A Victory Garden

I garden at a community garden called the Forest Grove Victory Garden. It was developed in 2009 by community members and has about 150 plots available to the public that are 250 square feet each. I rent three plots and tend another three plots for the food bank.

My three plots for 2012 are shown as a schematic below. The middle plot has the mixed melons and cucumbers (two rows). Click on the image to see a larger version. Everything has been planted this year except the melons. The weather is not cooperating. 

The plot with horizontal rows (western most) was my original plot. I added two more by the end of the first year. I think vertical rows work better in terms of warming the soil because the plots face north and south vertically. However, my west plot always produces well even with the horizontal arrangement. I tend to grow the same thing in the same place in the west plot every year. Only the varieties change. The other two plots change a lot, especially because it is important to rotate potatoes.

I had a lot of success growing pumpkins in 2011, so I'm growing quite a few again this year. The difference is they are in the back of plots so they have more room to roam.

Howden and Rouge Vif d’Etampes pumpkins from 2011.

A Rouge Vif d’Etampes on the vine before it ripens.

Some other stuff from 2011, including Lambkin melons,
Delicata squash, lemon cucumbers and Marconi peppers.