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The Beginners Garden - Journey with Jill

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Hi! I'm Jill McSheehy and I'm so glad you stopped by! If you're a beginning gardener needing help getting started or an everyday gardener looking for new ideas, you're in the right place!

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Harvesting bush beans from my Greenstalk Leaf Plan Harvesting bush beans from my Greenstalk Leaf Planter!I absolutely love my Greenstalk vertical planters for fall and spring crops, but I worried about being able to use them in our HOT🥵summers. Could I keep them watered? Would the plants get too hot?Turns out, all of the plants I have growing in my two Greenstalks are thriving. In my Leaf planter, I planted it full of Jade bush beans — 3 bean plants per pocket. I water every day, and I did put them in part shade last week when temps approached 100.Now that I know beans (and peppers) thrive in the planters in the summer, I’m really excited to have a no-fuss way to grow summer crops!If you grow in a Greenstalk in the summer, what do you grow?(More on the Greenstalk Vertical Planters @greenstalkgarden. You can also get $10 off a planter of $75+ with my affiliate code JILL10. Though they sent these to me to try, I have bought them for friends and family I love them so much!)#greenstalkgarden #greenstalkverticalgarden #greenstalk #bushbeans #jadebushbean #jadebean #containergardening #summergardening #arkansasgardening #arkansasgarden #backyardgarden
🍉 I grew a new variety of watermelon this year 🍉 I grew a new variety of watermelon this year — Orangeglo. Watermelon is my favorite fruit so I thought why not try something new?First impressions on the taste:🧡 The texture is what I’d describe as “velvety.” It’s smooth and not as crisp as typical watermelon varieties.🧡 It’s SUPER juicy. I actually appreciated that after a sweaty evening in the garden and I could use extra hydration.🧡 It does not taste as sweet, and it doesn’t have that distinctive watermelon flavor. The flavor is more mild.It has been fun to grow and try, but I do enjoy my pink watermelons more.Are you growing something new and different this year?#orangeglo #watermelon #watermelons #homegarden #homegrown #growingwatermelon #watermelonharvest #heirloomseeds #heirloomwatermelon #orangeglowatermelon
I added two new arch trellises before this season I added two new arch trellises before this season and I’m so glad I did! I’m growing Suyo Long cucumber on one and Tromboncino Squash on the other.The arches connect to raised beds, and having these crops grow vertically frees up space for other crops in these beds.Growing these crops vertically also makes identifying and handpicking pest insects — like squash bugs and cucumber beetles — easier (no squatting! 😂). AND I think the bees like the flowers being more accessible as the plants sprawl “up” instead of on the ground.I just love using vertical gardening anytime I can find another way to do it! The cattle panel arch trellises are by far the easiest to put in place.#archtrellis #archtrellises #cattlepaneltrellis #cattlepanelarch #livestockpaneltrellis #verticalgarden #verticalgardening #verticalgardens #raisedbedgardening #raisedbedgarden #tromboncinosquash #suyolongcucumber
2021 — the year my harvest outgrew my pantry and 2021 — the year my harvest outgrew my pantry and China cabinet! I can’t tell you how excited I am to have been “forced” to store my root crops, canned goods, and dehydrated foods to another room.(After seeing my packed China cabinet full of jars, my husband warned me that it might all come crashing down soon, so I decided to do something different. Cute bins from TJMaxx made all the difference. 🤣)This extra bedroom was my kids’ playroom for many years. Two years ago I converted part of it to my indoor seed starting room. Now I’m using these wire shelves to store my garlic, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and jars.The onions and potatoes will only last for a few months in this room. It is the coolest room in the house, but it’s still probably about 70F — not ideal for long-term storage. Garlic and sweet potatoes last in here 9+ months though.I also use these shelves to start seeds indoors in January and February, so the potatoes and onions will be out well before I need that space for seed starting.This is my ninth year gardening, and each year I’m learning more about planting strategically and maximizing my space and harvest. It’s nice to see this kind of progress, but at the same time I hope it’ll encourage you that if you’re a new gardener, it’s okay (and normal) to start out SMALL.Don’t compare yourself to those who have had many more years to learn it. Take advice, yes. Learn shortcuts, yes. But don’t compare.Your success won’t look like everyone else’s but it’s still SUCCESS! If you’re growing anything, be proud! If you have only a few jars of canned or dehydrated or frozen food from your garden, pat yourself on the back.I hope by my milestone you can see what might be possible, but don’t despair if you’re not there yet. Enjoy every small thing and be proud!!#foodstorage #gardenpantry #harvest #homesteadpantry #canning #canningandpreserving #dehydratedfood #storingrootvegetables #storinggarlic #norootcellar
Raised bed potatoes win again! This was my second Raised bed potatoes win again! This was my second year to compare harvests between potatoes grown in the ground and the same ones grown in a raised bed.The ones in the raised bed yielded more in total weight and larger potatoes, plus they didn’t succumb to disease as quickly.I’m so glad I had these because the ones in the ground bed were pretty pitiful.I also tried a few in a grow bag, and the 2-3 seed potatoes I planted in the 5-gallon grow bag produced about 2 pounds of potatoes. For container gardeners, I think grow bag is definitely a good option.But for me, I’ll stick to growing in my garden, and I’ll likely start growing more, if not all, of mine in raised beds. In my wet climate, it makes sense why this early-spring planted crop does better with raised beds.Always testing, always learning! I’m very pleased with this harvest!#potatoharvest #raisedbedgardening #raisedbedgarden #raisedgardenbeds #raisedbeds #raisedbedpotatoes #growbaggardening #growbagpotatoes #arkansasgardening #southerngardening #zone7b #zone7gardening #harvestingpotatoes
The next round of seed starting has begun! In July The next round of seed starting has begun! In July I start my fall brassicas indoors — broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. I also started more celery. They will all go into the garden in early September, weather-willing. 🙃 The rest of my fall crops I will most likely direct sow at the same time, roughly.If you’re planning on growing a fall garden, this week’s podcast episode will help you know what to do to get started! Just look for the Beginner’s Garden Podcast in your favorite podcast player. It’s episode 195.And… if you haven’t tried a fall garden, it’s so rewarding and worth it! You don’t have to start seeds indoors like I do — many crops you can plant from seed directly in the garden or buy transplants at the garden center. Give it a try!#fallgarden #fallgardening #indoorseedstarting #fallseedstarting #fallseeds #broccoli #cabbage #arkansasgarden #zone7b #zone7bgardening #fallgardenplanning #gardenpodcast@buyorganicrev
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