With it being nearly 100 degrees in Northeast Virginia with no pool in sight, writing about the garden seemed like a much better deal than working in it. It has been three seasons since I dug my first garden bed out here, and I thought you might like to see its evolution.
I’ve often heard Margaret, my friend who is a landscape designer, talk about the cultivation of new garden beds and how it takes about three seasons to achieve a mature space. While she was probably referring to flower and ornamental beds, I heard Margaret’s voice when we moved in two and a half years ago. I knew that getting started early, even with a basic plan, would yield a mature space sooner than later.
Season 1
The picture below is our first attempt at cultivating an old, fallow field that once held cattle. Ambitious at 40′ x 20′, we tilled in Spring 2014 with a questionable $100 tiller from Craigslist. The combination of very clay-heavy soil and a cheap tiller made your whole body tremble for hours after, but we got it done and started planting.
The results were amazing to see (and eat!), and I learned so much about seed varieties, what worked, and what didn’t do so well. This would be the basis for the next two seasons. 
Season 2
The second season was a bit tougher as the indoor renovations had begun and most reserve energy went into completing those projects. But I was still on a mission to keep cultivating the garden space, making it even better after year one.
A cold winter gave me the chance to ponder new designs and best practices. I stumbled across the book, A Rich Spot of Earth, an exploration of Thomas Jefferson’s gardens at Monticello, by Peter Hatch. I was mesmerized. Jefferson’s planning, thoughtfulness, and overall vision to create a diverse and beautiful garden was inspiring to me. After a visit to Monticello and some drawings of my own, I had a clear path forward.
Now knowing more about sun angles, wind, and the soil, we decided to rotate the entire garden angle just slightly to better meet southern exposures, and we expanded its overall size to 60′ x 30′. This increase would give me the ability to reduce some of the bed sizes for better access for weeding and planting, further reducing soil compaction from having to walk on it. One of my goals is to minimize the need for deep tilling altogether, emphasizing a low-impact approach at the beginning and end of each season. The garden’s size increase would also allow me to add walkways, fencing, and other design elements to the space.
Before the second season ended, I was able to clearly define the new garden beds, adding topsoil and grass seed to the walkways. As Spring 2016 rolled around, I would have the new layout intact and be ready to focus on the beds and fencing.
Season 3
As season three came out of a very cold winter, everything was well on its way. The many soil amendments were starting to yield a healthy loam, the grass seed had taken off to mark clear paths, and my own skills had hopefully gotten better with two seasons of learning.
Miss Bit keeps an eye on work progress in April 2016 – the ultimate project manager
I still have a lot of work to do on the fencing and landscaping around the space, but that gets better too as I find new inspirations along the way. You might remember the dancing lady that was restored earlier this year and now graces the space. After the perimeter garden fence is complete, electrical and lighting will be installed, and water will be routed for irrigation.
The vegetable garden, July 2016
Although we had a very prolonged, wet spring, I was finally able to get a few seeds in the ground. Many were new varieties that I had not tried before and some were old favorites that I’ve had great success with during past years. Here are some of my favorite heirloom varieties that you will find in my garden each year:
- Cherry Belle Radish
- Maxibel Haricot Vert
- Straight Eights Cucumber
- Hale’s Best Muskmelon
- Lacinato Kale
- White Acre Peas
With a new kitchen and a flourishing garden, I can’t get enough time to cook and create. Hopefully you can stop by and join me for a fresh garden meal one day soon!
My garden hub
Garden Oversight Consultant
As a life long gardner I applaud your dedication and admire the results. I like yourself also find Mr. Jefferson’s approach to gardening, silviculture and farming so intriguing. He had a very unique microclimate (mid-elevation in the Blue Ridge) that he recognized and took full advantage of. Your incorporation of solar aspect, soils, prevailing winds and local plant performance certainly speaks to insights gained from your interest in Mr. Jeffersons’ agronomic activities.
I was curious whether your using winter cover crops (rye, daikon radish, etc.)
Would love to see your garden and sample its produce. Thanks for sharing this great account of the evolution of your garden on your blog.
Joe,
Thanks so much for your note. I really appreciate the validation from someone who loves ‘this stuff’ as much as I do. I think that Mr. Jefferson was both an artists and a scientist – he really ‘listened’ to his plants. The thought behind his garden designs were ingenious because they took both aesthetics and performance into account. He maximized everything from labor to outcome – he was a ‘market gardener’ before the phrase was even popular!
I have not ventured into the winter covers yet, but I have a catalog on my desk right now that has been calling my name. I am thinking about using a cover crop for two beds while I plant winter varieties in the others. In some ways, I’m a lazy gardener due to time constraints, and I fully admit that I have SO much more to learn. This is only the tip of the iceberg for me. I hope to get more sophisticated next season as I won’t be moving anymore plots.
Zach