Garden update

I know it's not the beginning of the month - but I was so busy that I just got around to taking photos of our fall garden. Our development requires that I have to keep everything "landscaped". So I just have a number of self-watering containers plus the two SFG's.

Everything seems to be doing fine so far. I still have the "real" fall crops to put in like spinach and garlic when the herbs are done.
Gloria

Acorn Squash


Spaghetti squash "Tivoli"


Square foot garden - added a second bed in August
Cucumber and Butternut squash in back


Broccoli, cauliflower and beans


Lettuce, peppers and herbs


Beets


Tomato and eggplant


Orange tree, mandarin tree and lemon tree

Very pretty. Love your boxes! You really took the space and went all out with it.

Ahh ... another person with "HOA challenges"...... *hugs* ...I know your pain...LOL

How do you like those self-watering containers ??

Hi acara, You're right - my hoa requires everything to be landscaped.

I LOVE self-watering containers. We're in Double Oak, TX near Dallas and it gets really hot here for a long time in summer. SWC's help keep my plants from drying out between watering. I do find that the large plants like full grown tomatoes and squash need to be watered twice per day so I added an automatic watering system and it's easy.

Chopper, Thanks for the kind words. I was determined to do as much as possible with the space I have. The 4x4's are a little close - but not terrible.

Gloria

What is 'HOA'? I am assuming it is some kind of committee or organization who tells what you may or may not do in your condo or whathaveyou. If that is the case, my condolences to all of you and congratulations as well for doing such an amazing job in spite of the extra challenges you face. Your garden looks awesome.

GK

HOA = Home Owners Association. Not everyone is subject to them. Only in newer developments as a rule.

Old Hippie,

You are absolutely right - it is a real pain. I have to keep everything "landscaped". We have an acre of land but I can only use the beds immediately around the house and anything else I can "sneak" into the landscape. Nothing can be visible to the street.

That wouldn't be so bad - except we live on a corner and our whole yard is visible to a street!

What makes it worse is that we pay the HOA every year, for the privelage of being harassed.

Same thing here on the "landscaping" everything has to be same color, type, style, height shape; both within your yard and it can't clash with the neighborhood, or your neighbors. Materials and colors that aren't on the "approved" list have to be submitted/approved ..blah, blah, blah

On top of that, if you want to do something "creative" like a SFG, it has to go through the architectural design review board (my SFG is still pending approval ....hopefully they wont come see it until all the PVC trellis is covered with pretty vines & fruit).

If you have grass, have their recommended landscape service come mow/edge/weedwhack once a week, use their recommended pest/lawn sprayer come once a month & do nothing else to your yard .....your safe. Heaven help you if you use another service provider, cut your own grass, or *god-forbid* .... plant something or do something creative (like want to paint yr house something other than tan or yellow).

Honestly, I could have built another 1/2 dozen SFG boxes for what it cost me to landscape that side of the house, just so I could build the SFG & put the other plants there....and I had to empty, re-paint/re-seal every container in my yard, sothat they match. I also had to relocate the sqaure/rectangular containers to the backyard (hidden), because all the other containers were round.

It's definately a headache.

The original intent of HOA's was to keep property values in a neighbor up, by preventing people from neglecting their yards, having cars up on cinder blocks in the front yard, storing junk in the open, etc ..... unfortunately they are unregulated down here, have almost unlimited power, and are often run/managed by folks who abuse their authority/position.

My first house was under an HOA, but that one was run the way it should be...the tenets of the HOA were there so they could step in if someone was being an idiot...painting their house purple, building an addition out of beer boxes (don't laugh...I didn't make that up!), running a used car lot, etc. They'd step in and hire someone to mow lawns that got long and overgrown, etc....basically just being the good guardian of the development

But everything y'all write above is why I'd never own in an HOA-governed development again.

yep.

Only thing that saves me is that I have a current skin condition that makes me alleric to sunlight so I do all my gardening at night, in the dark, by worklights (wife/daughter call it "vampire gardening")

I can get out in the garden, do what I need to & viola!!!, it magically "appears" the next morning.

The HOA secret police probably come by every day & scratch ther heads thinking "how'd we miss him building/growing that" & probably just let it go.

So you have Bunnicula in your garden, too?

LaFee wrote:So you have Bunnicula in your garden, too?

LOL ...not yet, but I'm hoping the NEEM oil works on those too....I don't remember seeing those listed as "work against" on the label.

However I do have my nightly gardening buddies .... half-dozen of the local cats that all my neighbors "let out for the night".

They all show up just after dark when I hit the worklights, come over and perch in various places and watch my "stupid human tricks" in the garden. Once I'm done & put the gardening stuff away they head off and do whatever cats do in the middle of the night.

Not particularly fond of cats, but they stay out of the way & just sit there and stare .....

I'd pay good money to know what they were thinking ...LOL

GloriaG .... where did you get those color/coated cages (*jealous*) ...

I can't seem to find anyplace that carries them, or sells in less than full box quanties ($200.00+)

...or did you just do the Krylon-trick like I'm having to do now ??



A couple 52" cages in white or green would make my life a whole lot simplier!!

Hi acara,

I bought the 42" tomato cages from Amazon.com They are $39.95 for 5 cages. I'm not sure if they have larger sizes available from the manufacturer.

Here's the link to some green ones like my red ones: http://www.amazon.com/Glamos-748096-14-Inch-42-Inch-Tomato/dp/B003WQB8SW/ref=sr_1_46?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1285467692&sr=1-46

I feel your pain about the HOA. Good luck with these.
Gloria

Thanks.