Input Sequence

The spring weather has me running hot. I just can't seem to wait to get good stuff in the ground.

Although it is totally possible for the weather to turn deadly cold again before winter quits for good, we have hopes that the stuff we've planted so far will withstand all but the most extreme killing frosts.

This weekend Allison and Daniel and I set off to a local grower's operation (Bayless? Bayliss?) in hopes of securing some veggie plants. It was still a bit too early for the veggies to leave their incubators, so we enjoyed the calm greenhouses full of early flowers and some herbs. We got a bang-up bunch of strawberry plants for cheap, so now the only issue is where to plant them. I got some thyme, parsley, and oregano for home use, and we also got a couple of Lantana plants and some fruity mints (pineapple and orange) for the garden.

After we got back, we used our newly acquired soil to punch up and loosen the clay-dirt in mine and Michael's old patch, and then planted a bunch of strawberries, peas, and a section or two of broccoli there. Surprisingly, the broccoli I planted there last winter still has beautiful frosty-blue green leaves and is producing florets, but no large heads. We left them in, but I think they should probably come out soon as at least one plant is trying to bolt. Broccoli plants are quite decorative.

We decided to forego the brussels sprouts this time, as they are not good bedfellows with peas, and they have a very long growth cycle. We totally should have planted them in the fall.

We also skipped the onions for now, but have plans to maybe try them with early tomatoes. Don't know if that will work.

By this time, Allison had been up over 24 straight hours, and it was getting cold, so we called it a day. A very good day.




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Hopefully I will get a new camera soon, so that I can post more garden pics. I really miss having one handy.

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-mildly melancholy j

Winter Carrot

Haven't done a garden update in awhile.

We have been busy scurrying around, prepping for holidays, having birthdays, trying to make green peppers turn red.

Apparently my broccoli is budding but I haven't yet seen it.

Next year should bring some changes in the garden-- we plan to reorganize the beds into a more communal arrangement, grouping veggies according to plant/water/sun needs as opposed to who planted them. We have talked about getting the soil tested and getting seeds and plants that will jive well with the type of soil and nutrients we can provide. I'm getting interested in rain gardens and rain collection, so we're going to explore that and see if it's feasible to install something this year that will a)work b)discourage or at least not encourage mosquito breeding and c)not cost much.

We've also discussed adding more of a community component to the garden outreach, possibly helping others to create vegetable beds or construct rain collection devices.

Should be a fun spring.