Garden Update 1001

Recap on this year's garden, it's always a learning process.
This is my first year with the raised beds, that I seriously love.  It really helps cut down on the weeding. And I think it makes it more organized looking.

One thing that I learned it don't over crowd!
I don't know the exact measurements of the boxes but I put 6 tomato plants (or is it 8?) in each box, with thier cages, well when they grow to their full size it's really difficult to see and pick the tomatoes.

as you can tell they are starting to dry out & die (back fence)

Also good lord those Brussel Sprout plants get huge! I need to give them space and only plant them together.

And I am not 100% sure on this but I do not think that cucumbers like being planted with any type of squash.
I usually get a ton of cucumbers but this year just a few.  Bummer because these boys eat a ton of pickles!  And I'm totally addicted to taziki lately!

And Angie don't plant so much basil next year!  Good God I could have opened up a basil farm!
Right now my spaghetti squash is getting ready for me to pick it & I am SO excited for that!
I think I counted 17 the other day!

My FAVORITE thing to do with it is bake it with spinach, goat cheese and bacon!  OMG SO GOOD!!!!!!!
Another part of my garden I made was a seating area in the center surrounded by all the beautiful plants and 2 flower beds.

(the flowers in the back already had their day, came and went)

I never really got to experience sitting out there, due to the insane amount of bees and mosquitoes, also the direct sun light.  There is not much shade out there and dang it was hot in Minnesota this summer!  Maybe what I need to do is get a table with a little umbrella and a ton of citronella candles!  2017 GOAL!

(the spaghetti squash went crazy and escaped the garden - headed over to the rabbit hutch)

In the beginning of the summer my neighbors mulberry tree sheds in one of the corners of my garden & really contributes to that issue with the bugs.  Oh well what ya gonna do.
As I'm writing this it is mid September, at this point I basically give up on weeding.  I'm sick of it LOL!
I seriously offered my 13 year old $100 to be in charge of weeding next year, dang kid turned me down.  He hates it as much as I do hahaha!!!!

(broccoli just started!)

There were a couple new things I grew this year that I won't next year.
One being eggplant, we just don't get around to eating it much, and I'm just not a huge fan.  It's ok. There are many other veggies I would rather eat.
I would like to try my hand at asparagus and or horseradish but, I don't have the patience.  I would rather just get it at the farmers market when I needed it.

(check out that gorgeous color on the swiss chard! *tip you need to cage this - the rabbits love it)

2017 I want to try some baby potatoes, excited about that.
Also in 2017 I think I will skip on growing string beans, I like them but we just don't eat that many of them.

I am excited to experiment with new flowers and vegetables next year and see what 2017 has in store of my little suburban farm!
Stay tuned :)
And Happy Fall Y'all!

*what I grew
3 types of tomatoes - yellow pear, cherokee purple, roma
tomatillo
herbs - basil (2 types) chives, rosemary, oregano, dill
zucchini, winter squash, spaghetti squash
bell peppers - purple & green
eggplant
cabbage
broccoli
swiss chard
lettuce variety
cucumbers
leeks
strawberries (rabbits ate them all)
banana peppers
jalapenos
radishes