2 weekends ago, I started.

Flats planted and now under growing lights in the basement.  I thought at first it might be too cool downstairs, but things are sprouting so I guess we’re doing okay.  Planted 2 types of broccoli, lettuce, leeks, scarlet runner beans, …?  Will have to check my notes again. Also started some sugar snap peas & sweet peas in flats outdoors.  No growth on those yet.

Built a worm bin this last weekend.  Very easy to do.  Still needs a few holes poked into the bottom and also some kind of drip collection.  I thought maybe it would be good to put it on wheels that elevated it off the deck so I can slide collection trays underneath and also roll it around the deck when I need to.  A project for next weekend:)  I do need to finish it up quick though, because I have already started saving stuff to put into it!

I can’t believe how many hours I’ve been spending out in the garden. I keep telling myself every weekend that I’m only going to spend an hour or two, and then do other projects around the house…. then I end up spending the whole day.  Not JUST because there’s that much to do out there, but also because it is just so awesome to be out there, appreciating each and every plant for its efforts, its beauty and its productivity.

Some of the crops are doing better than others.  The turnips are not doing particularly well, but I also planted them too thick.  I seeded them directly into the ground and then never thinned them out.  Some pest is eating them and boring through them – Not Good!  But the ones I have pulled up and trimmed up the bad parts, have been really tasty.   Braised in a pan with onions & chicken broth, fresh herbs, yum.  I have just seeded some more – in a flat this time, hopefully there may still be enough time to get a harvest before the first frost.

I pulled up a bunch of chard this weekend. So many of the plants were getting tall and spindly as they are going to flower.  The sheep weren’t sure of them at first, but did later go back and eat what I gave them.  I would like to interplant some new starts now for additional harvest potential into the fall.

Finally got some additional kohlrabi’s planted – purple vienna this time.  And the garden gate has finally been mounted on hinges. Yeah!

Aproximately three weeks ago we planted three varieties of sweet corn directly into the garden, Early Sunglow (63 days), Bodacious (75 days), and Golden Jubilee (87 days).  The Early Sunglow came up fastest and strongest, Bodacious had the lowest germination rate.   Each variety was planted in a 12 by 12 foot section with the row seeder.  The remaining seeds were broadcast in a tray of soil in the greenhouse.  The greenhouse seeds came up the fastest and grew like gangbusters.  Today Bob planted the greenhouse starts into the garden to fill out the places where nothing had sprouted.   In the meanwhile the seeds planted outside have really outgrown the greenhouse starts.  I hope the new kids will survive the transplant.

Started seeds on the deck about 4 wks ago.  We had tried to til the garden 2 wks ago, but the area was just to soggy.  Finally got it tilled on May1, and planted on May 3.  Planted seeds mostly, corn, green beans, some of my starts went into the ground as well.