Cucumber Ladder
There are many great ideas out there for creating vertical growing structures — specifically for plants such as cucumbers. For several years, I had been growing our cucumber plants along the edge of a raised bed, and trained them to use the short fence that bordered the bed as a support for their vines. It … Continue reading Cucumber Ladder
Vegetable Landscaping
An easy and fun option for mass-plantings in your urban landscape! Over the past several years, we’ve been slowly tackling the lackluster landscaping that we inherited when we purchased our home. One side of our home was particularly bad, as it was over-planted, overgrown, and the plant material was much too close to the house. … Continue reading Vegetable Landscaping
Good Mother Stallard Beans
This year was our first attempt at growing pole beans, for the purpose of drying the beans for use later in the year. Last year we grew a different variety that we were able to harvest and cook while still fresh. At the end of the season, as we were cleaning out the garden, we … Continue reading Good Mother Stallard Beans
Seed Starting Set-up
Starting our veggies and flowers from seed has been so satisfying, and a great way to extend the gardening season here in Muncie. We began starting just a few seeds in the window several years ago, then upgraded to a small shelf in the same south-facing window, and finally graduated to a larger shelf with … Continue reading Seed Starting Set-up
Garden Water Play
When we built our garden, we wanted it to be more than a functional space or one that was pleasant for adults – we wanted a kid-friendly space that would encourage our children to be outside. Working within a limited budget meant we had to prioritize how we spend our resources in the backyard, and … Continue reading Garden Water Play
Seed Starting Plans
The last several years as I’ve begun to plan our garden, and the time comes to start selecting seeds, the near endless amount of possibilities is both exciting and a bit overwhelming. I’ve explored the websites of many popular seed companies, and have also been introduced to other options through social media channels I’ve followed … Continue reading Seed Starting Plans
Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’
A great choice for all purple lovers out there! My oldest daughter is unabashed in her love of the color purple. She enjoys looking at all of the purple plants in the seed catalog (root veggies included) and was adamant that we purchase some “purple flower seeds.” We knew that we were going to grow … Continue reading Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’
Short Stuff Sunflowers
Fun little “kid-sized” sunflowers that were a favorite of both the kids and the birds! Sunflowers are one of my wife’s favorite annuals, and we decided to try several new varieties during the summer of 2020. I’m so glad the kids picked this one out of the seed catalog, because I probably wouldn’t have, and … Continue reading Short Stuff Sunflowers
Building a Raised Bed Garden
Much deliberation (maybe too much) was spent on planning and designing how we would build and lay-out our backyard garden. We have a fairly small back yard, with several constraints — limited sun exposure, flood susceptibility, and underground utilities limited both where we could place our plots and how many we could build. With my … Continue reading Building a Raised Bed Garden
Dad Gardener 