OK. I know this is not the time of year to plant annuals or veggies.

But I want to start planning (budgeting, making space allocations, doing dirt prep) NOW. I have an unheated shed I can work in (no windows, boohoo).

I am not a bad pruner and tender of plants, but I have not STARTED many gardens. So this is a great place to get going with Mudcat expertise.


THE PLAN

This is totally a container-gardening plan. That is for several practical reasons too numerous to go into, but not least of the reasons is that by raising them off the ground, the gardening will be far more accessible than the raised beds we used to have. And while Hardi can and does do it all, his time is usually pretty short. So I want a garden to feed at least two, dazzle drive-bys, create privacy screeening, and take up primarily just MY time. Though a mobility-impaired friend also may also find this a good place to garden, with me. (He just called and said YES! His daughter is also the local herb expert.)


THE SUNLIGHT, POTS, SOIL, AND PLANTS

1. Quite a bit of all-day, full-sun space is available along one side of Dog World's chainlink fence. I plan to put the termaters there to keep the foliage low in spots so they keep their view.

Between those, what veggies will climb vertically that will not be harmed (inhibited) by the chainlink's heat in the sun? I'll put the 'maters next to the chainlink posts to loop support-wires there like mater-cages. Between those, it would be OK if the climbers cover the chainlink as the season goes along-- I can always cut low view-holes for the doggies! :~)

The pots are big. The sun is from the south. Tomatoes are such a priority that all the dirt I know have, which is not much, will go toward these with a good commercial compost. We want sauce and table varieties-- what's new in that regard? We want fridge-pickles. How much/little cuke action do I want to plan for? We want beans and peas-- will pole beans do OK on chainlink? Should I plan on running some string there as well? String-- THAT I can afford! :~)


2. A partial-sun area fronts the road, and the sun moves east/west along that fenceline resulting in some shadier hours of the day due to large trees and house blocking AM and late-afternoon sun. A lot of the all-day southern light will be blocked as well. It's not TOO close to the road-- no road dust or winter salt to worry about. But the plantings there are more likely to sit on TOP of wooden fence posts, and I'm thinking flowers. I've hung portulaca (in the past) as basketed, wild profusion. Other fast-growing, start-from-seed annuals that will spill over or even cling to and climb sideways along the ag panels (heavy wire) that fence that section?

These smaller pots will sit on the posts and be wired also to the ag panel (which is a tad taller than the posts) for additional support for the weight of the watered pots. These are flat-bottomed, straight-sided plastic pots with drainage holes, and I have rubble for drainage. What dirt mix will I need-- that I can "make" onsite from clay-based soil, poultry litter, and sand?


3. Fruit. I have a very short section of southern-exposure, all-day-sun where I can place several of the larger pots on the ground. Is there any fruit I can grow in these, in a single season, and what soil will they need? I have another western-exposure area I can extend into if a great fruit-variety idea comes along.


4. Herbs. Have local expert, no help needed.


Thanks,

~Susan