A quick update on how my garden project is coming along! I hope to update every 2 or 3 weeks to share the progress and what I learn along the way.
For more on this project, please see my gardening category.
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Hi. I'm Angela. My goal is to show you that using coupons is easy, fun, and an effective way to save money. I'm a proud firefighter's wife, mother of two, and freelance writer. I practice ethical, common sense couponing. Since Feb 2012, I've been eating a plant-based diet. I also sometimes write posts about reality TV shows. I'm blogging out of the greater Seattle/Tacoma area. New? START HERE.
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Briana,
You are fortunate to have lots of sunny area for vegetable gardening. I live in Federal Way and have lots of tall trees shading my property. I have one sunny area with a backyard pond, grass and small raised bed area where I attempt to grow tomatoes and cucumbers, and another very narrow strip along the south side of my house (partially shaded by neighbor’s house) where I have (sometimes) successfully grown corn and usually have success with tomatoes and beans.
Your idea about watermelon (or any melon) is ambitious. We’d have to have an extremely LONG and VERY warm summer to have any success. Judging by our past spring and past years, this is highly unlikely. But I wish you luck, because you never know until you try.
Your small crops (lettuce, carrots, etc.) should do well in our climate and these like a moderate climate like in the Seattle area. I’ve found that corn is comparatively cheap in the stores (though not particularly fresh unless you buy it at a local farmer’s market). It’s worthwhile to attempt grow but we don’t often have enough heat days for it to mature properly and it takes up a lot of space for the yield it produces. The “earliest” varieties are the best to try.
Good luck and I’ll check back periodically to see your progress.
About me: I mostly grow flowers now that my children are mostly grown (youngest is 20) and all but two of my five children are on their own now. My wife and I are retired and I spend most of my sunny days outdoors puttering in my yard. I used to be a technical writer for The Boeing Company, and before that I worked with engineering departments within Boeing.
These days, I read a lot about gardening and landscaping and if you visit my (somewhat inconsistent) blog, you’ll see I’m really “into” structure in the garden.
I’d be happy to check out your site, Harry!! I’m a TOTAL newbie (if it isn’t obvious), but I’m committed to making growing our food a priority in our household. I can use all the advice I can get. I’m not sure if I’ll yield any corn or watermelon, but I’m going to try. This will be a year of learning more than anything. I’m sure I’ll be making some changes come next year. Thanks again for your comments and dropping by! Good to “meet” you!!
Angela,
Sorry, I assumed your name was Briana from another of your posts. My mistake.
Harry
I figured that! No worries!!
Love it, Love it, LOVE IT!! I did a container garden when I had an apartment. Last year we bought a house and I was wanting to do one this year, but we don’t have a back yard yet. So I might have to wait until next year. Congrats on the garden it’s so nice to grow your own food, and honestly I think it taste different but way better! Not to mention the wonderful quality time you get to spend with your kids. They love watching and helping, and most of all eating the rewards!
I have a small backyard garden in Oregon and have trouble growing some crops. Try radishes for pest control. Critters like them better than your veggies. Watch the mint. It can take over if you let it. If the corn doesn’t work out, then you will have great decoration for Halloween. Good Luck!
Looks great, Angela!
Nice garden tour, Angela, complete with sweet “helpers.”
I know you will learn as you grow, like we all do, but I too want to echo another commenter and advise you to transplant that mint to it’s own pot as soon as you can. It can easily take over your entire bed in a couple of years- and I wish I were exaggerating. 
I’ll be looking forward to your updates, and I think you’ve done a wonderful job of making your space beautiful with the raised beds, too. Thanks for linking to the Tuesday Garden Party.
Hi, Angela, I think it is exciting to see things grow. I have had a garden for many years. One comment I would like to make is that when you plant your garden you need to leave room for the things to grow. Tomatoes can take up a lot of room and you will need to pinch out the little suckers. Peppers can also get big around. Plants need air besides, sun and water. I find corn too difficult to grow even here in the midwest. It always seems to get destroyed by storms or it gets buggy. I have not had luck with watermelons either. I try to plant something new each year just for fun sometimes it works sometimes not. I have tomatoes, peppers, a few potatoes, green beans, lettuce, spinach, onions, peas and beets planted in my garden. Everything is up and doing well. I also planted lemon balm and oregano. I have a chives plant too. We also have red and black raspberries. The black raspberries get huge and we have to stake them. Raspberries will spread. It might be best to plant them in an area along your fence. I don’t know much about blueberries but what I have read depending upon the type you bought they can get big, too. Gardening is a learning process and I’m wishing you the best with your garden.
I can’t wait to see your progress in a couple of weeks. I put my first raised bed in with tomatoes and peppers. I love going out to look at it each day. Your children are adorable.
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