The Pumpkin Tunnel

Last year we did a bean A-Frame with bamboo and zip-ties. This year Jessica wanted something a little more substantial to hold some spaghetti squash and some mini pumpkins.

After putting the garden to bed, there was some floor-planning and cleanup needed as always. We agonized over the layout. Trying to optimize for laziness, aesthetics, and optimal sun.

We ended up moving the entrance a bit. Stacking up the beds to deal with elevation change and to give the the plants a more soil. There was a few choice rocks used for leveling and… we have the main structure of our garden in place for 2020+. Hopefully.

The spot where we had the A-Frame was where we planted some old potatoes that had sprouted in the pantry. They were my most favorite crop this year. Very easy and huge yields.

These are Yukon Gold. Only thing not on that plate from my garden is Bacon and Chili Sauce ?

Back to the Pumpkin Tunnel. It is quite sturdy and made from bending “Hog Wire” sections and steel fence posts + clips. It should last for many years…

Stay tuned for the final tunnel walkthrough, until then Happy Halloween ?

The Hop Vines

“I’ve got some hops if you want some”

I’ve always been interested in growing hops, and I finally got my chance this year. My neighbor Dave came by in January with some roots that I was skeptical about.

We put them in a pot and just let them sit there. We waited.

Hooray, it isn’t blackberry root or ivy!

Now we must figure where to put them. They started to grow up the tomatoes reaching out for something to climb on. We had a couple dozen feet of the rope left so…

With a little sawing and screwing we have a fine hop trellis.

Founds some logs… All taken to dump and we are “done” with the timber.

And guess what? We have a new layer in the flock.

Until next time, Happy Gardening!

The Last of the Ivy

English ivy is our biggest export of the property for the past 5 years.

Going to clear it near the property line and the neighbor’s mailbox

Doing truck stuff

Dadsplaining… Also remember that ivy will start to tense up and be harder to pull. Best to let it rest for a few if it is being too stubborn!

Perhaps your body would like a rest too! The picture below is from fall 2019 where we had the big stack!