Learning to Garden

I know how to garden I grew up on five acres with a huge garden. My mom is a natural green thumb and has enlisted and taught us many of her gardening secrets and fun. But growing up in the wet temperate valleys of Southern Oregon is a whole lot different than the dry wild plains of eastern Colorado it should be a challenge in and of itself.

Oregon Garden

With our new house in closing and the budget I'm on I wan to not only save money on groceries but eat healthy and enjoy my food. Plus with my husbands gluten allergy (not to mention he eats his body weight in food daily) I will be  attempting to really utilities veggies and fruits.

So I'm spending my day not out frolicking in the sun with Archibald getting dirty and sweaty feeling accomplished and sexy. Oh no. I am online browsing what veggies I can grow in this dry harsh land. Okay so I'm not trying to grow watermelon in the Mohave but still gardening like cooking is a little intimidating for me but here it goes. Lucky me my mother-in-law is starting off the seedlings for many of my plants. Saving me time an money the only catch is I have to grow tomatoes and cucumbers for her.
     Another difference between planting in Oregon and planting here is I'm doing ingrown planting while with my mom we did raised bed planting. This helps with weeds, watering, soil placement and altogether planning.

Raised Bed

I wanted my husband to tell me what he wanted to grow/eat (let's be honest he'll only be benefiting from the fruits of the harvest). A really nice aspect to our new house is that we have mature trees which creates a nice shady spot for those plants and veggies that need shade. After using some websites (one I particularly liked was http://www.smartgardener.com/) and pinterest to research the zone and the seasons not to mention planning out the plant area have decided on some plants. 

Swiss Chard

Sun Veggies:

• Bell Peppers
• Hot peppers 
• Roma tomatoes
• Cherry and pear tomatoes
• Lemon Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Green Beans
• Strawberries 

Shade Veggies:

• Peas
• Broccoli 
• Cauliflower
• Lettuce
• Chard 

Also herbs that I'll put into pots and divide before the frost to put small portions inside my house in the winter so that I can have fresh herbs in the cold months too. 

Lettuce Mix

• Basil
• Cilantro
• French Thyme 
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Chives
• Rosemary 
• Sage