Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary~

How does your garden grow?

I'm convinced that about the only way to garden

up here on this mountain ridge, in the

dry desert, with our continual wind…

is in a greenhouse~

I do have 5 outdoor raised garden beds,

but inside the greenhouse everything is so happy.

(and I don't have to compete with the deer…)

Outside things are growing, but they

are so exposed to the sun and wind

that it's a bit of a struggle to get

things going and flourishing.

Green bush beans~

Strawberry bed~
(a friend gave me a strawberry plant and now the
whole bed is almost filled in :)

The inside view~
(I have the back window open; you can't tell from the photo
but the back window and side windows are all screened to help
keep critters like grasshoppers…out)

The lettuce and herb bed~
(Growing chives, parsley, oregano, thyme, carrots, and 4 different
lettuces)

Tomatoes, sweet peas, peppers, and basil~

More tomatoes, peppers, beets, spinach (already done),
and a volunteer cucumber plant~

The cold crop bed~
(Kale, arugula, beets, carrots, and more sweet peas)

Last year when I grew peas in the outdoor beds, the deer
ate them all; this year they won't be able to get them :)

All greens grow well here~

So, how does the garden grow?

Very well in the greenhouse, thank you!
And it was all started from seed :)

I'm not giving up on my outside beds, though.  

I've read about mulching wood chips vs. hay…

I'm trying wood chips on the strawberry bed, because

that is what I had.  It's helped tremendously with

keeping it moist underneath so it doesn't dry out so

readily from the sun and wind…

I'm going to try hay around the other plants, once they 

get a little taller.  

I'm also going to invest in some shade cloth to cover

over these outdoor beds to protect from the deer

and to provide a little shade since we have such

intense sun exposure.

It's an adventure for sure and one you have to stick with!