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cactuscharlie

My Potager Beginning

cactuscharlie
11 years ago

Hi all!

I'm new to the forums and wanted to introduce myself with some pictures of the beginnings of my humble potager.

I can't wait till the frost danger ends and I can start getting all my vegetables going. More pictures to come!

Comments (25)

  • NorthwestPlanter
    11 years ago

    looking like a great start! how long has it been planted?
    what all do you plan on putting in the garden?
    and what's growing in the green wood pots on the cement? oranges??
    so many questions! sorry! but thank you for posting!

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I just finished getting the beds all lined up last week. I'm hoping to get some salad greens, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini and strawberries. I think the main thing this year I'm going to focus on having the growth neat and organized.

    You are correct the wood planters (Versailles planters) have various oranges. They're my challenge right now bc we've had some frost nights.

    Thanks for checking it out!

  • mrtoad
    11 years ago

    nice work - as you stated - this year growing veggies is going to be the primary focus of the potager

    and

    maybe a facebook page

    mr toad

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hey Mr toad thanks! What's your potager look like right now?

  • mrtoad
    11 years ago

    pretty much dead - except
    for a cloche - where i am trying to grow lettuce

    toad

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I've got a much of lettuce right now that I haven't put in the ground yet. I need to fill the beds with more soil first.

    Also, I really wanted to get a few cloches but they seem a bit expensive.

  • oliveoyl3
    11 years ago

    Thanks for sharing your garden pics & layout.

    I'm not in your zone, so not sure about your planting dates. There are vegetables that tolerate frost, so you can sow now & harvest before your warm weather vegetables are planted.

    Just last night we discussed how much of the early vegetables each of us wanted, so I could record our spring planting plan for one bed. It gives you a different perspective when you ask, "How many radishes would you eat in 2 weeks?" That way we will have vegetables ready for harvest in stages, so we can eat them fresh without processing or having them go to seed. By accident we found radish pods are tasty in stir fry. We were tired of kale and chard, so I was on the hunt for something new to add to my harvest basket.

    Corrine

    Here is a link that might be useful: succession planting ideas for Portland zone 8

  • ali-b
    11 years ago

    Love it! Thanks for sharing. Those Versailles planters look great. Did you make those?

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Corrine,

    Thanks for sending the link! I checked it out and am going to try and follow some of the guidelines.

    Ali-b,

    Thanks for the comment I did make the planters myself. They're so expensive to buy at a garden store or even online!

    I used redwood for the larger ones and some spare wood for the smaller ones.

    Heres some updated pictures. Would you believe my neighbor gave me a large pink grapefruit tree?! I also move the apple to a berm near the front of the yard. I also added some grass behind the vineyard to give it a more complete look.

    Hope you all like it. The beds are planted with some lettuce and Brussels sprouts now too.

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    More pics

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Alaska azalea

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    More

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hence the name

  • Annie
    11 years ago

    Charlie,
    Very nice!

    I like Cacti too. Have quite an assortment myself.
    Right now they are all in the greenhouse - my make-shift greenhouse. We installed glass on the south side and it is more or less for starting plants and wintering my tropicals and cacti.

    I have two Loquat trees, a pomegranate, and one large avocado in there. Wish I could have oranges, limes and lemons, too, but no room in there for any more big plants. One day I hope to have a very big real greenhouse, and then I will grow citrus. I miss mine from back home in CA - their yummy fragrance and of course, the fruit..

    Keep posting as the season wears on so we can see how it "grows"..

    Mr. Toad, be sure to look me up on Facebook if you get on there.

    ~Annie

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the comment, here's some updates. My radishes seem to be really taking off and my other seedlings are sprouting up. I love spring!

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Peach is flowering :-)

  • Annie
    11 years ago

    It's all looking good CactusCharlie!

    I love this last photo showing the foothills.
    Makes me homesick, but I still like seeing them.

    I need to get my garden cleared of the weeds. I leave them all winter and they pump nutrients up through their root systems and protect the soil through winter.

    You've inspired me to get out there and start hoeing them out and planting some radishes and lettuces.

    Have the seed ready to plant, but held off for fear of our typical late surprise-frosts or deep freezes. Started my tomatoes, red bell peppers and Green Sprouting broccoli though. Tomatoes: Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Early Girl and Mortgage Lifter....for now. More tomatoes to start and okra too. They are all up. Can't wait until they get their first true leaves.

    My fruit trees I planted last year are budding. The Apricot is loaded with bloom buds, showing pink, and I am afraid it is going to bloom soon. It's too early. It's hard to get a crop here in this part of Oklahoma because our spring weather is so radical. That should settle down a bit by mid-April, but one never knows what the weather is going to deliver here on the Southern Plains. Sheesh.

    Keep your pics coming!
    ~Annie

  • Brigids_Ember
    11 years ago

    Very impressive beginning! I love your planters & the layout of your beds. :-)

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I'm trying to figure out what to put along the back edge of the garden near the fence and composter. I just planted a Granny Smith apple but I'm thinking of doing a boxwood hedge... What do you all think would look good? It becomes partial shade in summer.

    Thanks!

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    A closer shot, btw this picture was taken around 5pm

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Woop a here's the closeup

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Btw do you think these would look good between each of the four beds?

  • Shelley Smith
    11 years ago

    Very beautiful! I find your design especially inspiring because my back fence is close to the back patio too. I currently have a small fenced in potager in one corner, but am planning to do something closer to what you are doing, making my entire back yard the potager.

    Love the decorative urns! Have you thought about blueberries or blackberries along the fence?

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Canokie,

    I actually use to have blackberries all over the fence in the back! I loved them but my husband hated them so I chopped them all down when we got the new fence put in :-(. Blackberries go kinda nuts around here. I get my blackberry fix in the summer near my old college. The whole street is lined with them on either side I usually go by with a friend and fill up buckets and eat them for weeks!

    Blueberries would be a great idea. My buddy Rob has a bunch of blueberries in planters, I bet they'd do great behind that apple tree. Thanks for the tip.

    Any pics of your potager?

    Picture is of the demise of the blackberries :-( when i tore down our old fence

  • cactuscharlie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    My radishes, kale, chard and cilantro seem to be doing really well.

    Funny thing happened to me. I filled a few of my beds with compost from my composter....and some new vegetables are sprouting up that I definitely didn't plant lol!

    I've got pumpkins, tomato and maybe even peppers coming up that I didn't plant! So much for organized vegetable beds lol!

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