Welcome to Ghetto Fabulous Gardening!

Hi and welcome to my brand-new blog! School is out and summer is just around the corner. This is my first summer not working, and my first summer living on 25 acres! Both of those firsts have lent themselves to a third first: my first GARDEN! WHOO HOO! I looked into raised garden beds, soil, seeds, etc. and estimated that the materials to start my first garden would add up to about $200. My current gardening budget is $0.00. I decided NOT to let money/ignorance stand in the way of me growing my first tomato. So I started googling. Apparently the next best thing to a garden box, is a mound of dirt. I can TOTALLY do a mound of dirt.

So today I decided that I had spend enough time planning, and it was time to start digging. I took out my little hand trowel, found some tree branches to mark off my garden area, and I went to work. I had started out some herbs and tomatoes in little planters on my window sill (gifts of the ex-next-door neighbor) and I transplanted them. I also found a bag of seeds the ex-neighbor had given me, and I planted all my herbs and veggies. Right now, I haven't worried about the mounds. I figure it's okay to start out flat for now, and as my seeds grow, so will their mounds. Besides, why do big mounds have to be better? Why can't flat be fine?! Some people actually prefer a flatter, more athletic-looking garden.. but I digress..

THIS is the result:



I'm not sure what I'm going to do with those planters. I have gladiolas started in one and marigolds in another, but I'm thinking of doing flower beds here:

and here:

As you can see, I have a LOT of work ahead of me.

So as far as the veggie garden, I currently have planted basil, chives, parsley, tomatoes, cayenne peppers, bell peppers, and cucumbers. A friend has offered to come over next week with some seeds for squash, pumpkin, and melon. I'd also like to add lettuce, broccoli, green beans, corn and peas. Yes. I said peas. As long as they're in the pod, they're just fine with me. :) I'm sure I'll be expanding my current bed, but as far as today goes, I really just wanted to get some stuff in the ground.

When I showed Jonah the picture of my garden (he's at work), he texted me back right away saying "nonono, I'm gonna build you a REAL garden," but I'm not holding my breath.

I didn't have any landscape cloth for weeds, I didn't have any lumber for a box, I have no idea how to build a fence for animals, and had no cash for soil/fertilizer. I'm making do with what I have and I'm excited to see what happens! OH! And in the big blue tub is my compost pile! It has weeds, grass, twigs, roots, and food scraps. I'm going to find a way to put some holes in the tub so the compost can get enough air, and I'll be turning the compost by hand. But shoot, I am the Ghetto Fabulous Gardener, after all!