The expansion and the expansion of the beans.

As titles go that certainly isn't the shortest. But it explains it well!

Here is the first picture of what will be the new garden bed.  There is 3.5' of space between the rows, plenty for the mower.

The foreground is the main(original) garden bed and behind it is the 28" wide bed along the fence. So the wood is in place to mark the length but the sod still needs ripped up inside. Well, for now there is a 9.5' bed on one end. The other end will have another bed that will mirror this one with 1 avocado tree and 5 or 6 blueberry plants. The avocados are a year old now and roughly 5' tall. Next year we may or may not get a harvest but we don't expect one yet not until the third year. We have 4 other avocado trees and 2 of them are older and blossom out well. These blueberry bushes are two years old but this year really was harsh on them in the pots. They didn't leaf out very well and I expect that my harvest next year will not be wonderful - but considering that I have 15 total and some of my larger berry plants have been in the ground for several years, I'm sure I'll get enough to be happy!
After the 2 berry beds are finished off it will leave me with approximately 3  8' sections of raised bed gardening space.  So I'll be adding around 50 feet of garden. It seems like so much more, but then again I'm devoting nearly half the bed to the berries. I'm also hopeful that my strawberry plants will like the conditions the blueberries do well enough to produce. If so I'll leave them there year round and stop digging them up in the fall. Permanent beds sound wonderful!

Now for the ever expanding beans...

I would like you to notice the arrow I put in points to beans that have grown up and out of my grapefruit tree. These are the 'rice pea cowpeas' that I planted. They were planted in an area 18" x 24" directly in front of the little white picket fence. Any yellow you see are the 'holstein' beans. They don't seem to like all the extra rain we've gotten. They held up well for a while be I think every single day rain is just too much for them. They were planted in the same area directly behind the rice peas and you can see the yellowing plants have stayed approximately where they were planted. They aren't trying for world domination. LOL. So far they are producing, but not nearly as well as they are growing. I'm concerned if I don't start getting more beans and less foliage soon I'll be forced to rip them out. What a shame that would be, but I am so limited with space I can't see growing something that will take over a bed and not give enough in return. :-( even if it is so healthy.

And in overview of the rest of my beds you may have heard me talk about how I have squeezed in edibles everywhere I can... I don't lie! They are around the pool pump...

(Kiwi vines, rosemary and cukes here)

The kids play house....

Pomegranate, apple trees, surinam cherry and grapes that grow over the play house. (and my composters tucked in at the corner they are a no-no too, shhhhh!) This is where my Lakota squash grew earlier this year.

I also hide edibles around the sand box....

And I won't tell you what is edible in the front lest someone from the HOA be lurking. Thats about the last thing I need right now. But they are there! Trust me. I'm considering a pindo palm for jelly just because. Teehee. Of course in the back I've got the 'grove' that has cause me so much trouble. 2 peach trees, 2 avocados, a plum, and my citrus that can be seen from the street as well in the main garden. Shame on me for loving food and enjoying growing it. Tisk tisk and shaking finger, all that good stuff.

And since I'm putting up a bunch of pictures my Eastland limas are still looking wonderful - and check out the broccoli's I started in May or June.... they should be heading up in a couple weeks! I'm excited as it will be the earliest I will have ever had broccoli from the garden if it works. :-)

'Till next time!

Barbie~