If that is one plant, it sure don't look like mine! Fess up- you must be giving it steroids. We'll have to report you to an organic tribunal of some kind.

(but, actually, I prune out runners and/or trim them back to keep my one plant under control and then I let onions or kale grow up through some of the leaves. I basically want enough pumpkins for a Thanksgiving pie and a couple of quart bags to freeze. Any others are given away)

2 seeds planted on 5/5, because of the early spring we experienced here. Lordy, I hope things get back to normal. I USED to PLANT seeds of this nature on 5/23.

Not gonna grow something this year, just haven't decided what that might be. Gonna grow something else instead, just haven't decided where I might put that new thing.

This gardening stuff is my only hobby. If I tortured you guys with all my thoughts on this subject...........you would have me committed!

OregonRed - have you thought about devoting the middle of the row to marigolds? They help deter some pests, and once the flowers are in full bloom if you feel the need to make them more useful than just bringing beauty, clip the flowers, dry them and use them to dye wool or cotton, or as a medicinal.

You know, it's trial and error. I placed a new bed against the outer fence, thinking that I could harvest beans from the outside and not have to stretch over. Reality was that they looked so beautiful and attracted deer that munched away on the vines, wild turkeys plucked at the vines, and humming birds visited the red blooms. That seasons beans were a visual harvest only..but just having hummingbirds in the garden was so darn awesome. Now I plant brusselsprouts there and as long as I can keep the frc over them I'm fine

oh my gosh! love the idea of putting the companion plant/flower there! i'm thinking things like lavedar and i'm not sure what all, anyway - that sort of thing! dill, fennel...and yes! onions, thank you , what a great idea -- woohoo!
:~D

Just not sunflowers..even the Mexican ones that grow over 5' because sometimes they prohibit other seed from germinating. I use mex sunflowers in newer beds that I don't plan to grow in, as I'm filling them with compost.makes the look prettier until they are full enough to plant.

Funny. Well, maybe odd, I guess. Immediately as starting to read Claude's idea for using a garden rake, I pictured a completely different scenario. Lay the rake across the 5 foot width, hanging over each edge a little. Then OregonRed should be able to lean in while either standing or kneeling, and setting her hand on the rake handle wherever necessary for support to reach the center. As the growth fills in, 'threading' the handle though may be more easily accomplished lower down, where the stems may be less leafy. Anyway, it's a thought.

thanks daisy dew, i could even do that w/ a long thick dowel, or board
great idea!
love this forum, thanks peeps!

Anytime, you wonderfully receptive and intelligently perceptive person! I love this place too!!

wow-golly-gee-wiz, thanks daisy

okay, `nother idea came to me --- what about planting onions and garlic there? they dont have to be harvested but once, yah? not wide like pumpkins...

(still like the companion flower idea too...)

Hmmm. Well, I don't know about where you are, but I harvest garlic before many of my other veggies, as it's usually ready sometime in August. Will that work for your layout? Otherwise, I'd fill it in with some companion flowers. Keep in mind that a well fed nasturtium plant can spread out 4 feet or more in diameter, so it wouldn't really work there. Marigolds mabey?

thanks daisy, yes, i knew that about nastursium...
currently, i'm going to plant onions and garlic to overwinter, so we'll see what happens.
last season i only had 5' x 5' of bed to grow in, this spring i'll have somewhere around 17' by 5'.
(i look so forward to having the full space w/ my 'home grown' soil in it: 40' x 5')