Felipe suggested I use this pizza box as a pachol….

Pro-tip: a pizza box is not a seed starter kit.

If you look closely you’ll see small tomato plants, but, you will also see some classic sticks and mud tech here, as I use vegetable cartons to keep the plants from falling out.

It’s been a long time since I gardened. When we moved to Nicaragua we rented for several years, and Felipe manages a large organic garden. There was no reason. But, now I have a property and I work from home.  So, I’m going to garden again!

Pro trip, know how tall something will grow before you plant it in front of your view.

These are my Surinam cherry bushes, except they are trees. I put them in 3 years ago. The fruit is beautiful, tasty too, berries aren’t readily available here, so its fun to have them. But, now I have to decide if they will forever be my view, and shade for the downstairs terrace, or I will trim them to a hedge…

This is my herb garden. I bought a leftover cache of seeds from an ex-pats garden. They’re old, and I don’t know how well cared for. It’s hard to get seeds here, I took a chance, but none have germinated…

Pro-tip, take risks, the worse thing that happens is you’ll have to try again.

Moving forward. This is my new market garden! First, I will test all the seeds in my herb bed so I don’t plant a big bed with non-viable seeds. By spring, I will have a good amount of old and new seeds to start this project.

What will I plant? Mixed Asian greens, broccolini, Chinese pea pods, spaghetti squash, amaranth, and drum roll…asparagus. I have the benefit of 7 years of watching Felipe’s garden evolve, so I know all these things will grow here, and most aren’t readily available.

I will also try these wild cards: artichokes, jicama, horseradish, scarlet runners, and celeriac. Vamos a ver.

How does your garden grow? I’d love to hear your pro tips!