A Tale of Three Garden Boxes

I used to have a garden bed on the west side of our yard. When my children were young, I wanted to show them where vegetables come from... and I think they got the idea! One year we had an amazing crop of green beans. Another year we did well with radishes and lettuce. (I think the secret was early and recurrent planting.) In spite of my busy schedule, I enjoyed the challenge of it all. At one time I even grew tomato and pepper plants from seeds I planted in winter. But eventually, I simply stopped. It didn't seem worth it. We would often take trips during the summer, so produce wasn't enjoyed when it ripened. Or I was in battle with the slugs, squirrels and other garden pests. 

But a few years ago, after admiring the the tidy garden boxes of a friend, I decided to give garden boxes a try.

There isn't enough room in a box, Bill (my gardening neighbor) would tell me. But my friend's box gardens seemed to do well, so I persisted. I've never been really happy with my crop. This year I have planted all three with tomatoes. In spring, I bought 12 beefsteak tomato plants and one heritage purple tomato. And I was given a bush cherry - not sure what that is.















All three boxes are on the west side of the yard beside each other. The way trees grow in the yard, there is some shade. The middle box gets the most sunshine - and I'm amazed at how much of a difference that makes!















The plants in the middle box already have flowers. The others don't. What a difference that bit of sunshine makes!