This is how we do it…

What’s growing: Tomatoes

One of the major draws to starting a backyard garden was the prospect of harvesting tomatoes. For anyone who has ever tried growing tomatoes, you probably know that it’s not smoothest leaf on the vine. But don’t let that stop you. It is going to be worth it! Right now, we are in the midst of tomato growing season, and coming up are some interesting variations of the normal red.

Growing Tomatoes!

One of the more unique choices was the Yellow Pear. This is a small tomato, grape-sized, that looks almost exactly like it sounds. It’s bright yellow color is certainly fancy, but the taste really speaks for itself. If you are looking for a small, sweet, tomato, this is the right one.

Image Credit: gourmettraveller88

Among the summery yellow tomatoes we are also growing a number of red grape tomatoes and a few others that caught our eye at the garden center, electing to go with small plants as opposed to seeds.

**Note from the expert: If you are going to plant tomatoes, make sure you have a stake or a cage for each plant. This is especially important for tomatoes that are of the larger varieties, as the fruit with pull the plant down and damage it.

“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”
~Lewis Grizzard

Burn and Till…

The burn and till method is the way to start a new garden in Central Tennessee. So far we have laughed a little about it, but it really is a key step in making a successful garden.

If you are ready to burn and till, you will need to know the types of plants you’d like to plant and what/how much sun they need. This information is going to be found on the packaging of seeds, online, or one of those garden i.d. tags. (You could also ask a gardener.) This is important for the planning of the location.

We had to keep a few things in mind when choosing the best location for our garden, such as where the spring trees would have summer shade and where the hose was easily accessible.

For our vegetable garden we determined that the plants would need 6+ hours of direct sunlight. So the garden is located in a brightly sunny part of the yard. After choosing a wide variety of plants, we decided that a 4′ by 5′ garden would work best for our space and amateur knowlege.

The Burn
Now that the plan for placement and size was determined, it was time for Bryan . “Burning” the grass with the weedeater is prep for the tiller, so that it doesn’t get caught up in a bunch of grass, weeds, etc.

So, “weedeat” the space for your garden in what ever shape you’d like. Essentially, this is clearing the grass to expose the dirt.

The Till
This is the more complicated part. Depending on the type of tiller you have, the technique varies. Generally speaking, the tiller is a small engine propelled plow. The idea is to use your strength against the tiller so that is churns up 5 to 6 inches of soil. We are lucky enough to have dark soil, but you may run into clay.

Till on the left, burn on the right.

You can see in the picture that Nancy is standing on the “burned” ground while (trying her best) tilling.

*Please Note: All information is based on professional garden counsel and first hand application

Meet Bryan…

Bryan is the other half of a gardening duo. And, although I said, “Till first, then plant.” Actually, Bryan comes before Bessie. Bryan is a weedeater. In order for Bessie to be most effective, Bryan needs to “burn the grass” first. So, if your grass is long and tangly, or just a little out of hand, make sure to trim it first before you start up the tiller.

You have actually seen Bryan already. Nancy, our resident yard working power woman, was handling Bryan in the first post.

If you don’t know how to handle Bryan, this is also a great point for you to consult your expert (Phillipe) that has been so great at helping you understand “tilling”. But, if you don’t have an expert, we also found some somewhat helpful websites and instructional videos online to get us going.

**Word to the wise: Don’t give up, just keep trying, Bryan can be pretty ornary if don’t do things his way.***

Nancy and Bryan get ready for Bessie.

Meet Bessie…

Lesson One: Till first, then plant.

Actually this was probably lesson four or five, but in the realm of gardening, this is where you HAVE to start. If you want to start a garden in your backyard, you need to decide if you soil is loose or not. If you have never gardened before, it is basically guaranteed that you do NOT have loose soil. Which is where we started, our garden needed tilling.

(See, no prior contact with a hoe and your soil stays pretty buttoned up, but if your yard dirt has seen a hoe before… then it will be loose, ok? Good, I’m glad that is clear. )

So, if you have loose, pre-tilled soil, skip this step. But if not, FIND A TILLER!!!
There are a couple of options here, you can buy or rent a tiller from a local home improvement store or find an experienced gardener with the right tools to help you out.

As it turns out, we “chose” the latter or should I say it chose us. Meet Bessie and Phillipe. Bessie: Tiller, Phillipe: Landscape Architect… Us: Happy!!

Phillipe giving lessons on how to use Bessie.

(LOOK AT THOSE ROWS!!!)

A garden in Central Tennessee…

It’s planting season in Nashville, TN and that means it’s the best time to begin a garden if you have ever dreamed of growing one! This is the journal of a first timer and we are planning on vegetables and flowers and probably some weeds and grass. (Hopefully more of the former!) There have already been big lessons to learn, including a whole new vocabulary and some heavy machinery that can take you for a ride! But, trust me, that is half the fun!

Here We Go!