My Front Yard Pumpkin Patch

Last winter, I mentioned the huge mound of compost we had delivered. I think it was 10 yards. We top-dressed our front lawn, mulched all of the areas that dry out in summer, and amended the soil in the backyard vegetable beds. 

With the very last couple of yards, we built a patch in the front yard (hidden from the street by some trees and shrubs) for my newest vegetable planting area.

In mid-May, I hurriedly got everything planted after we returned from our trip to Arizona. Above is what it looked like by the end of May. The white things near the back are milk jug protective coverings for the corn plants. At this point, I didn't have everything in the ground yet.

Here we are about 3 weeks later. My new area is neither a bed nor a row. I like to think of it as a patch. It's my warm season patch. In it, I've planted pumpkins, winter squash, summer squash, peppers, corn, pole beans, sunflowers, and the last 4 tomato plants that didn't have a home (others are in the back yard beds). I planted the whole patch rather densely, with the idea that weather, slugs, raccoons, squirrels, or rabbits might thin it for me. So far, not much has been thinned and I may need to thin some out myself.

The idea for the patch came from a neighbor who has grown pumpkins in a stretch alongside her front yard lawn for the past couple of summers. I loved the idea of a larger pumpkin patch and one with more sun than my backyard patch provides. We had this space in the center of our circular driveway that we've been planning to re-landscape in the next few years. So, why not put it to use to grow my much-wanted pumpkin patch this year and next? From there, I began planning to add more of the heat loving plants that sometimes struggle in my more cooler backyard. The front yard patch is bordered by our asphalt driveway and in full sun for most of the day. As I planted the backyard beds, I ended up with some extra plants. So in those went as well.

I'm excited at the prospect of more pumpkins and squash. We'll have to see how it all grows.

My Tea Shelf of Homegrown Teas

This is my tea shelf for my homegrown teas. The shelf beneath this one holds my collection of commercial teas. And the shelf above has my boxes of plain black decaf, plain black with caff, and green tea.

In the homegrown collection, I have cherry stem, peppermint, rose petal, lavender bud, black currant leaf, and lemon balm. I use these herbs, fruits, and flowers in both hot and iced tea, often blending several with some inexpensive black or green tea. I can stretch a single purchased tea bag to make a large teapot full, keeping the leftovers in the fridge to warm later or drink chilled.

I've also grown chamomile, pineapple mint, and spearmint in the past for teas. None of those plants were hardy enough for my climate to last more than a couple of years.

I'm always looking for new teas to grow. Do you grow any herbs for tea? Are there any plants that you recommend for growing in the home garden for tea?