It's time to report on my success in the Great Garden Experiment Challenge. Carrots are sprouting! The seeds in the container are doing great and I'm even seeing life from the seeds in the ground, planted in my new raised flower bed. I am grateful for the heavy rain we've been getting here in Southern California.
I'm having a little more trouble with the Three Sisters method since I can't tell what is a bean sprout and what is marigold, but I'm confident that in just a few weeks I'll be able to figure it out and hopefully see even more growth. I'm pleased that the corn is showing the most growth. Again, thank the heavens for all this rain!
I spend a lot of time on YouTube and came across a new garden challenge posted by Cara Grandle that I was grabbed by. The Great Garden Experiment 2019 has three parts, with a question associated to each.
1. What are you doing for the first time? 2. What frustration/challenge are you determined to conquer? 3. What are you growing into or is there a new skill you're bringing to your garden journey?
The Three Sister's method of planting is a first for me as well as corn, which is an integral part of the method. As mentioned before, I spend a lot of time on YouTube and a lot of it is watching videos of other gardeners. Many use the Three Sister's method which, upon doing some research, has been a method used by Native Americans for a very long time. You can read more from The Farmer's Almanac. This combination of corn, beans and squash will be seeded in my front flower bed that I'm sacrificing for the food garden expansion. It's not a real sacrifice considering I couldn't win the battle with weeds in that area - I just can't understand why that area gives me the most trouble with weeds!
Now on to the carrots. The first time I tried to grow carrots from seeds, they came up very tiny and had a small yield. Within the last year I went forward with a second attempt - it was a complete fail. Needless to say, carrots absolutely fill the requirement for question number two; a frustration I'm determined to conquer. This time I plan to plant a few different types of carrots, each in the ground and in a container. I want no room for error!
The third question was addressed with my new raised bed, but I think it can be addressed better with another new addition to my garden that I will reveal in a future post. Stay tuned!
My Seed Bank Box for the month of June came with eight seed varieties. Unlike last month, there are no flowers in this haul but there is no lack of color and quite a lot of uniqueness.
Peaches & Cream Corn - This corn will grow white and yellow kernels on each ear of corn. They will not be ready for this Summer's BBQ, but this is something I'm looking forward to growing. The previous subscription box came with some blue corn but I read that it requires a grinder so I didn't plant it (yet). Slow Bolt Cilantro - Cilantro is an herb I use often in my dishes so this was a great surprise. With the number of seeds I received, I plan to plant a few each month so I will always have cilantro ready. Jester Squash - This fun looking squash is a variety of acorn squash according to the information card and is meant to be harvested in the fall. It will have a sweet and nutty flavor, similar to it's appearance! Sugar Baby Watermelon - With receding real estate for plants, I'm happy to be able to grow watermelon that is manageable. These babies will grow to be 5-10 lbs and will also be a welcome treat at next year's summer BBQ. Red Rubin Basil - The name is red but the color is purple. Basil, another herb familiar to my kitchen, will look lovely in my yard. The information card suggests making pesto to please your dinner guests. Golden Squash/Zucchini - Yet another summer plant, this squash will brighten up my food garden with it's golden glow. And did you know the blossoms are edible? Time to look up some new recipes! Bronze Fennel - The feathery leaves of this plant should add some unique texture to the look of my garden. This will be my first time planting fennel but I'm looking forward to it. Orange Habanero Pepper - One of the hottest peppers in the world, this vibrant habanero will spice up any dish. A little goes a long way with these hotties and I'll have to take the advice of the information card and wear gloves when harvesting or preparing these. If you'd like to watch the unboxing video, click here.
If you'd like to have your very own Seed Bank Box delivered to your house to brighten your garden and kitchen table, use this code that Seed Bank Box gave me just for My Fairy Folks!
