Plant a Garden

With everything I like to do closed due to the coronavirus including bars, Zoo, beaches and more, I decided to start a small vegetable garden at home. I had an area that was full of cement squares to create a patio that I never used. Through the years nature had taken it over with weeds and vines. I wish I had taken a before photo.

My first goal was to remove all the blocks (about 36) from the area and then rake and hoe the area to remove all the vegetation. This took me the first day and I will admit my back was sore from all the bending. When you get over 60 and retire, that means very little bending. Most of the bending I do is at the elbow at the local watering hole.

I had a deck that Tom helped me build years ago, and a privacy fence that my cousin Steve and I  put in after that. At each stage, I took three photos of the area. The 1st is looking West, the 2nd is looking southwest and the 3rd is looking southeast.

I put in a row of the cement blocks where the roof ends. I figured it would prevent rain from making a ditch. I did have a few marble chips that I salvaged and placed along the deck. The flowers are called Mexican Heather and I think will add some color. You can see that the soil is very sandy, but I should mention I live in Florida...

 There is actually a carport that I do not use currently, but I have some ideas of what I would like to do in a future project...

Here is a close up of one of the six Mexican Heathers I planted. Top soil was added as well as some compost and manure...I was using gloves and I am trying to learn not to touch my face so much...

The next step was to clean and level the dirt and add a few plants to see what it would look like. The plants I added were (from top to bottom in 1st photo):

• Red Beefsteak Heirloom Tomato
• Sweet Banana Hybrid Pepper
• Hot Banana Hybrid Pepper
• Habanero Hot Pepper

Here is a close up of the Beefsteak Tomato.

The next phase was to add some more of the blocks so I can access the garden from the middle and also along the deck. The plants I added were:

• 2 more Red Beefsteak Tomato (at top in 1st photo)
• 2 Bonnie Green Bell Sweet Pepper (at lower left in 1st photo)

All the plants I bought at Lowes in Indian Harbour Beach. I plan to add more marble chips between the deck and the cement steps. I also am going to add a Jalapeno Hot Pepper and some more flowers.
Most of the hard labor is done, now it is hoping the plants grow in this soil and the bugs stay away. Any suggestions on bugs would be appreciated. I hate using harsh bug sprays since my property drains into Elbow Creek which flows into the Eau Gallie River which flows into the Indian River Lagoon and out to the Atlantic Ocean.