Front Yard Gardening

I started my yard man on a project that I have mixed feelings about. I've been wanting to grow more vegetables and flowers in the the sunny front yard but the deer have the final say on what stays and what is eaten. In order to keep the deer out, we decided to take drastic measures in terms of fencing.

This side yard is a perfect area spatially, but the fencing is so big and obvious. The yard man wasn't willing to dig a bunch of holes for wooden fence posts (he's still a little pooped from painting the house this summer) so here we are. Next Spring I can install some plants around the fencing to de-uglify it but will just have to grow love it throughout the winter.

Surprise Potatoes

Probably the most successful thing I do in the garden is compost. Nothing fancy - I just pile it on and let it sit. The other day I stuck my hand into the back of the heap to see what the volunteer potatoes had to offer and my hand just kept going down, down, down into the cool rich darkness of the new soil. Growing potatoes is so easy, just dump some peelings on the heap and ignore. Next year I intend to actually grow a crop. Oh, and they were yummy.

Tomato Trials

This year I decided to grow some 'maters once I realized that I could if I planted them in the back yard out of the deer's reach.  

I bought seeds and nursed them along,  potting them up as they grew, then I struck out in a new direction, trying different locations.  

Most of the plants are so unimpressive that they don't show up in the picture.  One was totally swallowed by the Rugosa Roses that are having a banner year;  another one grew tall and spindly and begged to be eaten by buggies (and they complied); one is doing O.K. in full sun but just has one fruit. 

The star of the show is this one that I put in a pot and moved from the east side of the porch to the west side of the porch every day.  It's filled with little green tomatoes.  It was little effort for the reward that's coming and I understand now where my future lies with tomato crops.

Backyard Corn in Boulder

This is where it all started for me this year. I wanted to plant a natural screen for my yard and thought corn might be a fun project. When I got to work, I realized the location I had in mind was too shady so I found a sunny spot along the fence. Choosing some corn seed inspired me to get some other food to grow and I was off! Then I discovered that we are all growing food now! Everywhere I look, someone is writing about it, talking about it, doing it.
Anyway, the corn is waist-high now and I'm watering it much more than I anticipated. I don't expect to beat the raccoons out of the ripe ears, but I'm enjoying the sight.

Here's some of what's growing in the greenhouse: the turnips and radishes are knee high while the carrots are only up to the ankles.








I need to clear off that pile of brush over there.