Our 2024 garden

Myself and my partner, Robin, grow a garden to help sustain ourselves and our local wildlife in Boulder County, Colorado (USDA Zone 6A).

Spaces

TODO
  • Pictures
  • What plants will be in what spaces?

Everywhere

  • Marigolds: We re-seed these every year by hand from the previous years’ plants, and we always have more than we can handle.
  • Hyssop (anise & wild): Same treatment as marigolds. Attract dragonflies, butterflies, hummingbirds, bees.
  • Yarrow: Same treatment as marigolds and hyssop! I really like yarrow as a ground cover, and bees love it too.
  • Perrenial succulents
  • TODO: Other wildflowers / perrenials we want to plant indiscriminantly

Front yard

  • 6 tall (~1m) raised beds of varying shapes and sizes. These mostly receive full sun.
    • TODO: Sun-lovers, e.g. tomato, pepper, cucumber, zucchini, … Which plants would need shade cloth in hottest months?
  • 3 whisky(?) barrel planters in partial sun.
    • Green onions
    • TODO: What else?
  • A short, long raised bed that receives mostly shade.
    • Strawberries
    • Columbine
    • Rhubarb
    • Thyme
    • TODO: Leafy greens?

Back yard

  • 2 stock tank planters, 4’ and 6’ long. These receive full sun.
    • Chives
    • TODO: Sun-lovers. Tomatoes? What else?
  • 2 strips of garden space, about 2-3’ wide and 20’ long, next to our fences running north-south. One receives morning sun, and one receives afternoon sun.
    • Raspberries
    • TODO: What else?

Planting schedule

TODO
  • What plants will we plant when? When will they be harvested?
  • How to arrange this info? Markdown table (ew)?
  • Carrots: Plant all season every two weeks, March(?) through October(?). Leave some carrots for harvest in January; these will be very sweet.
  • Broccoli / other brassica: Plant for growth in cool season. TODO: Dates
  • Onions / other allium: Plant in early spring.
    • Garlic: Planted in Fall 2023.
  • Leafy greens: Plant in early spring.

Tender plants

Should not experience a frost after planting. Can be protected with “wall of water” to plant earlier and get more growth time.

  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumbers
  • Melons
  • Most herbs (oregano, basil, marjoram, …) TODO: Detail
    • Rosemary: Most varieties won’t survive the winter here.

Misc.

  • Thyme: Many varieties survive the winter. Divide existing plants.
  • Chives: Grows as a perrenial. Divide existing plants.