It is sunny and in the 50's today but I know not to hope that this type of weather remains. There is always a chance that it will become cold and snowy again!



"Before" Picture of Small Backyard Bed 1 (March 14, 2009)

Yesterday, I took a few pictures of some of the beds that I have. I decided to shoot "before" photos and then later in the growing season I can take "after" shots. This small bed is in the backyard. This bed has been through a lot of transformations during the last six years. For the first three years it was a perennial bed and during the last three years it was an annual bed. Originally, I wanted to grow a hodgepodge of perennials that I hadn't grown before. However, I just couldn't get it to work and I also wanted more color in that part of the yard. So then I decided to grow annuals. The first year I planted a combination of begonias, Victoria salvias, and vincas. The last two years, I raised Wave petunias under grow lights and transplanted them to this bed. They were very beautiful but once I pulled them up in the fall, the bed is bare.


I was just reading an article in April, 2009 Organic Gardening about jardin potagers. This is the name that the French give to kitchen gardens that incorporate flowers, vegetables and herbs. I have been thinking about doing something similar in this bed. I have some perennials that I want to transplant (including daylilies, Autumn Joy sedums, columbines, mums and salvias) and they would be perfect in this sunny location. With the addition of spring bulbs and a few annuals, there would be color throughout the growing season. I want to plant a zucchini in the narrow end and green beans around the edges. Perhaps, I could also fit in one or two of Ken's hot pepper plants in the center of the bed. There may even be room for a few pots of herbs.


I am especially interested in growing green beans in this bed. We love to pick fresh green beans and cook them for dinner but we did not plant any last year. During the summer of 2007 the green beans that we had in the side garden were attacked by an insect (I haven't been able to identify which one) and small holes were chewed into both the leaves and the beans. Even though I sowed several crops throughout the season, the plants were continuously attacked. I am hoping that by placing the green beans in another area that I will not have this problem again this year. If I don't have any luck, I can always tear them out and plant something else.