Not really, but that said, if I had access to industrial (no doubt illegal) strength weed killer like the farmers “rowund earr” do I might have better success…
Well, hello! This is our allotment garden.
We live in an apartment building and have no yard so we decided to get a cabin in an allotment/community garden. We’ve had it for 5 years now. The first couple of years I was very very excited and grew my own chilis to make pickle out of them etc.
For the last couple of summers I’ve kinda lost my spark for gardening. I don’t know what went into me, was it too hard work. Was I too busy with my book shop and everything? Now it’s mostly my girlfriend who takes care of everything as I’m working my ass off in my shop. Our worst fights always are about the amount of work I put into our garden (which is very little). That might also be why I don’t feel like doing it any more.
I feel bad for having lost my initial spark for having a garden. I’d like to get it back but there’s just too few hours in a day to be able to do everything. At best times we both enjoy staying at our cabin and watering the tomatoes and potatoes. There’s lots of great things like making food from your own produce and arranging garden parties for our friends but the amount of effort needed just killed me. I hope I can somehow get the enthusiasm back.
(To be fair, first year we renovated the cabin, second year I built the huge deck, third year I renovated the shed and toilet, fourth year we did a huge project on the lawn etc. So it’s been one big all summer taking project after another for us.)
Not much of a ‘garden’ but it was a right ball ache digging up the old grass and building everything.
This is amazing! Permaculture is the real thing. I’m sure, you have a lot of insects and small animals in your garden.
We haven’t been formally introduced and I know fuck all about biology. There are tons of them around, though. As are martens, hedgehogs and probably a few more critters I just haven‘t bumped into. EDIT: my favourite ones are the bats. You can almost set your watch by their appearance.
Yes it is absolutely teeming with life and that’s exactly what we planned for. This patch of land was totally bare 3 years ago. Just a heap of dead soil. We’re nature nerds so we wanted to introduce as much diversity on as many different levels as possible and you definitely need a pond for that to happen - it doesn’t have to be big but water is essential. We’ve had a few pests too and some crops haven’t always done so well but nature has a clever way of dealing with itself and bringing balance back into play - absolutely no need for chemicals and other man made shit. Just find a way to introduce another creature / insect that will get rid of the one you don’t want.
I’ll never do a proper grass lawn again. Check out white Dutch clover as a grass substitute. Its very durable once it takes and you can mow it to keep it like a lawn. Its also pretty drought resistant so it doesn’t need much water. It also out competes most weeds! You can also let it grow fully which is about a foot high with some pretty nice little flowers.
I’ve got some in a patch of lawn, hardy looking stuff.
The lack of Marijuana plants in here is disappointing. On the up side no trampolines! New parents, if you’re thinking about getting one, trust me, they’re the worst thing you could buy. Well next to a big ass boat anyways.
No better way than throw money in the pits than buying a boat. Just fork it over to a donation to the homeless, same satisfaction.
Edit: it’s not the same, knowing I’m giving back to those who cannot do for themselves is a feat I set as a personal endeavor for no returns. I have no personal wants or needs for self goals by giving to others.
@jdaddyaz there ya go. Four gals just loving the sunshine.
Rest of the garden has gone to absolute shit this year. Very choked up with weeds, I never planted anything.
I do lawn maintenance on a massive scale at the cemetery for the day job and just do not have it in me once I’m home…
I try and keep it to a place that it doesn’t upset my neighbors and failed.
But the marijuana plants are doing great.
I do t even smoke, but now that it’s legal here in Oregon, I feel obligated to grow it and give it away.
Three types of cucumbers, eggplant, squash, Chinese long bean of some sort. Can’t wait for the tomatoes to ripen!
Small plant this year but such a beauty been healthy and chill all summer. Might move it to a bigger pot but maybe too close to flowering, if anyone has a suggestion.
Also have a vegetable garden but dont really care as much.
Built the deck below it this winter/spring, cost 2k USD and everyone says it looks like a 15k job, but it was total hell in Portland with rain every day.
I dunno that looks amazing!
Thank you!
I grew those Chinese Red Noodle Beans last year. If you cut them just below where they attach they will grow back, btw. Wish I had put some in this year. I still have a mason jar full of ones I dried last year.
I’ve been taking a Introduction to Plant Biology class this summer. Learned a lot of crap which I hope translates into better gardening. I got a bit overly ambitious with my planting this year and nothing really took off sadly, my tomatoes are just starting to show some decent fruit but had a bunch of failures along a slew of stuff I sowed, or didn’t plant enough of stuff I really like, like okra, which is doing well but hardly enough per harvest to make a meal out of.
One thing I recommend everyone planting if they have the space is borage. Mine has attracted so many pollinators it’s crazy and the flowers are editable (taste a bit like cucumber)!
Thanks for the tips!
just moved my painting studio back to the garage in my childhood home. so this garden is all my mums work. nothing to do with me, I just squat here it’s paradise tho.
Stunning!
One thing about borage is that it easily self seeds so keep that in mind where you plant it. It’s really easy to identify and pluck out any unwanted seedlings though.