Reflections on gardening

Two little Prescott Fond Blanc melons

Two tiny little lonely melons.  That’s all that’s left of my resplendent raised bed vegetable garden.  Oh, occasionally a particularly persistent band of yellow grape tomatoes will appear, or a sadly deformed cucumber, but it is clear that autumn has arrived.  The rest is just a tangled mess of yellowing vines.  I planted no pumpkins or squash, so I am now headed back to the farmer’s market for local fall vegetables.  And soon I will clear everything out and ready the bed for winter.

So, time to reflect:  what did I learn from my raised bed vegetable garden?

• The raised bed does not keep vines from growing all over the place.  Of course this is obvious, but I was amazed at how quickly they escaped the confines of the bed and started to spread into our driveway.  More and stronger vertical structures would be useful for keeping tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons corralled. Also, pinching off some of the new vine growth when actual tomatoes first start to appear will increase production, a trick I learned from my mother-in-law, but forgot to employ.
• Fewer is better.  Overcrowding the plants cut down on my production, with the bigger plants shading the smaller plants.  My raised bed limits my space, for better or for worse.
• Fortunately, my current spot is perfect for sun/shade.
• Consistent watering can extend the growing season and increase the yield.  Duh.  I stopped watering too early, thinking that the season was over.  I kept getting smaller and smaller versions of the original produce; my little plants didn’t want to give up!
•  I know why my grandmother spent so much time with a hoe in her hands.  It really does help to hoe the weeds and aerate the soil around the plants, so rain and watering sinks in, instead of running off.
•  I can grow bell peppers!
•  I can grow greens!
• Almost anything will ripen if left on my kitchen counter, not piled on anything else, and if the house is relatively cool and dry.  If I can keep the dog away from it.  Green peppers magically turn red.  Pale yellow tomatoes turn a luscious orange.  Melons start to perfume the house.
• Even with poor production, heirloom plants, a “new” raised bed, “imported” topsoil, spoilage, and sacrifices to squirrels, I think I saved money.  The tomatoes alone would have cost the same amount as the load of topsoil if I had bought them at the farmer’s market, and I know exactly how these are grown.
• Gardening is hard.  Gardening is also easy.  But every bit of effort and patience is worth it in the long run.

Can’t wait to start planning for next year’s ultra-local harvest!