Friday, July 16, 2010

My Patchwork Garden

Welcome to my vegetable garden!  Beyond this gate you will find several yards of old, discarded carpet that, admittedly is not the most aesthetically pleasing, but makes an amazing mulch between the rows of vegetables. 

Although some of the other photos were taken last week, this one was taken this morning.
Yes, we've fenced the perimeter because we don't like planting a garden solely for the purpose of feeding bunnies. The vegetable garden is at the edge of the alfalfa field, out in full sun.

A couple short rows of popcorn I planted because my husband pops corn at least a couple times a week. Those shorter green plants between the popcorn are what we call 'weeds.'

Oregon Sugar Pod II is the variety of pea (left) and the beans are pole beans, climbing on the fence. I will never plant bush beans again. I found out last year how much easier it is to pick beans from a fence! (There is a carpeted aisle between the peas and beans, but you can't see it in this photo.)

Beans climbing fence, taken from outside the garden.
 If you look very closely, you can see the itty bitty beans forming on the vine, to the left of the blossom. :-)

I've had four pickings this size so far. I've been blanching and freezing what I don't plan to use up within the week.

Part of my row of peppers: jalapeno, long red, and poblano. If all these carpet scraps offend you, just remember how much fun weeding isn't!

Onions with a few of last year's parsnips-gone-to-seed in the background.

Parsnips and carrots. I've about 20 feet more to thin out, my least favorite job in the garden!

The squash patch, photo taken a week ago. They've really begun to spread out this week! In a short while you will hardly be able to see carpet for all the runners and fruit! (Isn't it a fruit? The seeds are inside...hmm)

 Just to the left of that dying blossom you'll see the little zucchini forming. In another week I should have zucchini and yellow crookneck squash for my stir fry!

The tomatoes, after I pruned them. The sun will quickly dry out the pruned leaves and they will easily brush off the carpet.

So why did we have this little tour of my garden? First of all, because I can't seem to stop taking pictures these days. Secondly, to show you that vegetables and weeds can co-exist, as long as the poor vegetables aren't totally outnumbered, at least that's my theory, and I'm stickin' to it!  Thirdly, to show you that carpet makes a wonderful 'mulch.'  Laying carpet is much preferable to pulling weeds, in my opinion, especially since you only have to do it once!

 Another squash blossom.

When you do have to pull out weeds between plants, the carpet is kind to your knees. And when it rains, the rain goes through to the soil, but the weeds do not come up through the carpet. This is The Great Carpet Mystery.

So when your neighbors are replacing their carpet, you might want to offer to take it off their hands. :-)

Someone asked my husband if I have to vacuum the carpet. :-) (Really. He was actually serious. And no, I do NOT vacuum the carpet in the garden. Most of my vacuuming has to do with dog hair!)

 
As I said last week, when I look out the kitchen window, I'm glad that I see the pond garden, not the vegetable garden. Now you know why. Misty hurried to get into the picture. 'Good girl, Misty!'


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This post may be linked to one or more of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and Get in My Tummy and  Cure for the Common Monday and  Clever Chicks Blog Hop and  Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and  Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and    Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Creative Showcase and Memories by the Mile and Crafty Texas Girls and  Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday  and Love Bakes Good Cakes and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and Wildcrafting Wednesday and   Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and The Girl Creative, Thursday and  Creative Things Thursday and Be Inspired and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and  Thursday's Inspiration and  The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and Creative Things Thursday and   Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and   Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and Share Your Creativity and   A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday and  Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special

27 comments:

  1. I love gardens! I wish we had a backyard to garden in.

    (visiting from nff)

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  2. Wow, I totally enjoyed this. Your garden is amazing my friend, the carpet is such a cool idea.

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  3. Oh, writing about gardening is always near and dear to my heart. I think your patchwork garden looks amazing! I'm in awe of your yard. You'll have to take us on a walking tour around your yard sometime, though I love the little glimpses too. We love to pop our own corn too! Just in a pan with a little oil and a lid on the stove top. Pretty easy and yummy!

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  4. Your garden is HUGE! I'm jealous! The carpet is a GREAT idea, I only wish I had some to lay in my garden, too. Great idea!!! Weeding is not fun - and a task I need to do but in 100 degree temps I'm finding it hard to find motivation.

    Can't wait to hear how the popcorn turns out, we want to grow some, also :)

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  5. Your carpet idea is brilliant! I even like the look of it because it's so unusual.

    Like Andrea, I will be curious how the popcorn turns out.

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  6. Your garden looks GREAT! But, I can't believe you don't vacuum the carpet! ;) lol

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  7. Can you just imagine how often I'd have to empty the canister on the vacuum cleaner! LOL Worse than when vacuuming dog hair - well, maybe.

    I'll let you all know if the popcorn turns out. You'll probably be sorry you asked. It will turn into a blog post, no doubt. :-)

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  8. Oh my, your garden is huge! I LOVE it! What a neat idea on the carpeting.

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  9. What a good idea! I remember my mom's square foot garden - she used hay, I think. I'm trying my hand at growing my first plants, but so far I've seen no actual fruit. At least they haven't died!

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  10. Crack me up...I'm seeing you out there now with a vacuum cleaner...LOL! What a great idea, though, to put pieces of carpet out there, beats weeding, that's for sure! I agree with all other comments so far...beautiful and HUGE, very jealous ;)

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  11. Oh I'm so jealous! I grew up in the midwest and we had gardens like that... no more now that I live in the desert!!

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  12. It makes me so happy that you have peas!! I LOOOVE raw peas straight from the pod! Lovely garden, you are amazing!

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  13. The patchwork doesn't offend me my friend (it is almost pretty) and the peas were DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for sharing. The disappointment of losing my own is now lessened. :D

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  14. Wow! Your garden looks amazing! I always hating gardening as a kid, but now I wish I had space to garden in. I think your idea to use carpet was ingenious!

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  15. Hello! What a glorious garden! I love that you use carpet as mulch. Never seen it done before. I think it's brilliant...Coming by via Follow Friday 40+.
    ~Su-sieee! Mac
    This and That. Here and There. Now, Sometimes Then.

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  16. I wish I had a house... sigh. I would love to have a garden, and cats and dogs, too!

    Wow, what a nice family you have! I'll have to keep reading!

    By the way, I found you on Over 40 Friday!

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  17. I love your garden and I think the carpet is a great idea!I have medium sized yard and this year I planted veggies in with my flowers. It works for us attracts bees and humminbirds to the veggies!

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  18. Oh, to have a garden. Our container garden (small town girl) flopped on its ears. Lots of blossoms and no veggies. Next year I'm going out to my daughter's house in the country and I'm going to plant my garden spot there! Yours looks great. What an idea--carpet mulch!

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  19. You have an Awesome Garden! I grew up not to far from you in the State of Iowa :)

    Thanks for joining in the Fun FF40+

    I'm now a Follower of your blog :)

    ~ Jill
    http://frugalplus.com/

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  20. you have a beautiful garden!

    i'm following from FFF...:)

    Ruth,

    Underneath His Wrapping

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  21. Hi Judy -- stopping by and following from Friday Follow!

    Your garden is beautiful! Thanks for posting all the pics -- the carpet is a great idea.

    Looking forward to reading more!

    Dee

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  22. Your garden is beautiful and I think the carpet scraps are a great idea. I need to do this. My garden is overrun with weeds.
    Have you tried Vanilla Soydream milk for your coffee? This "milk" is really good. Don't get plain though, it's not so hot.

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  23. Love the carpet... I have a good crop of weeds myself!

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  24. What an interesting way to keep your garden. It's working better than my plan did this year. I'm staying tuned for more!
    Lana
    www.walkingthe off-beatenpath.com

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  25. Just wondering, where do you get the carpet strips? I'd like to have some for my garden. Do you get them at a remmant store?
    Also, this morning I said Soydream milk. I meant Silk soymilk. The vanilla is good enough that you won't miss milk.

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  26. That is very very impressive! Well done. I'm jealous.

    Lots of yummy love,
    Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
    www.mawhats4dinner.com

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  27. Your garden is giving me great inspiration! I started a tiny one this year and so far the veggies are growing! I have big plans for next year..
    I am visiting and a new follower from Over 40 FF.
    I hope you will stop by and say hello when you get the chance!
    doreenmcgettigan.blogspot.com/they say everyone has a story...

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Hi! And thanks for stopping in at Cranberry Morning. I love reading your comments and visiting your blogs. I am unable to respond to No-Reply bloggers, so please make sure to enable your email address on your blog. Also, many Google+ blogs don't allow me to comment because I'm not a member of Google+. So, I'm not deliberately avoiding you, but Google+ is not commenter friendly.