construction in England coming along...

Two new 4x8 ft raised beds made of cedar 2x6's and treated with tung oil.

This hot, sunny corner of the backyard was dubbed "England" by our oldest 5 years ago and the name stuck.  But it has been our junk area since we moved into the house.  Well no longer!  I've been gradually trying to clean it up over the last couple of years and finally this year, I decided it was time.  My husband was ordered to build me some boxes (which he happily did with a few new tools!), and voila! 

I wanted to get this spot ready now for a couple of reasons:

• I need to empty my compost bins but where to put it all? This time of year is not a good time for spreading it on the garden - the perennials are all too big and it's difficult to get around them without making a mess.  Spring is the time for topdressing with compost in my opinion, but in the meantime, I will soon need space to start putting the dead plant material this fall.  Note that I would not recommend using pure compost to fill a raised bed for perennials! But anyway I believe my compost bins have quite a bit of soil in them too, due to all the sod I've removed over the last few years. 
• I want at least to get my own compost in place so it can settle over the winter and then I can top it up (with purchased composted manure and soil) and plant as early as possible next spring (laying the patio stones etc can be finished whenever!)  I'll be putting hoops and plastic sheets on top of these boxes in spring to build little greenhouses. 

This is the most veggie garden space I've had since we moved to our current house 6 years ago, and I've never had raised beds and hoop houses before.  Man, am I excited!  I'll be studying a lot of veggie seed catalogues this winter, let me tell ya!

Other women I know get excited about shopping/TV shows/jewelry.  I get excited about this?  Is something wrong with me?

What are your favourite vegetables to grow in Calgary?

Comments

[dzfvsa]

You can grow vegetables in pure compost. You get huge, huge veggies (I've tried :). Tomatoes will do especially well in it. Don't do it for lettuce though, they'll bolt too quickly.

Try out the various squashes and cukes.

Try out Garden Retreat for seeds in spring, they always have a great selection, far surpassing everywhere else in town.

[Jenn]

I like to grow: carrots, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes (although not the best luck with them this year), green beans, snap peas, lettuce and beets.

I'll have to try cucumbers next year. Have fun. Vegetables are so rewarding and taste SO SO good straight from the garden.

[Janice Miller-Young]

Good tips dzfvsa, thanks!  I will consider pure compost for those raised beds. 
Generally I order seeds in winter because, well, because I just cant wait for spring!  Its nice to curl up on the couch with a few seed catalogues, some hot tea, and a few veggie-growing books and the computer for instant research when necessary!  But maybe Ill check out Garden Retreat next year, too.
Im definitely looking forward to having space for squash and zucchini next year!
Janice

[Janice Miller-Young]

I agree, Jenn.  Once you start growing your own vegetables you cant really go back, can you?  Due to my limited space in the past Ive only grown things the kids like to snack on when theyre playing outside - primarily cherry tomatoes, lettuce, beans, and snap peas, although I have also grown small-space things such as spinach, beets, chard and carrots.
Let us know how the cukes grow for ya - theyll need some heat like tomatoes, which as you know we didnt get this year. :-(
Janice

[dzfvsa]

I would definitely put in some asparagus and sunchokes. These are perennial.

Also potatoes. Nothing beats fresh potatoes.

[Laura]

Great collage! It is time to start a bit of clean up in my veggie patch. I do selective clean up in my front perennial garden. Like you I like to leave a little for the birds, and to self seed over winter.

[Greener]

Here there are more than 30 veggie gardening blogs for your reference:

http://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/

Greener