I haven't posted for a while due to a heavy work schedule, but I have continued to expand and refine my home garden over the past couple of years.
Last year I started a hydroponic garden in the basement and then added an outdoor hydroponic setup for tomatoes. The experiment was a huge success and I plan to expand the hydroponics both indoor and out this year.
I have observed that peppers like growing in containers (warm roots) and tomatoes like growing hydroponically. So while tomatoes and peppers grow in containers, most of my garden beds are dedicated to hardy varieties of greens (kale, chard, parsley, choi, spinach, cilantro, and herbs). There are also small sections dedicated to garlic, sunchokes, snap peas, strawberries and raspberries. The basement hydroponics are dedicated to growing lettuce where it can stay cool, well-watered and protected from insects.
I grew foxglove from seed last year and it was beautiful, I miss seeing it. I will have to be sure to start more seeds next spring. Otherwise, the front gardens are putting on a magnificent show. All four Easter lilies avoided being nibbled and will soon be unfolding. Delphinium will also be flowering soon for the second year.
The volunteer moonflower that I found in my front garden last year and moved to a container for TLC did wonderfully. I expected it to return this year, but a squirrel dug it out in early spring. Thankfully, it reseeded itself and there are now many moonflower plants developing in the pot. I am looking forward to sharing these as gifts for other gardening friends.
