A Romp Through My Garden Jungle

/ July 17, 2014

Every day my garden looks more like a jungle.long garden beds

As you can see from the pictures, my garden is not super neat with vegetables in neat rows and spaces.flowers

I’ve been adding beds and plants piecemeal ever since I moved in 3 years ago. Believe it or not, when I bought it, there were only 3 lonely plants in the whole backyard; an evergreen, crepe myrtle and magnolia (none of the above). The whole two long beds pictured above and all the plants in them have been added. And this year, the cucumbers, squash and peas have gone crazy. I’ve allowed them to grow up my plants, bushes, trellis, fence and even window. I didn’t realize how well they climb. 🙂

vines everywhere

Do any of you serious gardeners know if they will hurt the bushes? They seem to be overwhelming a couple of my bushes.

And do any of you recognize what kind of caterpillars these are? They are very small and light brown. I’m inclined to leave them, unless they are a very destructive variety.

catapillars

Thankfully, with the cooler weather and rain, my garden is producing this year. I’m harvesting cucumbers and peas, with a couple of watermelons on the way. The watermelons are my first ever attempt. So far so good.

watermelon

Here are some of the fruits of my casual gardening. To my serious gardener friends and readers, please don’t mock. I was ready to give up vegetables completely. I’ve already started to transition my garden to have more flowers, bushes and other perennial plants.

cucumbers

I get so much joy from flowers, combined with poor results for the vegetables the last two years, that I realized I wasn’t enjoying the process. So I started adding bushes and flowers in my vegetable gardens. To a dedicated gardener, the challenge might be motivation. For me, it was a sign to plant what I love. So now I’m growing flowers, bushes and decorations! The decorations are fun and require no maintenance. 🙂

This way I have more time to sit and look at my flowers and gardens, or to talk to my frog. 🙂funny frog

 

Wishing you a good season of growing.

 

 

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49 thoughts on “A Romp Through My Garden Jungle”

  2. Hi Brad:
    I’m sitting here smiling. I imagine a pea vine conspiring with a cucumber vine to completely cover up your windows and doors so you have no choice but to let them be, as they ramble over the bushes in the garden!
    Unless they start squeezing the life out of the bush, I think it’s pretty innocent. But serious vegetable gardeners may say different. (Remember I don’t know about vegetables, just flowers…)

    So now let me say: your garden looks healthy and lovely and if you really want to see what a jungle looks like, come see our garden here at the old farmhouse. Yours is very neat!

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    • Cynthia, I thought you might like this. You’re one of several bloggers who obviously love their gardens and post about them. I didn’t even show the pictures where they are taking over a bush and I did remove the vines on a small first year bush. But mostly I’m letting them go up the sunflowers, bushes, trees, windows and yard which is a quandary for mowing. Most of the veggies are doing well, except the cabbage and tomatoes. I’d love to see you garden and farmhouse! I’ll keep your flower bias under advisement. 🙂

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  3. Love the sight of a vegetable garden! To my un-experienced eye it seems as if you are getting good results.
    I think as a beginner, there’s no bigger satisfaction than seeing something suddenly sprout out of nowhere & enjoy hard labor on a colorful plate.
    Besides all that your garden looks very tidy & serene but I believe one should go where the heart takes you…

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    • Yes, when I drop the comparisons to other gardens, I’m pretty happy just to see so much growing out there. And yes, years ago, I was completely amazed at the miracle of putting seeds in the ground, having them sprout and produce delicious food. The taste was so much better, plus the joy.
      I agree on following the heart, that’s why I’m planting more flowers and less veggies. 🙂

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  4. Those caterpillars look like tent caterpillars to me and if so, you need to get rid of them; they spread fast and do lots of damage. Fire is one sure way, but google them and see first. (I mean fire as with a blow-torch or the like.) Hope they are not what they look like . . . Lovely garden, Brad. The veggies might just need more built-up soil, you know. I doubt the climbers will do any permanent damage. If you think a vine is getting too heavy for a plant, I’d say just pinch off the growing ends. It’s all a learning thing, isn’t it? ~ Linne

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    • Thanks Linne. I appreciate your suggestions. The caterpillars are going! and glad to know the vines won’t hurt my other plants. Maybe I’ll add more organic matter first. Lot’s to learn and that’s OK, I’m not that serious about the veggies. Flowers are my joy.

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  5. Your garden is absolutely beautiful. You’re a novice? I don’t think so. 🙂
    Eh, after awhile, it does become old hat, though there is always, always more to learn. I find that so much of it is trial and error. For the life of me, I can’t grow broccoli. My yard/climate just is not conducive to growing it. But green beans? Good grief I’m swimming in them. 😛

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    • I appreciate the compliment. For aesthetic enjoyment I’m pleased. Vegetable yield, not so much. Yes, I consider myself a novice and have had horrible results from the veggies, but a little better this year and much more fun with all the flowers. 🙂 Definitely trial and error. I’m swimming in green beans too and would love more tomatoes. 🙂 And I will plant fewer cucumbers and squash next year! 🙂

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  8. You garden looks beautiful Brad! I’m also a gardener… gardening is a blessing… and flowers, plants and nature are so inspiring. Thanks for sharing your “secret garden” with us 🙂

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  9. ” Serious gardners”,,, you’re a lot of fun!
    We obviously fell for the same beautiful things in life… You know what is greater than your garden, Brad?
    Your love for it.
    I always enjoy your writing. Have a great summer with delicious salads,
    Camelia

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    • Hi Camelia, Thank you for your kind words. I love beauty in many forms, especially nature, flowers, and kindness. I appreciate you and your support. How is your school kindness project going. I need to revisit the site. I’ve been enjoying kale and cucumbers, but no tomatoes. Darn! 🙂

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  10. Hi Brad! This is fun…you can tell your love and enjoyment (sometimes frustration?) for your garden. I love a beautiful garden…but I don’t have one now. Back when…we had a few vegetables. ..White eggplant OH SO GOOD! and we had zuccini….a friend turned us on to fried zuccini flowers…yummo…but then we never had a crop of zuccini!!! DUH!!! I love that you have passion for your beautiful garden! Have a great weekend ❤ ❤

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  11. Well that is no jungle, but a fruitful garden which is combined to give you both food and pleasure.. So long as you have plenty of nutrients in the soil and the plants are strong enough to bare the weight of the climbers all should be well…
    As for the caterpillars can not really tell from the picture what sort they are. Your squash is doing great we have tried growing for first time but have no flowers as of yet… so fingers crossed we have 6 plants growing together…
    I love how you have integrated both flowers and veggies.. We also picked some Gladioli from the allotment today too, but I didnt take a photo of them they now standing in our hearth.. It’s all looking good… Thank you for taking the time to visit I just caught your comment before logging off. 🙂

    Sue

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  12. Thanks Sue, I just saw your garden post. Obviously your know a lot about gardening.:) I haven’t learned much about the soil, except to understand that its health is key to a garden’s health and yield, but I have added nothing other than compost. I enjoy the casual and mixed approach. May we plant seeds of love in our gardens and communities. 🙂

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  13. Enjoyed this romp through your garden, Brad! Everything looks wonderful! Not a “jungle” by any means. I’m a bit envious of your watermelon, I don’t have room for them here. Hope yours keep doing well and end up being delicious!
    Have a great weekend, happy gardening! 😀

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    • Thanks Julie. It looks like a jungle to me, maybe that means I like more order in my garden. I already removed some of the vines, but I’m leaving the 3 watermelon plants to go wherever they want! 🙂
      Happy weekend before or after the weeding, watering, mowing and tending? XD

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      • I am always torn between wanting order and naturalizing in the garden because I love the look of both. And it’s the same way in my other every day things too ~ always an ongoing process to find the balance somewhere in the middle.
        Happy weekend “during” Brad, during. 😉

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  14. You definitely have a green thumb, Brad! Your yard looks lovely!
    We planted a raised beg of garden veggies this year. It’s been a while since we had a garden, and we enjoyed the first zucchini a couple of nights ago. Can’t wait for my carrots!!

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  15. OK, I surrender Denise. Everyone seems to think I have a green thumb just because I have lots of green things taking over my garden. It’s actually mostly due to cool and rainy weather and I’m grateful. Gardening was not fun the last two summers with crazy heat and drought. Enjoy your veggies!

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  16. Glad to know this part of you, Brad. Of course you garden. And the things you touch would respond to your love. Mine’s a black thumb. When I come by the nursery at Home Depot, the flowers whimper, “No! No, please. Him – take HIM. Not me!” My husband gave up on me. Loving, gentle man’s decided they just won’t grow near me. LOL.

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  17. LOL, Thanks for the best belly laugh I’ve had in days Diana. It’s good to know our strengths and weaknesses. 🙂 I love your modest humor about your “black thumb”. I’m sure you offer love and blessings in many other ways like your blog and family. Keep on growing where you can! from the slightly green thumb guy in Arkansas! XD I garden mostly because I want to see the beauty, nurture myself and others.

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  20. Your garden looks super neat to me – very nice garden! 🙂 I don’t really have a garden, just a yard out the back and a tiny front patch, which unfortunately has to mainly spoiled by wheelie bins because there is nowhere else to keep them! But as I live in a flat upstairs in the building, it’s not really mine to enjoy as if it were my own, but there are some very beautiful white calla lilies, the only really beautiful plant in the garden. They are like a queen of flowers, overshadow every all other plants with their loveliness! I enjoy friends and relatives gardens, it’s kind of easier that way! 😉

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    • Thanks Suzy. I love calla lilies. My garden does bring me much joy, along with tons of work. Some days I wish I was still renting and enjoying other people’s gardens. You might have the best of it! XD

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