Ideas for Maximizing Food Production on In-Town Lots

One way to maximize your food production on a small in town lot is growing vegetables and fruit that can be trained up a trellis.  Many different foods can be grown this way.  Small winter squash, vining  summer squash, beans, tomatoes, peas, small melons, and cucumbers all are excellent for this.  On the heavier melons and winter squash you will have to support them or they will pull off the vine before maturity.  There are many varieties though that are small enough, even in the water melons, to grow this way.   Here are some pics.  I am planning to do much of my gardening this way so I'll keep you posted!

Herbs to Plant in the Shade

Living on a smaller lot means getting creative with the garden space I have.  We have lots of lovely shade (something I  enjoy after living in the desert my whole life) that is great for being outside, but not so great when it comes to gardening.  I need herbs but have so little full sun space that I am going to have to squeeze them in where I can.  That's why I started searching for herbs that thrive in shade.  Thankfully there are several that will do well and I cant wait for spring!  Here are some shade loving herbs for your garden.

A note on mints - even though they are not technically shade loving plants they will grow well in any light, so well in fact that they will take over.  Be careful where you plant these because they are invasive.  I like to plant them in a corner where nothing else will grow.

Parsley

Lemon Balm

Anise Hyssop

Spice Bush

Mints

Of Potatoes and Tomatoes

Well it looks like many things in this years garden are a bust.

Bummer

But on the upside the tomatoes and potatoes seem to be doing well.  The fruit trees are growing up.  The grapevines have a few grapes on them (this is their second year), and the new strawberry bed is still alive which I count as a victory.  My blueberries are still small little shrubs.  I think they get too much sun? 

Here are some picks of how things look.

My basil is doing good at least

some tomatoes

My little sad beet patch

The very verdant potato patch

My grapevines and strawberry patch

A place to relax

Hubby next to the tarragon, which we have had to cut back.  It's as tall as most adults!