Boozie Beginnings: Early Experiments in the Garden

Welcome to the Boozie Bee Blog! To start off here is a little tidbit about the work I have done thus far in the garden. Taming the wild and creating what is the Boozie Bee Garden!

The Flower Garden

...is name I have designated to this part of the garden, and the first space that drew me into the world of gardening. This is the place where I planted that blue and white phlox that initially drew me back into the world of gardening. When I first started this space was full of weeds and ivy; I really hate how ivy takes over, and it took me a full week working weekends and after school to create a space ready for planting. Right out of the starting gate I knew I wanted as many perennial plants as possible; so I planted echinacea, coreopsis, phlox, and blue fescue grass, for the birds and the bees of course. But every year I scour the garden center for new and add different annuals for variety and change. The Flower Garden is the perfect "pocket" companion to my "Garden Side Table," keep reading for more information about "pockets."

The Perennial Flower Garden

One of the more recently renovated parts of the garden, my Perennial Flower Garden is meant to be just that, all perennial and a low maintenance space. This is they type of garden that requires a lot of front loaded planning in order to actually be low maintenance, aka I'm still working on it because my front loaded planning wasn't quite well planned. However, I left space between the plants placed in this garden in order to place spring, summer, & fall blooms. As you can see the original space, below ornamented by my girl Luna and the big bully cat Hamilton, was weeds mixed into tiger lilies. I had to clear the weeds and move the the tiger lilies, the iris I moved from another part of the yard when we redid the concrete by the Flower Garden. The purpose of having spring, summer, and fall blooming flowers is to keep down on weeding. Additionally, Honey Bees need to be able to collect nectar all the way into fall and early in the spring in order to survive winter. The Perennial Flower Garden is located near the tiered pollinator garden in order to supplement the pollinator friendly plants. The Perennial Flower Garden is a mix of native pollinator friendly and ornamental plants.

The Vegetable Garden

What started as a bunch of pots in a small part of a wild yard, has morphed into two rectangular and one U shaped raised garden beds. Also, new this year is a square raised bed that I am calling the Perennial Vegetable Garden; where I will be planting, surprise, surprise... perennial vegetables. The Perennial Vegetable Garden is actually right next to the Herb Garden but there is only so much space in the yard guys so give me a break ;) This year, I planted a variety of heirloom tomatoes, Roma tomatoes & tomatillos, snow peas, various lettuces, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, beets, carrots, garlic, onions, red pontiac potatoes, variety of purple & yellow potatoes, & sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, corn, beans & squash, and in some separate locations watermelon, one eggplant (thats enough or too much for me), okra, edamame, & strawberries. In the Perennial Vegetable Garden I planted sunchokes, and absolutely no other perennial vegetables. I did plant some annuals though, celeriac, parsley, and nasturtium. I need to plan what perennial vegetables will grow well with sunchokes. I wanted to do rhubarb but after some research, I learned that it doesn't grow well with sunflowers; sunchokes are a member of the sunflower family. More research for next season is needed!

The Herb Garden

The Herb Garden hosts mostly perennial herbs in zone 7, that means; chives, thyme, oregano, sorrel, rosemary, lemon balm, several varieties of sage, lavender, & feverfew. I pulled up all the mint that had been planted directly in the garden, I learned that mint is better left to be planted in pots; or you'll still be pulling it up with the weeds three years later, like I am ( Mint: shakes fist at the sky! ) You'll see the Perennial Vegetable Garden in the distance, and one of the rain barrels in the front left corner. Also, next to the chimney that tall creepy branching thing, that is my asparagus, another perennial vegetable that doesn't play nice with sunchokes. This was the third season of growth, so hopefully next year I'll be able to harvest enough to make a serving. My next garden project it to build a small green house for the empty space in front of the chimney, maybe the extra heat will be beneficial?

"Pockets"

These are relaxation zones or as my sister calls them, "Pockets." I knew when I started reorganizing the yard that I wanted to create several places where people could congregate during BBQs and garden parties. I started with what I call the "Upper Veranda," its not really a veranda but I like to sound fancy. There are two bistro tables for coffee in the morning and cocktails in the evening. The grill, a rolling bar, potted herbs for ease when making herbaceous cocktails, and of course more potted plants. Then, the "Lower Veranda," was planned with: Adirondack chairs, the fire pit, and of course even more potted plants. Lastly, the "Garden Side Table," even though "The Flower Garden" was my first attempt at gardening, the "Garden Side Table" was the most recent pocket designed. There was once an old crumbling driveway there which had to be removed, and new concrete poured to create the patio base. Then I added a potting table in the corner, just outside the garage. The original table, an old piece too small for entertaining, now serves as a sideboard, & of course, you guessed, more potted plants. There is never enough space in the garden for me!

Sustainable Gardening Practices

What is sustainable gardening, and what do I have to do to have one? There is no hard and fast definition, but the basic concept behind it is to garden without doing harm to the environment and the creatures within; and actually enhance that environment. One of the most important ways start this process is to stop using chemical herbicides and pesticides, but since you're here I imagine that you may already be doing this. You could also plant more native plants, to encourage pollinators & other wildlife that will assist the overall health of the space. This doesn't mean you can't plant ornamental, just find a balance; like not removing existing milkweed to plant your exotics. Create or leave spaces for native fauna to live, raise their young, and hide from predators. Make sure to provide your gardens guests with water sources as well. At first I thought classic bird baths were the way to go, yet I have purchased many a bird bath to watch them stand empty or break. After some experiments I have found the birds, bees, and butterflies that visit or live in my yard really like a simple set up consisting of a terracotta pot turned upside down, with the drip tray placed on top. Fill the drip tray with rocks & water that reaches just below the top of your rocks. Your garden guests will love it! Composting is another way most people can get started in their quest to live a sustainable lifestyle. You don't need to have much to start, there are small single bins you can buy, or if you have the space you can try for the three bin method. I finally set up my third bin last fall so that I can have a convenient cycle: one fully broken down, a second still breaking down, and a third that is still collecting scraps. Remember to mix your greens (food scraps, spent plants, & grass clippings) and browns (dead leaves, newspapers, & cardboard). Too many greens and your compost will smell, too many browns and your compost might not heat up enough. You can also experiment with vermicomposting, using worms to breakdown your food scraps. I am trying that this year with a bin set up that you research online. One final method, you could also just stick your food scraps in the dirt and let nature take over. However, be warned, this last method doesn't really work as well, although it doesn't hurt to try. It is more a method that can work when growing what I like to call volunteer plants. And finally, conserve water! I do this using two rain barrels and a funnel system running off the edge of my gutters. There is also an alternative process of creating a rain garden; a specialized planting system designed to prevent water run off. But this may be for the more advanced gardeners out there. Water run off from your downspouts can remove the rich soil you have worked so hard to cultivate and cause chemicals to be carried into local water sources. These are just a handful of ways that you can begin or continue your sustainable gardening practices.

Your Gardening Journey

Reflecting on all the changes I have made in the garden makes me realize how daunting it can feel to begin gardening. But nothing worth anything comes easy. My advice is start small, I started with just some potted herbs, and built slowly. One of the best things about gardening is there is alway next season. Experiment with your garden, whether it is a patio garden or a giant yard, plants can always be moved, or removed...like mint! Things take time, change what doesn't work for you and try new things. Whatever sparks your interest, like bee keeping or planting with garden cocktails in mind; whatever you do, make the garden work for you. Happy gardening!