We're finally getting around to fixing up the garden this year or next...

[conuly]

My mom still has that bad foot and not much time, so it looks like I may get some serious say in this garden.

We don't have tons of space, but basically, I want three things.

1. I want to grow something useful - vegetables and whatnot.
2. I want to grow herbs.
3. I want to have a garden where everything smells nice, and it changes often. Not one that mostly it just *looks* good, or where it just smells like roses (and I hate aphids, so roses are pretty much out anyway).

So, please. List your favorite smelly aromatic herbs and flowers and whatnot. Or fruits and veggies. Something that's simple so that Ana could help would also be nice.

I may also, if I get the urge, clean out Jenn's yard and stick some plants there. Why not?

Comments

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

tomatoes(especially cherry or grape/pear), bush green beans, pick again-type lettuces(not iceberg), spinach, zucchini, beets, silverbeet/chard, rosemary, garlic, dill, basil, mint in a container, chives, parsley, sage, thyme, lemon balm, oregano, tarragon(my kids eat the leaves like lollies-- has an anise flavour). Those are all high yield, low space, kid friendly. If you pick leaves from the outside of the lettuces, spinach, chard and parsley making sure to take all the leaf and stem including where it is attached to the plant, you can harvest them for a long time. If you pick the leaves from the beets(they are quite edible) as they get big, you can get a lot out of that plant too. Pick over a zucchini plant as they mature and you'll be surprised how long it can last and you can eat the male flowers too!(They're on long stems). If you plant them all together and add marigolds, keeping the garlic from the beans, you'll confuse most pests. If you get pests, the smartest thing to do is squish some, leaving the corpses to attract predators. If you keep having problems with slugs & snails, there's lots of safe ways to discourage/eliminate them.

I can't really comment on ornamentals because I only grow australian natives in my ornamental gardens and don't know enough about your soil type, etc.

As for healthy veggie garden soil, add as much organic matter as you can find, including burying kitchen scraps(fruit & veggies only, you don't want to attract feral animals), peat & manure. Add lime and potash and you're good to go. It's a good idea to mulch with the peat or straw or something similar. You can also grow potatoes in layers in tyres. Kids find that especially cool.

If you need more info, just let me know. ;-)

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

Radishes of course! Not sure if the nieclings will like their sharp taste but they're easy to grow.