I added tomatoes to my garden! My grandfather grows tomatoes up in Colorado, and they are always so much fun to pick off the vine and eat, and much tastier than store bought ones! (Side note – did you know that many of the tomatoes you buy in stores are dyed to help them look more ripe? When we wash our tomatoes and put them in a bowl on a paper towel, the paper towel is always left very slightly orange-yellowish.) When we went to the hardware store to get supplies for planting vegetables earlier, they were out of tomato plants which was quite disappointing. When we went back for some other supplies though, they had more! And they had my favorite kind from my grandfather’s house – super sweet 100s. I also needed something to plant them in, so I asked the lady working at the Lowe’s garden center what sized container I would need for two tomato plants. She said she had a container that would work fine if I wanted one for free – yes, please! I met her and picked it up a couple days later, and after a little spray paint and some drainage holes I think it turned out great!
This is probably much deeper than I really need for tomatoes, but hey, it was free! I got some red spray paint for plastic (in sunset red by rust-oleum), and painted all the visible surfaces (outer sides and top of inner sides – not the bottom or most of the inside which won’t show in my garden). I then drilled several 1/2″ holes around the bottom and sides for some drainage. I filled the tub up most of the way with compost (super cheap available from my city compost facility). I got some lime from the hardware store and mixed it in to the top foot or so of my compost because my grandfather suggested it – it makes the soil a bit more basic. I also helped Eddie put up a trellis to tie the tomato vines upright as they grow out of some fencing wire and a couple of 8 foot posts. My grandfather always ties his tomato plants vertically towards the roof on his porch – and they grow more than 6 feet tall! I like the vertical growing more than the cages you see because it makes all the tiny tomatoes easy to find and pick as they ripen. I really hope these guys do well even with our hot summers here.
In similar news – the rest of my garden is doing quite well, for the most part! My peas are going gangbusters! They’re already over two and a half feet tall (they’ve grown almost an inch a day!), have several flowers, and even have a couple baby pods already!
Most of my potato plants are doing well, but something is eating away some of the leaves. A couple of my potato plants are just being devastated. After some internet searching I think it may be snails – apparently they come out at night, so I’ll be looking for them after it gets dark.
The garlic is still growing well. I think the onions, green onions, and basil are all growing slower because they were planted from seed rather than bigger parts of the plants – like whole peas, chunks of seeded potatoes, and heads of garlic. They’re still coming along though!
And here’s how my whole garden area is doing, 40 days after planting (plus adding the tomatoes a few weeks later!
Mmm, I love the red planter and raised bed with those growing soon-to-be-tasty plants!
Love the Raised bed! Would love to do that myself – but right now, I’m making due with a couple of tomoato plants and a single pepper plant. Heh – it’s a start!
Thanks for sharing!
Hugs –
Carol
This is my first attempt at gardening – I probably should have started off smaller too 🙂 I think I want to try a pepper plant next year though!
Found you through Somewhat Simple’s link up party. Just bought containers today for tomatoes and I live in Colorado so I am thrilled to hear your family members have success with them here! Mine will just be a container garden so I love your idea for a container. Your garden looks wonderful, hope you continue to enjoy it!
from Holly @ http://www.abakershouse.com
We planted some tomato seeds at the weekend http://madeinmorningside.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/you-say-tomato-i-say-tomato.html unfortunatly we don’t have a garden (or the weather) so they are sitting on our window sill where it gets a lot of sun. We grew 1 plant last year and now all store bought tomatoes taste so bland. xox
I love your painted container. I have been wanting to try that spray paint, but wasn’t sure what it would ‘really’ look like. Looks amazing! Visiting from HoH. ~Kimberlee, The Spunky Diva
The plastic spray paint worked great! I had an old used plastic container, so just washed it off with soap and water and then spray painted. A few places chipped off because I started using it before waiting for the paint to cure (the can says it takes 48 hours). I patched them up though, and it has been doing great outside!
Great idea!
I’d love if you would share this on Thingamajig Thursday going on now… http://radcrafter.com/2012/04/thingamajig-thursday-20/
Alida
I have to say I LOVE all that red and look forward to your garden maturing and being harvested! I don’t have a green thumb. I have the Thumb of Doom, as my husband puts it. I have a few “victims” on my front porch and a few in my house, just easy to care for plants and they do great.
Plant your green onion roon ends, your celery stalks, carrot and parsnip tops and ginger roots and you will have repeat harvests.
Also, since your climate is hot in summer, plant chili peppers. They LOVE LOVE LOVE hot hot weather and full sun.
Looks fantastic! I love the red!!! 🙂 Megan
Cool! I really want to try growing garlic. Thanks for sharing this at Handmade Tuesdays.
Awesome job! I still have to plant my garden 🙂 I would love for you to link up at my Linky Party via: http://ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com/2012/04/show-me-what-you-got-linky-party-9.html
Mrs. Delightful
http://www.ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com
Your garden looks like it is doing so well, This is my third attempt at growing my own vegetables. i started indoors with seeds and than transplanted them to pots. So far they are doing good, here is a recent post where i show how they are doing
http://motivatedmommyoftwo.blogspot.com/2012/04/gardening-things-are-growing.html
Do you have any tips to share? I would love to hear them
You have a pretty little garden. thank you for sharing