See this picture of my darling grandson in the vegetable garden? This is my problem area (well, one of them anyway) in SJC. A couple years ago, inspired by photos, books, movies (when "It's Complicated" came out I got all kinds of calls and emails about the beautiful vegetable garden) and visits to other people's gardens I was inspired to put in a formal vegetable garden. Before that I tucked them into ornamental beds here and there. Tomatoes and artichokes intermingled with roses and iris. Small borders of parsley and lettuce, etc.. I removed all the ornamentals in a section of the yard that got full sun all day and put in raised beds, gravel paths, towering obelisks and a birdbath. I filled the beds with vegetable seeds and seedlings and companion flowers to attract beneficial insects. It was beautiful, I was delighted - for about a week. Then almost everything disappeared from foraging wildlife. Who was I to complain? I loved to graze there too! Anyway we have been talking about putting in fencing above and below ground to keep out the rascals (that includes my dogs), but it is such a job and it is an awkward shape. Then my DH asked me why I didn't just make it a rose garden. I must confess that I am much more crazy about an armful of amazing roses brought in from the garden than a basket of zucchini. Great tasting organic vegetables can be found at the local farmers markets, but it is hard to find garden roses for sale! Well, anyway, that is my dilemma. What to do about the veggie garden?
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Dilemma
See this picture of my darling grandson in the vegetable garden? This is my problem area (well, one of them anyway) in SJC. A couple years ago, inspired by photos, books, movies (when "It's Complicated" came out I got all kinds of calls and emails about the beautiful vegetable garden) and visits to other people's gardens I was inspired to put in a formal vegetable garden. Before that I tucked them into ornamental beds here and there. Tomatoes and artichokes intermingled with roses and iris. Small borders of parsley and lettuce, etc.. I removed all the ornamentals in a section of the yard that got full sun all day and put in raised beds, gravel paths, towering obelisks and a birdbath. I filled the beds with vegetable seeds and seedlings and companion flowers to attract beneficial insects. It was beautiful, I was delighted - for about a week. Then almost everything disappeared from foraging wildlife. Who was I to complain? I loved to graze there too! Anyway we have been talking about putting in fencing above and below ground to keep out the rascals (that includes my dogs), but it is such a job and it is an awkward shape. Then my DH asked me why I didn't just make it a rose garden. I must confess that I am much more crazy about an armful of amazing roses brought in from the garden than a basket of zucchini. Great tasting organic vegetables can be found at the local farmers markets, but it is hard to find garden roses for sale! Well, anyway, that is my dilemma. What to do about the veggie garden?
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