My vegetable boxes resemble “before and after” pictures, but not on purpose. Once the pumpkins were out, I cleaned the box to the right of the garden, and planted winter vegetables. The box to the left, however, was chugging along with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and a bird house gourd so I let it be.
Vegetable Box, Stage Right: Neat and tidy winter veg
Vegetable Box, Stage Left: chaotic jumble
The top-tier of the left box has eroded nearly a foot. On the plus side, the erosion created a nice spot for one of the gourds to rest. That said, I’m not sure how to save the existing plants while topping off the box with more soil.
Birdhouse Gourd
We live on a tiny lot, so sunny space is at a premium. I try to maximize what I’ve got but was realizing today that I need to rethink the boxes.
This is year three for the “blueberries,” but they still aren’t producing. The plant remains small, though healthy but at this rate I may as well call it a shrub. We haven’t seen a single berry since we planted it.
Blueberry Shrub
Raspberry Vine
The raspberries, on the other hand, took off this past summer and produced sweet and delicious berries for several weeks. We enjoyed standing in the garden and eating them right off the vine. Is there anything sweeter than a sun-warmed berry?
I’ve considered transplanting the canes along the back fence, but I’m afraid I’ll set them back two years. It’s also a bit crowded there so they may not get adequate sun. I think the blueberry needs more room or more sun, maybe both.
My indecision (and the colder weather) leaves me in a quandary. Should I leave well enough alone and wait till next spring to decide, or should I move the blueberry plant and raspberry canes now while they’re at rest?
Recommendations welcome.
Gardening Nirvana 
I can’t believe you fit all that into one yard, it’s a jungle! Jim’s mom, Franny, had a tiny little house before she moved into the senior home so I’d go once a week to mow her lawn, cleanup the garden and have lunch…we’d plant outrages mixed flower pots (she’d pick out the plants where I worked). Hideous, but she loved them. Anyways, out back, along the garage were the raspberry bushes. They were such a mess. I chopped them back so much and could never keep them in control. I think you couldn’t kill them if you tried, so I’d so go for it now. Your seasons are so different than here but I bet in the spring they’ll take right off. It might be nice to have more time in the spring to enjoy other things in the garden, like bird house gourd planning. It’s getting pretty big! Yahoo!
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How sweet that you spent that kind of time with Jim’s mom. Your are such a good soul. I guess when you’re older, you can plant whatever you want! My mom always had pots growing on her patio, and everything looked healthy. It was sad when she no longer kept it up (or cared) but probably more for me then her. Her life seemed to shrink towards the end, but she was always happy. That’s what counts in the end.
Someone else mentioned they were hard to kill, so maybe I should take the plunge. I really would like to claim that box for something else.
Thanks for the tips, Boomdee.
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I guess at the time, we only lived 1/2 hour away from Fran so I could go during the week. You’re right Alys, being happy is what counts. Your mom must have really missed your dad. One day, in your garden, I’ll tell you about my mom. Unfortunately, she’s not a happy person. When I started my Blog I made a commitment to always be positive and only share joyful things, so that’s why no mentions. There is no contact with anyone, not even her grandchildren…it’s a shame, we’re all nice people. But you can’t tell grown ups how to live, they must follow their own path. Life is what you make of it, I can say I’m very lucky. 🙂
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😦 I sent you a private post. (((Boomdee)))
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Your gourds are really coming along!! If you are going to have to move the raspberries sooner or later you might as well think long term and move them. Fall is a much better time to move almost everything and I would think if the canes stayed in tact and you didn’t cut them the ones that are supposed to bear fruit still would, they might not know they were moved. Water really well. I am only guessing though sorry! this is not based on any real knowledge! Good luck!
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It sounds reasonable, though. I think half of gardening is using your instincts. Stay tuned. I’ll let you know my next move.
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