I've been mostly container-gardening the last few years (greens and strawberries) plus garlic in the ground, but I'd like to expand a bit. Still a container garden of a sort -- a 4' x 8' x 2' raised metal bed in the side yard (more sun).
Definitely higher costs than returns this year, but I'm doing it mostly for entertainment and getting a wee bit of exercise and the quality of the harvest, rather than cost-saving. The plan is a few peppers, tomatoes (grape, maybe a couple of a sauce variety) a row of swiss chard, and maybe some onions (a friend offered a few plants). Oh, and a zuke and yellow squash. One each. That will more than fill the bed. Maybe a few basil plants? Oh, and thyme. Gotta get thyme plants.
I'm curious about the costs, so I'll edit this as they accrue.
- Metal 4x8x2 bed from Amazon: $100
- Sand & garden soil (Home Depot): $125
- Bottom layer of fill (decaying logs, sticks, cardboard, etc): free
- Top layer, composted manure (Ventura Grain): $64
- Mulch (cardboard & clippings): free
- Seeds & starting supplies (ocean state) $26
- Tomato & pepper plants (Garden Patch): $15
TOTAL: $330
Seeds include: 2 lettuces, basil, thyme, catnip, swiss chard, 2 squashes, nasturtium, marigold
Separate from the raised garden, I'm planning to move the one surviving rhubarb plant (possibly divided into three or more) from a too-shady spot to a sunnier spot. Might get a couple more plants to fill in the sunny bed. (Done, from GrowJoy, 2 Crimson Red rhubarb plants, $29). I checked on the rhubarb plant today, and it's thriving. Maybe I'll throw some garlic volunteers in that bed too. I bought a spade to do the transplanting, which cost $32, but hardly seems fair to include in this year's costs, since it's something I've needed for a while.
I also have garlic plants everywhere! A half-whiskey barrel planted with seed cloves I'd saved. Volunteers out in the old garden bed AND in the strawberry planter containers on the deck and in assorted spots near the deck and the old garden. There's a catnip plant growing in a container in the old garden (need to grow more catnip; adding to list of seeds).
