How Does Your Garden Grow?

hello world. How are you on this fine Spring day? I am doing splendid, so happy that I get to share some of the progress on one of my favorite pastimes: gardening.

A few weeks ago the hubby built me a raised garden bed in the backyard. It's the perfect size for our little outside space, and large enough to have quite the harvest come summer.

I'm still trying to get the hang of this gardening thing. I've become quite an expert at growing kitchen herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, etc) and last summer I had some potted tomatoes and jalapenos that did very well. But now I'm transitioning to an actual garden. An in the ground, from seed packets, garden. It's kind of scary.

I sowed the seeds a few weeks ago (zuchinni, mesclun lettuce, and carrots). I was so nervous they wouldn't pop up that I planted more than I should have, with the intention of pinching any extras. I also purchased an heirloom tomato seedling and planted it at one end.

Well, it's only been a few weeks, but so far so good!

The mesclun lettuce popped up right away! Mesclun refers to the spring greens mix that are harvested young (also called baby greens). This type of lettuce is "cut and come again" meaning it will continue growing once you harvest it. I decided on mesclun lettuce after reading a post on it here. I've been told it is easy to grow, and given that I am definitely a beginner, thought it to be better safe than sorry.

The zucchini took a bit longer, but they sprouted soon after. I was so happy! I decided to make my own garden markers with left over wine corks and copper wire from this idea on Pinterest.

They've started to take off. I've heard that zucchini's will get HUGE {several feet wide} so I need to reassess my organization of them, considering that all of my seeds sprouted.

The carrots are taking a bit longer, but I've been told this is to be expected. There are a few green sprouts in the area I planted the seeds, but they rather look like weeds. I'll just have to be patient and wait to see which are carrots and which are not.

Anyone have any experience they'd like to share? I'd love to hear your tips or tricks on how to have a green thumb. Please tell me, how does your garden grow?