::cottage garden 2013 - for real::

first plan

actual plan

 The Cottage Garden is in the ground.  Going crazy.  And it makes my heart sing.  It is just so stinking pretty.  Once I was actually standing in the garden I new my original plan was not exactly right.  

Since the broccoli got planted out back I threw onions in the front.  They came up so pretty that I thought I would try planting spinach between the onions.  That way when the onions are getting big the spinach will act as an edible mulch for them.  They will block weeds from forming between the rows.  Let's see how they work.  

 The tomatoes are planted with black weed mat over them to help the soil get hotter faster - in theory leading to quicker growth. 

 It's not going to be a big year for strawberry's for us.  Last year I ripped the center out of my current strawberry bed, filled it with soil, and will let the old plants runners take it over.  Next year it will be perfect.  The other strawberry bed got 8 new plants put it in this year and will also be perfect next year.  

I split my cilantro beds into triangles and have staggered my plantings so I will always have fresh cilantro all year.  I broke down and bought some plants to fill one part of it because I wanted cilantro right now.  I already have too much.  Perfect.  
The rest of this pretty thing is coming up nice.  The flower pots add wonderful color and the zinnias will be in upfront soon.  The sunflowers in the back are showing up and they are always so pretty.  

Asian eggplant - a new one for me