The Fairydiddle Farm market garden is very small, just 1,500 square feet, but you might be surprised how much can fit in so little space. I created 4-by-20-foot beds to maximize the growing space and minimize pathways, and I use intensive growing methods like intercropping and succession planting to make the most of my little garden. For example, the photos below show the winter squash bed and a tomato bed.
If you don’t see winter squash or tomatoes in those beds, that’s because they’re not there. Yet. Right now, the squash bed is full of peas, radishes, and kale. Look closely: you might notice a few gaps in the kale, about every three plants. That’s where I’ve just sown Potimarron squash seeds. By the time the squash vines begin spreading out, the spring crops in that bed should be about done, so I can pull out the plants and make room for the squash to take over.
The tomato bed, too, has a row of peas down the middle, with lettuce and green onions to one side. The other side of that bed is actually empty, and that’s where one row of tomatoes will go (soon!). I’ll pull out the peas when they wane and the tomato vines get tall. But the difference in this bed is that I’m hoping the shade cast by the tomatoes will allow the lettuce to continue growing longer into the summer.
Two other beds also have a row of peas down the middle and maybe some radishes at either end; these are the sweet potato bed and another tomato bed, the latter of which will have two full rows of tomatoes. Okra is sprouting between outer rows of celery, and zucchini plants share a bed with carrots. Annual herbs like basil, dill, and cilantro will get tucked into the ends of beds, and marigolds will fill a few gaps.
In the meantime, I’m harvesting kale, radishes, and green onions for you to pick up at the market. I’m finding there are countless delicious ways to combine these three vegetables, such as in stir-fry, burritos, and quinoa salad.
I might bring along a few plants to the market as well! Plus the peas are beginning to plump, and the lettuce is forming loose heads, so I should finally have some of those on the table next week.
See you at the market!