There are actually a bunch of farmer’s markets here in Richmond! Here’s some info about the one we went to: South of the James Market: Forest Hill Park, Shelter No. 2, Richmond. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon, through October. Info: Karen Atkinson, (804) 513-3100, or [email protected] and here’s a link to another popular farmer’s market downtown. Have fun!
xo,
Sherry
Rachel says
We’ve planted tomatoes, habanero peppers, jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, blackberries, raspberries, and a patio-size peach tree. Can’t wait until everything starts producing.
Melissa is so right—raspberries and blackberries can take over everything if you don’t watch them.
Megan says
We haven’t fully gotten out garden ready yet as this year has been a little crazy, but we have done tomatoes and a few random veggies before. My dad is a huge gardener and will be sharing a few plants in years to come, including blueberries and raspberries. I love berries! He does everything as organic as possible, including picking up used coffee grounds from local stores and egg shells (blueberries love ’em), plus compost from his home and mine. Good luck and great job spending such little money to make such a big impact!
tamisha says
Byrd House Market is my favorite:
Byrd House Market: William Byrd Community House, 224 S. Cherry St., Richmond. Tuesdays, 3:30-7 p.m., through October. Info: http://www.wbc.org or (804) 643-2717
I’m going tonight! Can’t wait.
Then there’s the 17th street marketplace:
17th Street Farmers’ Market: 17th and East Main streets, Richmond. Thursdays, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sundays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., through December. Info: (804) 646-0477 or http://www.17thstreetfarmersmarket.com
Wayne Bell says
How damn cute are these people…i mean seriously. Im kind in love with both of them and their projects:)
Sami Jenkins says
Notesfromthegrove –
For herbs like basil, chives lemon balm, mint and tarragon – your best option is freezing them (their high water content makes them hard to dry without them getting all moldy). Just wash, pat dry and freeze. You can even chop them up and and freeze them in ice cube trays — for a simple “herb pop” for sauces.
Beth says
I’m so glad that you’ve planted a veggie garden this year! Me and my boyfriend are such foodies too and they are so fun! I have done this the past few years in-ground, but found that weeds were a huge problem and controlling them was really hard. This year, I have 3 tomato plants and basil in containers (and 7 little tomatoes already forming!) on the deck, and then I am doing 2 above ground gardens (10ft by 2ft) to avoid our weeds and promote good draining for the veggies.
So far I have peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, corn, okra, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, mesculin greens, carrots, etc. Might have over done it, but at $1.99/pack at Depot- we’ll just see what makes it through the summer!
Good Luck you guys!!!
trish says
ooh, what a gorgeous little green spot! I am still (still!) trying to plan out my own garden space, but I would love to grow tomatoes–I love tomatoes, and zucchinis, because they are easy.
Emily says
We live in an apartment but grow basil and rosemary in pots. The basil’s always exciting during the summer but then makes me sad when it dies in winter. Rosemary, on the other hand, is pretty hard to kill (oh trust me, I have tried) and grows satisfyingly well. Plus it smells great! We may not have space for a full vegetable garden, but just having a few herbs makes me really happy, and I love cooking with them.
Teeni says
We are currently garden-less due to extenuating circumstances. However, we are very fortunate to have a CSA in our area. For a yearly fee, we get literally more organic, locally grown fresh veggies than my family alone can possibly consume (we share liberally with friends and neighbors) and support a small family farm in the process. I encourage anyone who can’t grow their own to check out the CSA option!
LINDZ says
I love it! We did the biggest garden ever last year – too too much for just two people to eat. I have a brown thumb but I actually bought an herb garden kit from Home Depot 2 weeks ago for $6.99! I’m proud to say that I’ve got parsley, basil, and chives that are flourishing in my window sill! I love the idea of just being about to snap off fresh herbs anytime while cooking. If I can do it then anyone can and you can’t beat $6.99!
Heather says
we love gardening! my husband works for Park Seed (go check it out online!) so we get all kinds of goodies on the cheap or for our favorite price, free.
we just started a vegetable garden and an herb garden. we planted 5 tomato plants (2 kinds), 2 squash, 2 zucchini, 1 green bell pepper, basil, oregano, mint, chives, rosemary, and parsley.
EastEnd says
Thanks for the farmer’s market info! I’ll be south of the James on Saturday! Heck it’s heady, maybe I’ll even check out the Byrd House tonight! I live pretty close to the 17th street mercado, but to me it’s not a farmer’s market, since there’s only one vendor. And spent a very futile Saturday morning last year looking for the Lakeside one without any luck….
Sherrie says
Two years ago we planted a medium sized garden, which yielded an endless supply of Roma’s and jalapenos, so salsa all summer long. Additionally we grew banana peppers, green peppers, yellow squash, zuchini, and one eggplant. The eggplant never did very well; they are difficult to grow. The yellow squash produced well, but bugs overtook the leaves.
This year we planted peas and lettuce in the Spring, which we are eating now, and garlic and a variety of onions, which we will dig up probably end of summer. The peas were mostly mowed by a rabbit; after putting up chicken wire fencing, they came back. We will plant most of what we planted two years ago for summer, minus the squash that took up lots of room, and the eggplant.
We also have several raspberry bushes that were given to us, and also some cilantro. My basil I need to replant, and I have other varieties of herb seeds I would like to start, such as mint for fragrance mostly.
We have a blueberry picking farm nearby that I will soon visit. I went four times last summer; became addicted to eating and picking the little antioxidant rich plump berries. Mmm… The first time I picked, the berries were the size of quarters.
Ms. Molly says
I have a plot at the local community garden where I am growing lettuce, cauliflower, onions, beets, cabbage, carrots, beans, strawberries, parsley and thyme. At home on the patio I am growing a variety herbs including mint for my mojitos and lots of flowers like snap dragons, geraniums, hydranga, and begonias. I’ve really been enjoying watching my gardens grow. Good luck with yours!
Kristal says
Looks great! And you can’t beat $10 for all those plants, plus a surprise peony.
My husband and I are growing our first ever garden this year – we’ve got roma and grape tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers, orange peppers, yellow banana peppers, bush beans, okra, zucchini squash, and butternut squash. Whew…it looks like a lot now that I’ve typed it all out! Hopefully it’s successful.
I’ve also got three containers of herbs – one with two different types of basil, one with mint and sage, and another with rosemary and thyme. We’ve already been able to use the herbs a number of times – so yummy!
Molly says
I was reading above that your indoor kit was a bust and I actually had 2 indoor kits that ended up being a bust, too. They did well in the “mini greenhouse” that was with the kit and thrived and popped the top off of it. Once we transplanted it to a bigger pot (using compost soil), they shriveled up and died. I guess we did something in the process that hurt the roots?? We have no idea, but were happy that it only cost a few dollars.
Marissa says
I love to see other people as excited about edible gardening as I am this year! We have a teeny tiny patio, but I’m still managing to try out two tomato plants, a rosemary plant, and a basil plant. Added bonus: The rosemary and basil smell so good!
Lisa says
Oh man, this makes me want to decamp from Manhattan to the suburbs…. almost. I settle for getting fresh herbs from FreshDirect, our local Internet grocer, and invariably would throw away leftovers that went bad after using 1-2 teaspoons or tablespoons for whatever I was cooking. Now I wash the whole bunch of herbs at once, dry, chop/mince/grate, use what I need for the recipe, and wrap the rest in a few layers of paper towel before freezing in a zip-top bag or plastic container. It’s almost like freeze-drying, and now I have nearly-fresh rosemary, chives, ginger, thyme, etc. whenever I need it!
Massachusetts Gardener says
A small garden is a great idea for everyone. I have one myself and dry or freeze the herbs (wash, dry throughly and put in a freezer ziploc, and label cause all that stuff looks the same in January) at the end of the season.
Just a warning to the urban or suburban gardeners out there regarding LEAD IN THE SOIL. A good idea to get your soil tested, especially if you live in an area of old homes. Good article in the NY Times recently:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/garden/14lead.html?_r=1&hpw
Happy planting!
Paula says
We only have a patio, so we have rosemary, basil and tomatoes growing out there. With more room, we’d grow more stuff.
Your garden is lovely!
Jennifer says
I recognize those radishes from the Victory Gardens stand at the South of the James Farmer’s Market! Yeah! We are members of their CSA and enjoy fresh veggies all summer. That, in addition to our backyard garden, means I don’t buy veggies from the supermarket.
Those raspberries can take over that little garden, so you might want to start searching your yard for a place to move them. And Swiss Chard likes mild weather, so say goodbye to it when the weather gets hot. And stake your tomatoes before they get too big.
Congrats on your baby garden!
Erin says
I’ve wanted to grow, but haven’t had time to prep the soil. SO, I bought four tomato plants and one pepper plant and they’re doing beautifully in containers on my deck. Can’t wait until they start bearing fruit!
Emma says
My husband and I are very neglectful of plants – I know people clain this often, but we are very very abusive to greenery…but I am convinced that reform is totally possible and we can surely pull off a small herb garden in this quaint brick circle where some daffodils once called home, but smothered each other between tenants in the past. I love to have fresh rosemary, basil, oregano and parsley on hand at home, so that’s what I may start with. Anyone know about upside down tomato plants? Thinking about trying that too… Thanks again for the inspiration Sherry and John!
Robin says
Hello there,
This is off subject but I wanted to let you know that I’ve been trying my best to vote daily. Twice now I haven’t been able to, because I get a message that the letters I’m typing in to verify are incorrect. I re-type, same message. Try to exit and go back in, same letters, same message. Anyone else had this problem or is it just me? I so want you guys to win – I honestly think your makeover was the best (and I selfishly love your blog and want you to have $5k to work even more magic with!)
Robin says
Okay – update – I just went on to the voting site and successfully voted.
Angela says
I love to eat, too, so I love any gardening that ends in eating fresh produce! Our house came with six dwarf peach trees. Which are wonderful, and a LOT of work (they get diseased without all sorts of sprays…I am pretty committed to organic gardening, but haven’t figured out how to do that with peaches). We end up with six bushels of peaches every year. I would love an herb garden (we cook with a lot of fresh basil and cilantro) and blueberry bushes.
Heidi says
Hold up….you actually planted a raspberry bush? Is this some sort of magical raspberry plant that doesn’t spread? DO TELL. We’ve spent 2 summers killing off an entire backyard worth of raspberry/blackberry bushes, removing 25 yrs worth of root balls and then tilling and mulching so we could lay down sod. This is last yr http://www.flickr.com/photos/semetwilliams/494999001/ at one point this entire yard was roof high with blackberries http://www.flickr.com/photos/semetwilliams/1465991252/
YoungHouseLove says
Hey everyone,
We figured we should divulge more info about our raspberry bush since a lot of people are worried about it overtaking the garden. We selected a species called the Heritage Raspberry (apparently there are about a million different kinds) and ours claims that it only gets to be 3′ x 3′ (it’s already about 2.5′ tall and there’s more than enough room to accommodate the full size in our back row). Now we just have our fingers crossed that the size on the tag is accurate. But of course we can always move her somewhere else if she starts cramping our little garden…
xoxo,
Sherry
delightfuldwelling says
We are trying the gardening thing for the first time this year too. We are starting out with containers this year, if everything works out we will try a bigger plot next year. We have to rabbit proof things though, our neighborhood has a major overpopulation of rabbits. Its always trial and error to see which of my flowers they will eat. We have peppers, celery, lettuce, spinach, and several herbs growing. I posted pics on my blog.
We didn’t have too much luck with the mini-greehouse kits either. The peppers survived, but the other plants we started indoors did not fair so well.
Yvette says
Do you know if Winter Gem Boxwoods and Cypress King’s Gold would do well in Colorado??? I love the idea of adding some lush and lovely evergreens to keep the space from looking sad and bare in the winter months once the herbs and veggies disappear…Genius!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Yvette,
Good question! So good in fact that we have no idea of the answer. The climate is probably very different out in Colorado, but we’d encourage you to visit your local nursery or even just swing through Lowe’s or Home Depot and see if they have anything similar! Happy planting…
xo,
Sherry
misty says
This year we planted a “square foot garden” for our herbs and veggies. you build a box, add the soil and plant the plants. no weeds, no ammending the soil. so far it is wonderful! plus, it keeps me in check. i always bite off more than i can chew in the garden, and then things go to waste and i spend half the time weeding.
my favorite veggie plants are loose leaf lettuces. you can go out and pick as much or as little as you like, and it will continue to reproduce. fresh lettuce for salads and sandwiches all summer long!
plus, we have joined an organic CSA for the summer. only $13 a week for a constant supply of veggies!
Lori says
I love the South of the James market! It’s the place to be early on a Saturday. My husband and I alternated between that and the Goochland Farmer’s market (a very low key one). After the market we hit Paradise Cafe for breakfast. Yum yum. Love your garden. Good luck!
Chelsea says
This is so great! After several years of apartment (and campus) living, my husband and I are closing on a house in THREE days and we can’t wait to get our hands on the yard for some MAJOR landscaping. We plan to do some veggies and herbs too! This post got me really excited to dig in and get dirty!
Bromeliad says
Just picked up herbs and lettuce from our local farmer’s market and planted this weekend. (Container garden.)
Aren’t veggies so pretty to look at? (Let alone good to eat.)