I spent about 6 hours on Sunday weeding the upper garden. The last time I spent any quality time in the garden was way back at the beginning of the month, when I finally finished planting everything.
Because I didn't take a "before" picture - the weeds were really just too embarrassing - it's difficult for a non-resident to know just how much better the garden looks. There was creeping charlie all around the edges of the raised beds and along the fence, growing in the gravel. Lots of annual grasses like quack grass had sprouted in all the beds. Plus there were various and sundry other weeds everywhere. Let's just say that when Spouse came out to check on me, he exclaimed, "Wow, it looks great out here!"
The vegetables are growing almost as well as the weeds were before they were unceremoniously yanked out. In the photos below (click to enlarge), the bed on the left has fingerling potatoes and bush beans. The potatoes are at least 3.5 feet tall. The two beds in the center photo are in the as-yet-unweeded lower garden. It looks like it's full of weeds, but it's actually French tarragon and garden oregano gone crazy. I've had the tarragon (a perennial) for 3 years now, and I've never had so much. The photo on the far right is the cucumber and zucchini bed. Last year I had terrible luck with zucchini - I harvested exactly one - but this year it's threatening to take over.
All in all, a very satisfying and pleasurable day in the garden.
Your gardens look so nice - I really like the design.
I've weeded everything 3 or 4 times this year and still have weeds, grass, and trees growing in the gardens - unreal! However, being outside weeding beats cleaning house or other mundane tasks anytime!
Posted by: kris | June 26, 2007 at 02:41 PM
I'm jealous. I need to do a lot of serious weeding. My curse is purslane! Your garden looks great!
Posted by: Carol | June 26, 2007 at 04:39 PM
Your garden looks great! I love gardens with a pattern to them. Keep your fingers crossed that the courgette doesn't go too crazy - otherwise you'll be giving them away to the neighbours because you'll be sick of the sight of them!
Posted by: mtp | June 26, 2007 at 05:00 PM
Kris: I don't know about your TC neighborhood, but we've had just the right amount of sun and rain to really make the plants - and weeds - very happy. And I agree, I'd rather be outside weeding than cleaning a bathroom anytime!
Carol: I've had lots of purslane this year, which is unusual at my house. As I was weeding (it's quite a meditative time), I was thinking that it might have come from the compost I bought this spring.
MTP: Thanks for visiting! I've been reading your blog for awhile, but haven't commented yet - I'm a bit intimidated by English vegetable bloggers. I figure you all must have been born growing veg. Anyway, for me zucchini have been feast or famine. Last year I had exactly one, but the year before I was throwing extras in the compost pile by the beginning of August. I have a feeling this will be another feast year.
Posted by: Tracy | June 26, 2007 at 06:22 PM