Simply Grateful Garden

05/05/2026

Ready to till and start planting...

03/02/2026

Started the Flat string method for my tomatoes last season and love it.

You grab whatever trellis is on sale and wonder why your cucumbers collapse by July.

Each climbing vegetable needs a different support structure. The wrong match means broken stems, poor airflow, and fruit rotting on the ground.

Flat string trellises give tomatoes the vertical plane they need to spread heavy branches evenly.

A-frame designs let cucumbers hang freely underneath — the fruit grows straight and clean instead of curling on the soil.

Wire arches suit beans and peas perfectly. Their tendrils wrap thin wire far better than thick wood.

Heavy producers like squash or melons demand reinforced arches with fabric slings under each fruit. Without support, the weight tears the vine down mid-season.

🌱 The setup rule that saves your roots:

- Install your trellis before transplanting, not after — driving stakes near established roots damages the plant you're trying to help
- Set the structure first, then plant about six inches from the base
- Anchor trellises on the north side of the bed so vertical crops don't shade shorter plants to the south

One trellis per crop type. Get that right and vertical gardening stops being a gamble 🌿

02/23/2026

Did you know...

Cucumbers are generous producers – but they’re also heavy feeders, shallow rooters, and frequent targets for pests like cucumber beetles, aphids, and spider mites. One of the most effective ways to support healthier cucumber plants and bigger harvests is companion planting – especially growing...

01/31/2026

Curious about what to start indoors.

As a child, I always wondered why my mom would plant sow seeds in these trays and not directly in the garden outside. The concept of seed starting was always a little strange to me until I grew up and understood what it was all about.  In this article, I’ll try to make the concept...

01/30/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1JyHt6zXsS/
Ready to play in the garden.

7 vegetables that MUST grow together in the same bed 🌿
Plant these combos and watch pest problems vanish .👇👇
Strategic companion planting reduces pest damage by 60-80% while improving yields through natural symbiotic relationships. According to Oregon State Extension research, specific vegetable combinations planted together outperform isolated plantings by 30-50% due to pest confusion, nutrient sharing, and microclimate creation.

These seven proven partnerships work synergistically—each plant enhancing the other's growth and protection....(see 1st C0mment) 👇

10/27/2025

Last bits from my gardens! Yummy pasta sauce and herbs drying.

10/05/2025

09/23/2025

It was such a great garden year! Wendy Koch

09/06/2025

08/30/2025

A little late but they are blooming!