Honors Garden South

I've decided to donate my Garden to NKU Honors Program. I've decided to call it NKU Honors Research Garden, South. Its open to all NKU Honors Students and alumni. However, its best to email in advance to schedule a visit.

The NKU Honors Research Gaden, South is located at 346 Mariners Blvd, Mandeville LA. That's USDA hardiness zone 8b. It's 801 miles south of The Honors Garden Of Earthly Delights.

My garden consists of 3 hanging baskets with tomato plants (2 brandywine, 1 mortgage lifter). I have 6 squares: Genovese Basil, Cilantro, Sweet Banana (2 plants), Hot Cherry Pepper (a mild hot, like about 1/2 strength of a jalapeno) Giant Marconi Sweet Italian Pepper, Rosemary, and French Cooking Thyme.

My tallest pepper plant is about 24". It is bearing a single banana pepper which is about the size of my thumb. The basil is about 3" high, as is the cilantro.

I've had my garden planted about 5 weeks.

First planting: endless salad

I just got the first round of seeds in the ground for the season. Right now the only space that is ready for planting is the upper right 4x4 bed, and the rest are overgrown with weeds that I'll take care of this week while it's still gorgeous out (highs in the 60s/70s and sunny).

What I planted: 1 square of carrots (Danvers 126); and 2 squares each of Bibb lettuce, mesclun, Black Seeded Simpson and spinach. I'm going to make a concerted effort this year to rotate crops properly so that we don't get huge harvests followed by weeks with nothing. Therefore, I only planted 9 of the 16 squares in that frame.

It looks like this:



Since I'll be gone for three weeks in late July/early August for the honeymoon I'll plan the rest of the plot so that crops aren't ready to harvest during that time. It would be too much to hope that the rain will cover for me while I'm gone, so I may ask Belle or Tom to water once a week to supplement.