V is for Veggies and Violet!

We had a wonderful garden at our old house but when we moved, we just never seemed to find the time to start a new one. Then two years we decided to take the plunge and get down and dirty, lol.

We had several requirements:
1) The garden would have to be raised because we have such terrible soil.
2) The entire garden would have to be fenced in because the deer eat everything.
3) The garden would need to be large enough to grow the things we wanted but small enough to take care of without a lot of trouble.
We decided on a garden that was basically 8'x10' and a "C" shape.

Last week I decided to get a jump start and prep the soil but when I went to Lowes, I discovered they already had their veggie plants out so I decided I might as well and get started with the planting too. I planted Romaine Lettuce, Nappa Cabbage, Radishes, onions, four kinds of Tomatoes, 2 bell peppers, Cucumbers, purple potatoes and Birdhouse Gourds.

The Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers and Gourds will go on though to the Fall but the rest will be done by the time the Summer heat arrives.

And here's a picture of my new red-Violet hose and nozzle. I love the color!

Having your own garden is very rewarding and with grocery prices rising every day, it's a good way to save a little cash too.
I mentioned prepping the soil and I can't stress how important this step is! Unless you are blessed with rich, loamy soil, you will want to amend it. Here is the "recipe" I use:
1- 3 cubic foot bag peat moss
2 - 2 cubic foot bags Jungle Growth Garden Soil or other rich garden soil
2 - 2 cubic foot bags Mushroom Compost.
Depending on the size of your garden, you may need larger quantities of each ingredient. 
Mix together thoroughly, if you are planting right into the ground, mix well with your existing soil. I'll try and post pictures as my little garden begins to grow. I'm linking this post to Alphabe Thursday for the letter V at Jenny Matlocks.