Summer Garden Update: Growing My Own Little Vegetable Garden

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Today I’m finally sharing a summer garden update! What I learned as a new gardener and what we planted.

Hello and happy Friday friends! I can’t believe September is just a week away! At the beginning of the summer, I shared some fun outdoor updates with you all over on YouTube. I decided to move my flower boxes over to the front of my home by my new arbor I scored for free at a garage sale. I made this decision because I have always wanted to plant my very own vegetable garden and start growing my own food! It’s truly been such a rewarding part of being a homemaker.

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Now that we are in the last couple of weeks of summer and my little vegetable garden is in full bloom with most of my plants reaching maturity, I wanted to give you all an update!

What I Learned As A Brand New Beginner Gardener

Do it scared – for years I wanted to grow a vegetable garden, but fear always kept me back. I had no idea what I was doing, and no experience other than some tomatoes and strawberries. At some point you just have to be willing to do it and make mistakes!

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Weed Prevention – the biggest warning I got from experienced gardeners when I set out to plant vegetables was to be prepared for the weeds. Maybe I got lucky this year, but we dealt with little to no weeds, and I think a big reason for this was the fact that we built raised beds and laid weed barrier fabric underneath them before pouring the dirt inside them. 

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Plant what you will eat – As an excited new gardener, I planted whatever seeds were given to me. Unfortunately some of the things I planted are not vegetables my family normally eats, like radishes for example. Once in a while they were sweet to the taste, but most of the time they were much too spicy and my boys spit them out. They were really fun to grow, we just couldn’t keep up with all the radishes we were bringing in every day! When you choose seeds, pick out vegetables your family truly enjoys. You likely won’t find me planting turnips, beets or Swiss chard, even if they are full of nutrients haha

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Next growing season, I would like to plant some asparagus, onions, garlic, potatoes and herbs like basil and thyme. Of course, we will have to see how much room we have to plant everything! Pumpkins would be a fun one to plant as well, but I have heard pumpkins can overtake a garden.

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What We Planted

  • A variety of tomatoes 
  • Pole beans
  • Cucumbers
  • Zucchini 
  • Yellow squash
  • Snap peas
  • A variety of peppers
  • Okra (anyone have some good recipes lol)
  • Collard greens
  • Romain lettuce 
  • Radishes
  • Carrots 
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So far everything has been successful, although I do have some little holes in my collard greens which means some little critters are probably enjoying them haha. My cucumber leaves are beginning to turn yellow and brown, and when I looked it up online it said that yellow leaves are usually due to overwatering or under watering, which was really helpful haha

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We did have to build a trellis for our pole beans which have been so much fun to watch all summer. Next year I plan to build something for my squash as well, since I have a small garden. 

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My tomato plants have gotten so heavy that they have tipped over at times even with a sturdy cage, so that’s something I need to look into as well.

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Consider spacing – now that I know how massive some of these plants get to be, I’ll be a little more careful this year about the spacing of my seeds. For example, squash and zucchini got so huge that they took over our snap peas, so I’ll be sure to give my squash lots of room next year when I plant them. 

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Ask a friend for help – There are lots of online resources when it comes to gardening, but there is nothing like a real life person standing alongside you and helping you as you plant. I had a sweet friend from church help me out when picking seeds and plants, and my wonderful neighbor helped me when we were planting one evening. I am so grateful for the time they took to help me, and I learned more from them that I ever could have online!

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Overall I feel like starting was the hardest part! The boys have absolutely LOVED having a garden. They go out there each day and discover new things; its’s been such an amazing thing to watch a tiny seed grow into a massive and beautiful plant that produces so much. Plus the peace of mind that comes with consuming food you grew yourself is truly priceless.

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Well friends, there is my vegetable garden update! What do you plant in your garden, and what are some of your best gardening tips? Let me know in the comments below!

PIN IT FOR LATER!

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6 Comments

  1. Looks like you had a pretty productive garden for your first year! That’s great! I wouldn’t worry too much about the squash overtaking the peas; peas are a cool-season crop and were likely petering out by the time the squash matures, anyway. I would also put down some compost and shredded leaves this fall to rejuvenate your soil for next year. Then another layer of compost and mulch in the spring. The mulch helps with weeds (if you ever get them), keeps the soil moist to reduce watering and plant stress, and can feed the garden as it breaks down. Mulch doesn’t have to be wood chips; it’s just organic matter that you blanket over the soil. Good luck! You’ve had a great start!

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much! This sounds like excellent advice, I’ll have to do this as the weather starts cooling down!

      Reply

  2. Hi Andrea, thanks for sharing your real life gardening experience. I am a novice too, but am learning more every year and loving having a garden. Just keep trying new things until you find what you love to grow! It’s such a great learning experience for your children too. I have young children, and they have grown to love gardening. They are learning along with me 🙂

    I also love the dress you’re wearing in the photos! where did you find it?

    Reply

    1. Oh my goodness, thank you so much! My kids love it as well, and I am happy to read you are enjoying it too! The dress is thrifted, but it is from Walmart, hopefully you can find something similar!

      Reply

  3. I too was afraid to start. I always helped my mom with the “big” garden. She passed away last year so I did raised beds instead in our enclosed pool area. I’ve gotten more this year than ever before without the deer getting in! She woukd be so proud!
    I agree to grow what your family eats. Basil and marigolds will help keep critters away . A southern favorite here in Texas ( not mine lol) is okra and tomatos!
    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    1. Thankfully we don’t have too many issues with deer, but this is a great suggestion, thank you! I am so happy you finally got back to it too – I hope it has been a blessing for you, so sorry to hear of your mom’s passing, but I am sure she would be proud, you are right!

      Reply

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