Early Season Gardening... Raised Bed is Planted!

Let the games begin... The raised bed is planted and I'm looking forward to seeing how everything grows this year:@) New: My rosemary was struggling so I removed it from the anchor bed and planted way too many coleus, and at the last minute decided I liked the look of the strawberry pot. So yea... Chives are blooming, and while it's hard to see, the last addition to the little herb box is a pink lavender to the left of the thyme. I can't wait to see that bloom! It's written up as a tidy 12"-ish plant...

Tomatoes and cucumbers finish up the row. After living with the raised bed kits for a few years now, my best tip: While your garden will be shorter, I highly recommend using all of the center slats between -all- of the boxes. It will help keep the boxes square and from bowing, and look neater. I really wish I understood that before I got started.

The short end: My peppers get the prime spot, with (what we believe is) the jalapeno in the first box. We had a little labeling incident... Has that ever happened to you??? Strawberry patch in the background.

Purple lavender looks great, even after I had to move it last year. The sign from Aldi just makes me chuckle:@) And the huge cement planter in the background was a trash day rescue. It will bake in the sun so I loaded it up with portulaca, can't wait for that riot of color! And if the strawberry runners happen to hop in there, well, I won't be upset with that either...

The second raised bed I added at end of season: This has zucchini in the far two boxes. The plan... The one on the end can sprawl into the yard. This year's experiment: I'm going to try training the middle one to grow vertically with a pole support. We'll see how that plays out:@) The closest box is loaded with zinnia seeds of all sizes, they have already sprouted.

And Barbie pops in to remind everyone that no matter the size of your garden... Always add a little whimsy to make you smile:@)

My inspiration:

Two little 1" mushrooms grew in the raised bed:@)

Remember the almost 10" mushroom that grew in the yard? HERE

I'll leave you with the long view:

Have a great weekend🌞