Gardening on the Oregon Coast

I'm stepping out side my comfort zone here, starting two new things in my life...........This blog and container gardening. Please follow along as I document the progress, successes and failures.

Anyone living here on the coast knows the growing season is short and because of the cooler temps it's not always consistant.  This year I'm attempting to grow radishes, spinach, lettuce, zuchinni,(see the blossom?)

yellow squash and lemon cucumbers in containers on the deck and in addition I've planted a row of green beans down the middle of my flower bed and tomatoes up next to the house.  At first I was leary about planting vegetables right out in front of the house but after watching a video on u-tube about square foot gardening I thought why not?  If John from growingyourgreens.com can turn his entire front yard (in a suburban neighborhood) into a raised bed garden then I can certainly grow a few simple vegetables in the front flower beds at our secluded, (no one drives up the driveway unless we know their coming, almost out in the country home). That one spot, right out front, up next to the house, is the only place I've been able to successfully grow tomatoes.  It gets all day sun, and because of the block foundation under the house, the blocks absorb heat during the day that helps keep the soil warm during the night.

Here are the tomatoes that I planted next to the house. And those things that are growing out of control on the far right of the picuture are chives. I cut them back severly a couple of weeks ago and they are out of control again.

I'm so excited to see blossoms on the cucumbers!The first time I offered a lemon cucumber to my 6 year old grandaughter she thought I was tricking her. She asked "is that really a cucumber? will it be sour inside?" I told her "just wait till you see the inside" then she would know for sure it was really a cucumber. I just love to hear the g-kids responses when experiencing something new.


The first row in this next picture is lettuce, it's doing very well don't you think? Behind that is spinach which as you can see isn't doing very well, it's bolted. Does anyone know how to save the bolting spinach? I have more spinach coming up in a container on the deck. Is it too late? Too hot? I'd love your comments. I tried pinching it back but that didn't help.

I picked the first of the radishes today....aren't they beeeeautiful!













Please look for updates on the weekends and feel free to comment and give me helpful advice...I'm really going to need it! Till next time.....happy gardening!

Cheryl