RickCorey said:>> No space between rows except for that allowed for plant spacing.

That's what I think of as grid.

Oh well, then I have rows of grids.

That you do! Whatever works for you. I just like keeping all my beets on one side of the bed so I can reach without going around. Besides, I kinda like the patchwork look. Especially with lettuce! All those colors and textures!

No room for lettuce or any greens here. Not even room for the onions I would like to grow. But too late for onions this year, will have to figgure out how to grow onions for next year. All my onion attempts have always been a failure. I get the greens, which I like but not much in the way of an actual onion.

I see that I am going to have to move more of those iris to make this bed bigger but I will wait on that. I need to get what I have going first.

Can't wait to see photos of this bed planted!

>> rows of grids.

Yup! Or "Long Skinny Rectangle Foot Gardening".

I never thought of long rows, but in blocks so narrow that you don't NEED "row spacing". That might combine the best of "French Intensive/raised beds" and row cropping.

I forget - are your rows "hilled up" at all? If they are, I think we could also call it "Long Skinny French Intensive".

No hilling for me. I don't hill anything. It just makes the water run off and the plants are too hard to water that way.

I am sure I will be posting pictures.

>> It just makes the water run off

I agree. If you can keep the root zone loose and draining without hilling or raised beds with walls - it's much easier.

I have good drainage here. Drainage has never been a problem.

More envy!!

Eggplants are looking very good and they have flowers. But I have not seen a fruit yet.



I am so pleased with my bean towers. Both sides are now growing. The yellow I planted a bit later than the burgundy but they will catch up.



Nasturtiums

96 in the shade at the corner of my house. Also very humid. I will not be planting my seeds up in the new root veggie garden today. Too hot and too hot for them to germinate. This weather is more like late July or early August, not June.

Your Nasturtiums look fantastic.
Mine look kinda sad after I took them out of the containers I sowed them in.



One of many volunteer pumkin plants.

My Nasturtiums are in a big pot. The pot is always in that same location, I never move it. Each year I just buy seeds and direct sow them. Used to buy plants but there really is no need as the seeds are so easy to do.

Hotter than normal here for this time of year, hopefully it breaks before the weekend.

Just because I didn't do the seed planting doesn't mean I wasn't working out in the garden. First of all I have to water my driveway farm of many pots ever day. I don't mind as the hose and water connection is right there on that side of the house. So not far to drag some hose length.

But I put three of those Golden Egg yellow squash seedlings in their big pot permanant homes today. I started them in a reused veggie six pack that I put new potting mix in. Couldn't believe how quickly they are growing. So they need to be in their pots and now they are. Started six seeds, five came up and I knew I had three pots to fill. So now I have two leftover but I don't think I am going to plant them as I was aiming for three.

I also planted four little Minnesota Midget melon seedlings out in the garden. I have this small section where I am trying to grow Avara melons. First two tries died after I planted them out. Now on the third try I seem to have 2-3 seedlings left. Frustrated, I started those Minnesota Midget seedlings. I had Minnesota Midget growing on this section last year so I know they do well. Hopefully those last few Avara seedlings grow also but if not at least I will have something growing there.

Next year I am putting the Avaras in a big pot and trying that. Maybe I will finially get some Avara fruit that way.

First bloom flower open on my Camilla cucumbers today. All the other cucumber varieties have been blooming for quite some time now, even have baby cukes developing. I have been watching the Camilla's develop. First year for me with these. They are an all female variety so each flower has one of those pre-development baby cukes in back of it. So odd not to see lots of male flowers. Only this one flower is open now but it has tons of will be open flowers that I can see.

I am getting my straw tomorrow, about 28 bales. Going early morning and then coming back, unloading and off to get a load of composted horse manure at 2:30! After market on Saturday I will be spreading straw like a crazy woman.

Oh yeah, i an getting butt rolls of newsprint for free from the local paper as well to put under the straw. Fingers crossed I can get everything weeded and mulched by Aug. 1 because that's when my double duty of babysitting begins, three days a week.

Arlene, that sounds great. You will be one busy woman.

I love this time of year...the eating's so good! Everything for my dinner tonight except for the pickled eggs came from here.

Lacinato kale and Swiss chard salad with Shin Kuroda carrots, Sparkler radishes, golden beets, lime basil, a handful of mulberries and two types of broccoli. Dessert was a large bowl of homegrown strawberries...probably about the last of these. I have a few plants that are ever-bearing, but the best production is just about done. I have Astia squash ready to pick, so we'll probably have the first of those tomorrow.

Planted rutabaga and red cabbage seeds today...finally. I hope my timing is going to be right to harvest when it's chilly.

So far I've been able to continue mulching with collected cut grasses and other wildly prolific growth, but getting some more straw sure sounds tempting. I did get a lot of seeds in the last batch, however, so I figure if I'm going to get them anyway I may as well save my $$ and just use plants that grow here already. Any that I can get cut and cleared will lessen the places that the mosquitoes can hang out as well.

Baby mantis everywhere today! I'm so happy to see my little garden helpers!

Hurray Chelle. So nice to have fresh veggies straight from the garden.

I hope your rutabaga seeds sprout quickly.

I am planning on planting my seeds on Friday. Been hot here and Friday looks like the best bet for better weather.