Need advice to plot out new veggie garden

Hello everyone, I hope you guys/gals can help me out. I'm in NE PA zone 5/6 (microclimate) and I live on 2 1/2 acres of what used to be a potato farm years back and is all grass now. I have no shade except in the front of my house so that's a good thing for veggies :) I dabbled with a couple of tomato plants and a zucchini and pumpkins (the rabbits ate every single pumpkin ugh) last year in a tiny strip about 10'x1' at the end of my driveway. We got really good results except for what the bunnies ate lol! Well, this year came and went and all I have is a tomato plant that has volunteered itself on the edge of my compost heap and is tremendous! I'd like to actually map out an area and mulch over the grass with newspaper & compost so that next year it'll be good & ready for planting and perhaps fence it in so its not so attractive to the bunnies. How big an area do you think I should block out? I will be gardening with my kids (8yo twins) if that makes a difference. I'm also contemplating starting garlic and maybe some other over-wintering things this fall to help build the excitement for the kids (and me to I've got to admit!) I've got no irrigation other than a spigot on the back of the house so I'll be lugging hoses to water stuff daily so that's a consideration too I suppose. And there is also no fences here just as an FYI. Well I hope you get the idea of what kind of info I'm looking for. Any help is greatly appreciated, I've got no gardening experience prior to the 5 years that I've lived here since I'm a city transplant and didn't have a blade of grass to take care of my whole life so I'm grateful for this site and the knowledge & wisdom that is written here. Thanks!!

The size plot would depend on various factors, such as how much time would you have to deal with it, and/or if you want to grow any of the vining crops like squash, cucumber or melons which take a lot of room. If I were you I would not have too big an area for the first year, maybe 8' x 6' and see how you can manage that. It is suprising how much time a garden takes to care for it and too big a plot can sap your enthusiasm if it takes all your time.

What I would do to encourage your twins is extend the bed you want by two feet, divide that portion into two separate beds, one for each twin, let them see if they can out do Mom. In the winter check online for some of the seed companies and request a catalogue be mailed to you. You and the twins can then look through and see what your would like to plant, not necessarity to buy from the Company but just to give you an idea of what is out there. For instance, if you wanted to plant carrots try 3 different ones, each of you try one kind in your own plot and see which tastes best at the end of the season, in that way they can't brag that theirs grew better just that the variety of carrots did.

I am sure you will get a lot of ideas from others, especially as to what does well in your zone. Good luck to you and don't get discouraged if your garden does not perform perfectly, we all have failures but learn from them, we hope !

I like Surreybrits advice on size and ideas for motivating the kids. There is something about planning a garden when there is two feet of snow outside.
As for the problem of creating a critter proof barrier on a very tight budget, here is what I did: I pounded 18' rebar (the metal supports that are used in constructing concrete block walls-you can find them at Home Depot or some such place) into the ground on either side of my little garden, then bent 1/2 pvc pipe over in a bow shape. Halfway up, or about 2 feet, I strung a rope around the frame, and then draped plastic over it. I had to cut the inner fold of plastic so I could drop it around the pvc, but since the outer layer remained uncut my barrier is sound. I simply weighted the bottom down with rocks.
I kind of made this up as I went along, using what I had. You may have some materials around that can be useful too.
Good luck,
Julia

8x6 seems a bit small. This is my first garden and it's 8x20 w/ 2 walkways that run lengthwise and one down the middle. I'm moving next year and plan on doing some raised beds. 3x3 made out of 1x6. This would work very well for you w/ a lasagna garden on top of your grass.

I'd say it depends on what you want to plant.

Pumpkins, squash, cukes, zuchini, watermelon, muskmelon(cantaloupe{s}), pumpkin should all get their own plot of a 3x3 raised bed. Corn can be used to shade some plants that don't want as much sun, or plant it behind everything else.

Potatoes - I haven't planted but will next year, I've read they do very well in a 2x2 square, adding boards as you go to build it higher, or old tires for the same effect.

carrots, onions, green onions, peppers, herbs would all do very well in a single plot.

Google strawbale gardening - I have added an additional plot outside of my 8x20 garden to hold my worm bin. I've got sunflowers in the front, then a straw bale, one type of lettuce has been transplanted into it already, and some more seedlings are in the house to go into it soon. I'm planting cauliflower behind it, using the straw bale for shade. Tomatoes are supposed to do well in a bale also - 3 per bale.

I've made some blog entries and a slideshow of my garden from may till now.
http://vermicomposters.ning.com/profile/RJ_Hythloday

This message was edited Aug 5, 2008 4:38 AM

I would encourage you to make your vegetable garden close to the house and near the kitchen door. You want it easy to get to for repeated forays and close to a water supply. The mulch (lasagna) method is a good one, but you don't have to wait until next year - you can plant right thru the mulch for fall crops. Since you have lots of sun, you should be able to do that. The nice thing about gardening is that you can always add to it if you have the space. You might consider adding a little to the beds for a border of a few herbs that help discourage insects and encourage the good insects (sage, chives, marigolds, parsley, etc.).

I have tons of bunnies but little problem with them in my vegetable garden. I suspect it is because what passes for my lawn is full of clover and other bunny friendly weeds and there is a cat or two patrolling the garden. Mine started as a patch but I made brick paths and borders 3 years ago.

Wow, great ideas! I especially like the idea to have the girls get their own part of the garden so we can "compete" with each other, I never in a million years would have thought of that so I think I may mark out 3 8x4 rectangles with 1.5' between for easy access for working as that will give us each our own area. I'm gonna paint it out with the spray stuff so I can get a more concrete idea of what it will look like and if it'll be easy to work in. I also really like the pvc & plastic fence idea, that's seems quick and easy (& cheap) to do. I will definately be adding herbs so it's a good idea to put them in a border around the whole thing. I've been outside staring at the yard quite a bit this week and have decided where I'm going to be putting it, basically it is going in the space farthest away from the play area and behind where my hubby's imaginary garage will be built down the line (the one he's been talking about for 4 years lol), it's only about 50ft or so off the patio so it's not too far and I can see it from the kitchen window which will be nice.

I like the idea of putting in fall crops now, but have no idea what to plant and I would imagine it's too late for seeds now? I plan on having the garden mulched and ready by next weekend weather permitting. I don't think I've ever been this excited by the prospect of manual labor before LOL!

I'll keep you posted and thank you all for helping out!!! I'll attempt to get a picture uploaded when it's set up so everyone can see it!

You mentioned difficulties with watering, too. My little garden patch is too far from the house for a standard hose setup, but it is a few feet lower, too, so I fill a big Rubbermaid 500 gal tank and use drip line and gravity to get water to my garden. You might also be able to just rig up regular drip line to your hose bib-it's very cheap, like 10 cents a foot, I think. Anything to save that long haul with buckets, 'cause that will take the fun out of it quick!
There are things that will grow in the fall, I think. Corn, potatos, carrots, I think would be ok through a frost, and if not your small areas and hoop tops will easily accomidate a plastic cover. You can have covered wagon gardens until it starts getting too cold too long.
Please keep us updated as you go, this sounds like a fun project, and it is always nice to 'hear' when kids enjoy gardening.
Julia