I, an utter novice gardener and notorious possessor of two black thumbs, would like to (slowly, carefully) ease into the world of edible gardening. I have a newly installed raised bed of approximately 8 ft x 2.5ft that gets full sun in Seattle. I have an endless appetite for vegetables and herbs. I also have zero knowledge and skills. What (and how much) should I plant??
I have a book on organic edible gardening that (I think?) has some good information, but it's a bit overwhelming and beyond my level (even though it touts itself as being for beginners), so I'm hoping for some concrete advice about what to plant right now in this raised bed, and how much of it to plant. I have heard the advice to "grow what you want to eat," but since I want to eat pretty much anything that is not a melon, that doesn't reduce the options much. My biggest criteria is EASY TO GROW/idiot-resistant. Ideally, I'd like to try a couple of veggies/herbs in the bed at once (which I think is possible?), but I don't have a ton of space to work with.
So, green thumbs of metafilter, what would you advise an absolute beginner to plant in their raised bed this weekend that would maximize the chances that they, a bumbling fool, might successfully retrieve something edible at the other end of the process? The more specific you can be, the better (I.e. there are about seven zillion varieties of cherry tomatoes at my local garden store). How many plants/seeds/whatever can fit in an 8x2 bed/what kinds of plants might play nicely together? What things am I likely not considering that I should be aware of?
Any and all newb-specific advice gratefully accepted!
Thanks!! |
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