Organic gardening... an attempt

So, I, Katie, am conducting an experiment... testing my green thumb and taking advantage of the Southern California weather. A garden... and I'm starting some of it from seeds...

I'm trying out different ways of starting seeds: plastic left-over pots from previously purchased plants, organic fiber pots that can go right into the garden when ready to plant, and eco-friendly seed starter kits (complete with soil pellets that expand with water and plant food for the seedlings ... yum).
Seeds growing right now: Italian Parsley, Parsley, Lavender, Zucchini, Beets, Pumpkin, Carrots, Chives, Cucumber, Delicata Squash, Sweet Peas and Cosmos. (The red/green leafy plants in the first two fiber pots are cut off from a friend's Coleus plant that i transplanted here.)


By the way, any suggestions or advice gladly welcomed... (Dan!)

Still on my list to grow (probably will go with seedlings if and when i can find them): pole/lattice varieties of green beans and peas, peppers (not sure which variety), tomatoes, basil and mint... maybe some more herbs, we'll see.

Speaking of herbs, below is rosemary and oregano left from the previous family that lived here. The rosemary is in much need of some trimming...
This is the raised bed where most of these seedlings will grow and produce beautiful vegetables. It's 6x6' and I plan to divide it into 9 2x2' squares. My peppers, tomatoes and herbs will for sure go into pots. Pumpkins might go somewhere else as well... i still have some mapping out to do.

The next step is cleaning out the freshly laid mulch (from Christmas break) of the raised bed and filling it with good organic soil, but first re-laying the chicken wire a few feet down to keep out the gofers that reside in our backyard. Yikes!


more pics to come...