Our little slice of paradise

This is year 4 for us.



Although impossible to see in the photo, the 16x16 area is wrapped in LeeValley "deer fence" which is just a poly net...and it works!  Without it, we'd have nothing on account of the deer, groundhogs, cats etc.

We "upgraded" the walkways this spring with weed fabric and pebble stone.  What a difference its made (previous was mulch which got completely overgrown with weeds).

That looks VERY nice, Sunsanvil....!  Looks like you have plenty of room to move around your boxes. 

Looking forward to seeing it all filled in w/ plants!

Sunsanvil, that is a very neat garden that you have created. 

You mentioned Lee Valley. The Lee Valley administrative building as well as one of their outlet stores is within walking distance of my house here in Ottawa. Since I retired I have sometimes thought about trying to get a part-time job at Lee Valley.

Congratulations again on your excellent garden. Looking forward to more photos as the season progresses.

When I see a garden picture like that, I feel happy and sad.

Happy because somebody has really taken time to create a wonderful botanical masterpiece.

Sad because I cannot even create the botanical equivalent of "Dogs Playing Poker" or Bob Ross.

Very Nice Sunsanvil and enough room for a cart or wheel barrow to get around. Make sure you update the photo as the season progresses.

I don't understand the 'we' part with only one chair tho, one working the garden the other watching?

All the Best
Brad

Nice job!

I had to chuckle about the pink ribbon on the fence. I choose to forget how many times I ran into a similar 'invisible' fence before I put pink ribbon on it! The fence instantly gets wrapped around shirt buttons, and of course, I wouldn't have my glasses in my pockets so I could see to untangle them!

Thanks all for the kind comments.

@Razed Bed It may look nice, but our yields arnt anything to be proud of.  The past two years we didn't get a single tomato, cucumber, or leaf of swiss chard (carrots, onions, bush beans, and peas on the other hand seem to produce even if seeds are scattered to the wind).

@ MackerelSky There is a second chair but right now the mosquitoes and black flies are relentlessly.  Once that period passes she'll sit out with me.

@ boffer the pink is wife's choice but regardless it is absolutely necessary since, as you say, without it people especially will walk right into it (and while it holds up well, a person tangling with it will tear it).  I also gather its what stops the deer from crashing through it: they see the ribbon, walk up, feel the net on their nose...and pass on.

Your garden area looks so nice and contained and the deer fencing is a marvelous idea.
As for the low production (nil on tomatoes and cukes) you need to try a variety that has a quicker maturity.  Something that produces in 60 days or close to that.  With colder regions, the need for faster plants is necessary.  Even I can't grow the deep-heat lover tomatoes that take 90 days to produce because cool fall is upon us by then and the plants stop producing before they can start.
Try Oregon Spring tomatoes which you can transplant outdoors a full month before your last frost date.  Yes, they work.  I've grown them before.  I personally didn't find the flavor as great as I would have liked, but its homegrown, fresh tomatoes you'll be getting.
If you've got Mel's Mix in the beds, I would highly recommend that end of season that you allow the fall leaves to cover the beds.  They will add some nutrients and the worms will love it.  Also add about 2-3" of compost to the beds before winter, then again in the early spring as the snow clears out, add another 2-3" of compost to the beds.  They can always use enriching with compost. 
Don't forget that trowelful or two of compost added to each hole when you are transplanting a crop.
Good luck this year with your choices.

Nice looking garden. When a garden looks so neat, it makes me think "low maintenance," and my lazy eyes take the trouble to light up at the prospect of not having to do a lot of work to keep things going.

Re short-season tomatoes, Territorial Seeds had a special section up on them in their catalog last year. They sell a number of different kinds. Worth checking out; the catalog is free and the website is pretty good. Maybe there's one there that will suit you.

An alternative to the short-season tomato types is the sort that take cool temperatures well, meaning they can last into the cool weather of fall and keep producing. Blondkopfchen and some of the other East German, Hungarian, and Russian types come to mind.