Growing a Garden in Newfoundland: Part Three

The gardening shenanigans continue! I finished digging the area for the garden back in May and built up the beds using a combination of topsoil, peat, and general fill dirt. Special thanks to my dad for helping dig up and dump many buckets of dirt with me.

Before planting the seeds and sprouts I added some finely crushed eggshells that I collected over winter to the garden for calcium. I also added coffee grounds for some nitrogen and vermiculite to help aerate the soil and retain water and nutrients. My dad also did the smart thing and bought me proper fertilizer to add to the garden which has been greatly appreciated. I think the blend of the fertilizer is 10/10/10 but I threw out the bag so don’t quote me on that. I’m not even sure what the numbers represent but according to local farmers it’s the good good that my garden needs and I have faith in their advice!

I’m never 100% sure of what I’m doing at any given time, but the journey of figuring it all out is part of the fun and somehow, someway, I always get the results I need. Whether the garden thrives and I have an amazing harvest come fall, or the garden completely fails and I have to try again another year… there are always good and bad lessons either way. I find life to be more peaceful and easier to navigate with this mentality. Enjoy the journey without too much stress or focus on the outcome. Have faith in your ability to learn and grow and start anew.

I spent some time researching which crops would grow best together and which ones to avoid planting near each other. I think I have something figured out. If you’re following along, here is a breakdown of which crops I think would do best in the same bed together based on my seed list from Growing a Garden in Newfoundland: Part One.

Raised Bed #1:
Alaska Peas, Viking Asparagus, Tenderlong Carrots, Danvers Carrots, Nasturtiums

Raised Bed #2:
Romano Bush Beans, Spaghetti Squash, Contender Bean, Nasturtiums

Raised Bed #3:
Giant Noble Spinach, Potatoes, Chives, Nasturtiums

Raised Bed #4:
Kornett Beets, Dark Green Zucchini, Southport Scallions, Nasturtiums

Raised Bed #5:
Jack O’ Lantern Pumpkins, Cherry Belle Radish, Nasturtiums

3-Tier Bed:
Alpine Strawberries, Chives, Rosemary, Sage

Porch Bed:
Cilantro, Parsley, Lettuce

Everything is planted in the garden and things have been growing quite well so far. The radishes grew insanely fast and were ready for harvest yesterday. The Alaska Peas are looking great as well as the pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. All of the potatoes are sprouted and loving the sunshine and the chives and scallions are doing well too. The only vegetable that seems like it’s struggling a wee bit are the beans. I’ve added some extra fertilizer to the area in hopes it helps but perhaps a greenhouse would be better for the beans. Beans!

I didn’t plant the asparagus or spinach this time around and opted to grow onions and extra potatoes instead. I had all intentions of planting them but I honestly forgot about the seeds. You win some, you lose some, but next year I’ll give asparagus and spinach a proper go.

That’s how my garden is currently looking and I think we’re off to a good start. I added some netting to the perimeter because rabbits, foxes, grouse, and God knows what else visits my yard frequently and I cannot have those cuties in my garden running around. I had some netting covering the entire top of the garden as well (for the first few weeks) to protect from birds while the sprouts grew large enough. Special thanks to my uncle for giving me that HUGE piece of netting, it’s perfect.

From this point onwards it’s mostly tending to the garden and seeing how things grow. Adding extra soil, water, and nutrients as needed and enjoying all of the hard labor endured to get to this point. Stay tuned for Growing a Garden in Newfoundand: Part Four if you’re interested in a garden update that I should be posting later next month. Cheers to a fun summer, folks!

Until next time…