2023 Veggie-Bed Plan

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Tom Myrick

With the 2023 growing season approaching, we have prepared the vegetable garden plan for the Veggie-Bed.

We rotated all the vegetable plots according to our crop rotation practice. The crops selected produced a high yield in the previous growing seasons.

Over ten years in the making, the Veggie-Bed is a no-till, raised-row, organic garden in which the vegetables are grown in succession to avoid depleting the soil and to control weeds, pests, and diseases. The garden is section-off into two 20 by 10-foot gardens. Each section is divided into two ten by 10-foot plots where vegetables are grown according to their type (root, leaf, legumes, fruit).

Our backyard garden is located in the suburbs of the Western Branch area of Chesapeake, VA. The property is less than 3/4 of an acre, and we use approximately 450 square feet in the backyard.

Concentrating on quality and not quantity, we give each plant plenty of room to grow and increase its yield. We mix organic compost from our compost pile into each row during the winter and use no fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides in the garden.

Writer: Tom Myrick

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Beginning to Flow

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Tom Myrick

Oh boy! The cukes are beginning to flow. With these, we will make one of our favorite summer dishes – cold cucumber soup.

Writer: Tom Myrick

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Continually Yielded Fruit

Posted on July 24, 2022 by Tom Myrick

Grown for hundreds of years in the Mediterranean, Asia, and tropical regions of Africa, this pomegranate is one of many growing on this tree. Planted by my father almost 50 years ago, the tree has continually yielded fruit. Packed with antioxidants and nutrients, pomegranates are one of our favorite fruits.

Writer: Tom Myrick

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Snuggled Among

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Tom Myrick

We found this little guy snuggled among the sweet potato vines. This is our first attempt to grow sweet potatoes and thought it was a morning glory flower. After a little online research, we learn that it is a sweet potato blossom and sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family.

Writer: Tom Myrick

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Homegrown Is Always Better

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Tom Myrick

Morning pickin’s, tonight’s supper. The leafy greens keep yielding.

“Leafy greens tend to be shallow-rooted plants that do not demand extremely rich soil, but they do need plenty of sun and a constant supply of water.” (Mother Earth Living)

*Over ten years in the making, our sustainable garden is a no-till, raised-row, organic garden in which the vegetables are rotated seasonally. We are located in the suburbs of the Tidewater Region of Virginia.

Writer: Tom Myrick

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Maximizing the Space

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Tom Myrick

One of our mottos is: Don’t plant more than you can take care of.

We planted our fruit vegetables in this 10-foot by 10-foot section of our garden (two tomatoes, three okras, three squashes, and three cucumbers).

Fruit vegetables produce a flower that develops a fruit that has seeds.

By maximizing the space among the plants, air and sunlight can reach all of the plants, which is essential for the plant’s health.

“Crowded plants not only discourage growth, they encourage pests and disease.”(Planet Natural Research Center)

The extra space among the rows allows easy access to maintain the plants.

*Over ten years in the making, our garden is a 450-square-foot no-till, raised-row, organic garden in which the vegetables are rotated seasonally. We are located in the suburbs of Tidewater Region of Virginia.

Writer: Tom Myrick

If you would like to be a part of Urban Gardening’s mission of encouraging and sharing information about vegetable gardening throughout the world, please join our group on Facebook:

A Place of Refuge

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Tom Myrick

With all the chaos throughout the world, gardening provides me a haven from all the noise. Digging and planting, holding the earth’s soil in my hands, brings me to a place of tranquility.

The fragrance and colors of the plants overwhelm my feelings of turmoil and create a sensation of peace that carries with me throughout the day.

The online medically reviewed article by Dan Brennan, MD – “How Gardening Affects Mental Health,” published by WebMD, states, “Gardening can make you feel more peaceful and content. Focusing your attention on the immediate tasks and details of gardening can reduce negative thoughts and feelings and can make you feel better in the moment. Just spending time around plants eases stress for many people. The sights, smells, and sounds of the garden are said to promote relaxation and reduce stress.”

Of course, all gardeners know this.

Writer: Tom Myrick

If you would like to be a part of Urban Gardening’s mission of encouraging and sharing information about vegetable gardening throughout the world, please join our group on Facebook: