The Carpeted 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. 

I first published this post in July of 2010. This year, our garden doesn't look quite as good, but that has something to do with the fact that we had a very late spring and everything is way behind in development. But the concept remains the same, and we still use carpet as mulch. It's perfect! And other day when I was picking strawberries (yes, this year they're producing RIGHT NOW), it was so nice to be able to kneel on carpet, rather than dirt, when filling my basket with strawberries.

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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Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

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 Efforts and Assets 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

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