Friday, April 24, 2009

Garden Club Friday




Hello Fellow Garden Friends! How does your garden grow these days? We finally have a dry stretch, and we are making MUCH progress in our gardens!

- Our garden plot from last year has 4 rows which are 4'x 30'... the first has my strawberries, and they look GREAT. It also has a lavender plant, and some thyme. Both weathered the winter well and look wonderful.

We have a full row of scrawny looking pathetic broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. It remains to be seen if it will live or not.

We have a full row of more strawberries, but these were the old plants we got from friends, and only about 1/4 have any leaves at all. I will pull out the ones which are dead and put something else in there. I will let these which are just starting out to grow well this year (planting between them) to get established, and transplant them next year to a permanent strawberry bed. [Ahem... Eric - if you are reading this... just skip that paragraph. Oh wait - it's too late. ;) Yet another project for my wonderful husband...]

That leaves one row to be planted (120 square feet), and whatever is left between the strawberries. And watching to see if anything lives of the broccoli... thankfully we can try that sort of crop again in the fall, I am not holding my breath for it.

- We have another smaller plot which one of my sons cleared for us. I'd say there are 3 rows of about 4'x 20', and another smaller row, but the ground is really rocky. I am going to plant corn and green beans in this one, as I read they are forgiving to rocky soil. In each 4' "box" I will be planting green beans on the outside, and corn in two rows on the inside. This does not have a fence around it, so we will see how it goes, or if the animals will eat most of it. [Eric- ignore this one too... just in case I want to fence this plot in too...]

- We have two small 4'x4' boxes which are not fenced, and actually in our planned volleyball court, so I am not yet sure if we will plant them or pull them up. Anyone have a vote?

- Our close "kitchen garden" is completed. 3 boxes of 4'x 30, 26, and 22 feet respectively. In one I have about half in peas (sugar snap) interplanted with lettuce, spinach, and radishes. They have not sprouted, but the peas look great. On the other end (about 1/2 the remaining space) I have the 4 - 6 broccoli which escaped the rabbits before the fence was up, and some more pathetic looking cabbage.

These boxes are ready to be roped off in the gridlines to help with the square foot planting methods, then planted. That is what we will do today. I have lots of tomato plants, and seeds, but will have to buy some pepper plants, and depending on how many tomatoes look healthy, may buy a couple more of them too. Last year we did 40 tomato plants and the canned tomatoes / spaghetti / and salsa lasted only until January. So this year we are doubling the efforts, hopefully. Once again, we will see how it goes. ;)

No photos again this week, sorry. Maybe next week will not be as busy. ;) Maybe not.

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14 comments:

  1. Sounds like things are moving right along for you. Don't you just love spring?

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  2. Now I'm thinking I may need some more tomato plants too, hmmmm.

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  3. Great to hear of others garden progress! We have a pretty large garden this year. Im thinking of ways to keep the deer out of it. Last year they wiped most of it out. We will see. -http://catherineanne5.blogspot.com/

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  4. Wow! You have a lot of garden! I have 16 tomato plants. We'll see what happens!

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  5. Sounds wonderful! There is nothing like strawberries straight from your garden.

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  6. Well my entry was a day late. We have had a busy week but I finally got it blogged about.We planted around 120 tomato plants. I gave step by step how we plant our tomatoes, potatoes, and strawberries.

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  7. As a kid, I disliked working in the garden - all those pesky weeds and burning sun and itchy tomato plants. As an adult without a yard in which to plant one, I miss having a garden. Rather, I miss the fresh produce I could have! Reading this makes me wish for a warm, sun-ripened tomato off the vine.


    Kayla :-)

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  8. We have asparagus coming up! It takes several years and this year we are finally getting some!

    We also went out and counted about 20 artichokes! I guess in cooler places they can grow all year, but here we only get them for a short time before the heat sets in. We hope they will all grow well and we will get to eat them for a while!

    We are eating lots of lettuce and spinach this week as they are starting to bolt, and this week may be the end of the sugar snap peas, as the heat is getting to them.

    We may have our first crop of figs this week, too! We're not sure when exactly they'll be ready, so I have to learn that this week!

    We also need to eat the turnips that are bolting, and the radishes too.

    Okay, writing all that made me realize what our meals need to be this week, so that we do not waste what God has given us!

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  9. Wow, you have a huge garden! I can't wait to see pictures.

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  10. Hi, I love you site. I am linking, and posting about it today. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

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  11. Coming right along!

    I've got a question for you--it's been raining off and on here for the last few days, and has been windy for weeks on end. I'm behind in planting my carrots, cabbage, as well as some other seeds. I have some peppers and tomatoes (3 inches an taller) all in the greenhouse that are begging me to plant them. It is relatively muddy, and we are expecting rain for 7 more days (! scattered showers I do believe). Can I plant things in the mud--or is that a bad idea?

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  12. Well, Phoebe... I am really not sure. I would probably plant the things which need to have a healthy dose of cold weather... the cabbage and carrots, etc. (but if you saw the state of my garden today you'd run to your nearest Lowe's and ask them...)

    I think I'd wait until it is a little drier for the tomatoes and peppers. However, I am no expert. This is only my second year of a garden.

    If anyone sees this and wants to chime in... go ahead! Another thing I would do is fine the link in the comments to Pam in KY. Her husband is a great resource, and the one I go to with all my gardening questions.

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  13. Thanks a million for your response! I think I will wait on my seedlings and just plant the cooler weather things.

    I'll check out Pam in KY, too.

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