I vastly prefer fall/winter gardening to spring/summer gardening. Here in Texas, tomatoes get all the glory. It’s what everyone grows. I can’t figure out why because tomatoes aren’t nearly as easy to grow as lettuce, greens, potatoes, beets, and herbs. If there’s one thing you take away from The Rose Table, let it be the inspiration to try a fall/winter veggie garden.

You may have noticed I haven’t posted “Today’s harvest!” in quite some time. My 4×20′ raised bed garden was in such bad shape that I didn’t think the wood would hold more dirt if I added it. A friend built it for me four years ago and it certainly got the job done for years but I needed an upgrade.

My dad drove over bright and early to build two glorious new 4’x8′ cedar beds for me. They’re each more than twice as tall as my former raised bed garden and I wanted space to walk between them. I really think my dad, who’s been  successful in a suit all his life, could really have a second career in carpentry. These beds are rock solid!

First we dug up all the plants, which was not an easy task. I decided not to transplant my mountain of mint because it spilled over to the rose garden (which was the plan) and I want to keep it there to choke out the weeds. We only ended up transplanting my chives (which I’ve had since 2012) and strawberry patch. Other than that, we cleared the space and removed the former boards. Then we laid down this fantastic weed prevention blanket:

Dad built the two long sides of the cedar beds in my garage then attached the shorter sides on my back patio. I love the way the cedar just pops in the garden. Doesn’t it look cheerful?

We picked up a couple fun stones to put in between the beds. I don’t think I’ll miss the other four feet at all because it wasn’t nearly as functional as these beds are. I’ll pick up some gravel later this week to fill in around these stones.

As you can see, the sun was setting by the time we filled the gardens with mounds of organic dirt. I ran out of steam after hauling 22 bags from the truck to the backyard. (I could hardly lift my phone to my ear the next day!) I’ll add more in the spring but this will do for now.

There you have it! Two 4’x8′ cedar raised bed gardens. I will y’all could smell this gorgeous cedar. Just when I thought my fairy tale corner couldn’t smell any better with the abundance of roses and mint, we added cedar to the mix.

The next morning I trotted outside for my daily walk ’round the garden with my very serious, not at all whimsical Alice in Wonderland mug (my dad will very much appreciate this photo, as he is as staunch a Disneyland supporter as I am) to plant new seeds.

I’m so exited to try Grow Journey by Tyrant Farms for the first time! This monthly subscription service (available in the US and Canada) gets you 5 packets of USDF certified organic seeds delivered to your door for $11/month, each sent at the appropriate planting time.

I pretty much love everything about the package and branding so I hope I love the seeds as much! I’ve planted turnips, chervil, mustard greens, arugula, and mâche. I love that the instructions are right on the packet. I still have seeds from other companies left over from last year that don’t offer any planting information on the packet.

Yes, let’s. 🌹 Check back soon for Grow Journey updates!

Happy gardening,

The Rose Table
@therosetable
FB.com/therosetable