We wanted to live in the house for a while before we made landscaping plans so we would know what exactly we wanted, so we didn’t do much in the way of landscaping last fall, except for removing the previously mentioned trees. Of course, with no garden I really didn’t have much to write about, so that’s why I’ve been a little absent (though I’ve enjoyed replying to your comments on my other articles).

But here’s the good news… I’m back! Over the winter I drew up a concept plan for our yard (seen a little further on in this article) and we are now working to making it all happen. Hopefully, as I keep you updated on my progress, you’ll see some dramatic changes. So to fully appreciate the before and after, here are a couple of before pictures:

This is in April, scraping back the black dirt… (Looking out from my back steps)

Then this is earlier today… (looking towards the house from the back alley)

So it’s a pretty empty slate, but with lots of possibilities. Here’s what I plan to do with it:

I’m going to be a bit late planting in the garden this year, but that & the greenhouse are my #1 priority. (Hey, you might get another tutorial on how to build a greenhouse.) But that’s for another day!

Now if you’re wondering when to transplant, my seedlings are now four weeks old and stand about about four inches tall. Ideally, I think you’d want to give them another week or so, and do the big move when they’re about five inches tall. But, I was in a hurry and was itching to get things moving.

First of all, I gave my tomato seedlings one more watering before I transplanted them. Not only does that make it easier on the plant, but it also makes it easier to get out of the container. Then I took my three inch pot (that I was transplanting into) and put just a small layer of dirt in the bottom. So far, not so unusual.

Here’s what you might not normally do. I took my tomato plant and laid it down sideways in the container (as much as I could in that small space). Then I buried as much of it as I could, leaving just the top leaves showing.

Now, why on earth would I do that? Well you see, when you bury a tomato stem, it will send out roots. These extra roots will make the plant stronger and healthier. To further improve your tomato’s root systems, do this again when you plant him in the ground. Just dig a little trench, lay the plant down in the trench, bury it and keep the top sticking out of the ground.

Don’t believe me? Try it yourself!

Well, instead of a plain ol’ list, I thought I’d show you the full meal deal. You see, I have tendency to be way too organized and since I’m quite adapt with a computer, I just so happen to have a full color diagram of everything I plan to plant and where I’m going to plant it. Care to take a gander? Then here goes…

Oh, by the way, click the image to download a full size .pdf file to study at your leisure.

A-Frame Greenhouse Plan

The main crops in here are tomatoes, watermelons, and cucumbers, but you’ll also a variety of other things as well. Something new for my greenhouse this year is pumpkins. I’m going to try to grow a giant pumpkin or two inside my greenhouse. I’m also going to try raspberries in my greenhouse to see if I can extend their season. The blank plot in the upper left corner is where I’m going to plan a mini-replica of my main outdoor garden just to compare how the plants grow differently in the greenhouse.

Just a note about the “Phil’s Strawberries”: Those are a type of strawberry that I’m getting from my brother Phil who is a u-pick fruit grower. I’m not sure exactly what type they are.

Experimental Straw Garden Plans

This garden was all sod last fall. Half of it was tilled and half was left as sod. Then I covered the entire plot in a thick layer of old hay. I’m going to try mostly potatoes, corn, pumpkins, and zucchini in this plot, but I’ll give a few other things a try too.

Hopefully, as the hay rots and decomposes, the plants can grow up in a weed-free, moist environment. Of course, this is all theory and I haven’t seen it work before. But it’s surely worth a try.

If you’ve tried something like this before – send me your comments! I’d love to hear from you!

Main Garden Plot

This is where I’m planting the crops I must get good results from. No experimentation here. Thus, I’m planting mainly peas, beans, carrots, and onions. (Store-bought peas and carrots are terrible counterfeits of the real things.) I am trying out a couple new varieties, but I’m keeping the old faithful ones.

The only thing I don’t have here is my square-foot gardens (which I haven’t planned yet – and likely will just plant them with misc leftover seeds). I’m thinking they will me mostly herbs and flowers.

So what do you think? Are you planting any of the same things? What important stuff am I missing? Lemme know!