Some nice looking dirt
The first thing I had to do before planting was turn the soil. What that means is basically taking a pitchfork and working the bottom soil up to the top. This helps blend in the compost I covered the garden with before winter and break up the clay. Once the area is turned, I used a metal rake to smooth it out and break up any remaining dirt clumps. The garden was now ready to be planted.
I buy tomato and pepper plants instead of seeds. If I wanted to work from seeds I would need to start them around late January and I would need a greenhouse or an area inside. The plants may cost a bit more but the time saved is an excellent trade.
They will not be small for very long
I like to build a soil bowl around each plant. This helps trap water when it gets unbelievably hot from April until October. This year I planted four better boy tomato plants, four Roma plants, one cayenne pepper plant, one jalapeno, one green bell and one red bell. They’re great for making salsa or stuffed peppers and of course wonderful in burrito sauce or chili.
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide 
Great post and great blog! Thanks for leaving the comment on mine yesterday. It made me come to your site and now I have it bookmarked after spending some time. Keep up the good work!
Thanks. We’re not vegans as you can tell, but get some great ideas from vegan and vegetarian sites like yours.
Oh, I’m so jealous at your little plot of tomatoes and peppers! I live in Singapore where most produce don’t grow too well but I’ve got big plans to plant some beans and tomatoes this weekend- can’t wait! 🙂
Good luck! (We’ll see if the heat doesn’t get my tomatoes. The peppers always seem to do well.)
We grow tomatoes every year- and for some reason, dad has them right under my bedroom window haha. I’m not a big fan of eating tomatoes, though. Your set up looks very similar to ours. Dad tried one of those topsy turvy things one year- definitely wasn’t productive.
I wish I could start my veggies – too cold here in Chicago! Hopefully soon, after the frost threat is gone! 🙂
So jealous! It’s snowing here tonight. Snowed on the first day of spring upstate — I was hoping to clean up the garden but it was buried. Thanks for your comments. I really enjoy your blog!
Love the look of the rock surround. May add that touch to my herb garden. I also try to work in a few tomato and pepper plants, though I don’t garden per se. You have an interesting blog going. Glad to be introduced to it!
aaaaw a graden ! Im jelous now… I used to plant a lot of things as well like zucchini and tomatoes when i lived in my parents house. Now I do have a balcony..so maybe some cherry tomatoes…. guess zucchini would b too big?
Happy gardening 🙂
These look great! We are still knee deep in snow with more falling so it is lovely to see your plants looking so green and healthy.
I follow this blog from a Spanish friend http://ourmediterraneanvegetablegarden.wordpress.com/
She is growing her own vegetables in Barcelona, and although her original blog is in Spanish (http://nuestrohuertomediterraneo.wordpress.com/) she is making an effort to translate ir when she finds time so more people can learn and share the experience of having a small vegetable garden in your own patio.
It’s a shame English weather doesn’t really allow me to do this in my own house, I will suffer to much for the wellness of my little plants!
Thanks for the tip! I enjoyed visiting your blog too. Plan to bookmark both.