Gardening 2025

Our first year seriously gardening at Sun Mountain Farm was limited by all the flower bulbs we planted in two of the raised beds. Last year we were carried away by the thought of colorful flowers from bulbs (liatris and dahlia) This year we focused on growing vegetables for consumption.

By the way, we chose raised beds (from Vego Garden in Texas) for their apparent durability and flexible configurations. Pleased with them last year we added two more so we could grow more varieties of vegetables, promising to fill flower beds elsewhere around the property with color.

Because we don't have a dedicated place for germination (with heat and light), I started seeds in a bed under a humidity dome to maintain heat during the cool spring temperatures and encourage short season varieties to get started.

This June and July we have been enjoying lots of fresh, vine-ripe raspsberries resulting from transplanting early in 2024. The vines grew vigorously and have been bearing small but delicious fruits.

Likewise, the grape vines have taken off, sending shoots the length of the trellis and putting on numerous buds, suggesting a fruitful harvest by fall. This year we are hoping there will be enough for us and the birds, who stole the harvest last year.

So, this year we have an expanded vegetable garden, to provide food for us, neighbors and a local food bank.

---