Remember how I said, several times, I wasn't putting a seed or transplant into my garden until June 1st this year? Broken promise, shattered promise. Already.
Spring has finally sprung and winter is (almost) forgotten. There's still that stubborn line of snow down past the blueberry patch, but a couple of days ago while getting some of the raised beds in shape for the season, I found the soil to be actually warm a couple of inches down. So here's my admission. I couldn't stop myself from planting my onions. Yes, I did it and I'm glad.
Plus, even though I've vowed to give up trying to grow the lovely Sweet Pea flowers because of their extremely poor showing for me the last few years, I planted them late yesterday (after soaking the seeds for 24 hours) at the base of the hoop trellis over one of the raised beds. One more chance, little Sweet Peas, and if you fail me again this year, our friendship is over.
Our fall-planted garlic was uncovered a few days ago and the little green shoots have shot up to 3" tall. Mulch also has been removed from the mint bed and, as usual, it looks deader than a door nail. I think I've finally learned that it's not (some people, and perhaps plants wake up slowly) and will begin to show life if I'm just patient.
The asparagus bed has had all the old fern debris removed (ugh, what a job) and made pretty in anticipation of the first spears to appear. I spent a good part of the day yesterday removing all the winter mulch from the strawberries. Now to watch for a couple of days to see how many weeds pop up among the plants, then remove them and mulch between the rows and around each plant to make for clean picking around the end of June.
Our temperatures look good for the coming week although there's a bit of moisture in the forecast including that for today and tomorrow. But I feel confident the gardening season has begun. Lots of cool weather crops that can go in right now including peas, potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots, radishes, lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard.
You know where I can be found for the next couples weeks. Eating crow and burying lots of little vegetable seeds in the soil in the hope and anticipation of a bountiful harvest in a couple/few months. Let the gardening begin!
"Some people wake up slowly...." That's me! You made me laugh. My wife was an early riser - and I never did understand that. She, on the other hand, understood me. She put a coffee pot in our bedroom so I would be 'cognizant' when I got up enough speed to come downstairs and be with her. I think plants are the same. Some pop right up, some take a while.
ReplyDeleteDo you plant onion seeds? I'm trying that this year - if the garden ever warms up and dries off.
Cheers!
The most I've done so far is clean out the chicken coop and put this past winter's shavings and chicken manure in piles all over the garden. No tilling yet, but soon. I have purchased onion sets and seed potatoes, though. Happy mother's day to you! -Jenn
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I'm roasting in Texas where it is hovering near 100° and dry, dry, dry; back home it is 50° cooler and wet, wet, wet – too wet to contemplate putting anything in the ground, much less preparing said ground. But I do still have parsley and kale producing, and some volunteer salad greens, which I KNOW my guys aren't utilizing.
ReplyDeleteTim - Got a chuckle out of your wife putting a coffee pot in your bedroom. Hmmm, were you that much of a bear before your first cup of coffee?? ;o) I put a note to you in my last post's comment section regarding the fact that I've never tried growing onions from seed. As long as I can get the sets (little bulbs) and have had great success with them, I won't make things more difficult by trying to start the onions from seed. Wouldn't you have to start them inside that way? I truly am ignorant to how to do it.
ReplyDeleteJenn - Oh, if our chicken coop was cleaned out already this spring! How good that must feel for you. My seed potatoes are just waiting for me to prep the ground and get them in. My raised beds are perfectly dry for me to plant in but the field garden, where the potatoes will go, is still a bit on the wet side. Soon though! Hope you had a nice Mother's Day. :o)
Michelle - I think I'm getting a bit over-heated just thinking about you and the temperature in Texas. You must be longing for the 50° back home. At least you're not missing the opportunity to be planting already because it's too wet there. Hoping all is going as well as possible with your parents and that you can head home soon. Hugs.
Ichty fingers & toes when the sun warms the soul is the best feeling. Hope you have a great gardening season! Ours will have to wait a few years until we can stay put in one spot for the prepping, planting & harvesting. Can't wait. Too bad that it's absolutely perfect weather this year .... oh well, parents wait for no one.
ReplyDeleteWhat gardener can resist planting when the weather is glorious! But I think it's a good idea to try and beat the weeds.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a mystery when something does well some years and poorly other years. And the more I learn about plants, the more mysterious it seems to become. Nature is gloriously complex, isn't it?
DWF - It's so true we all go through different stages of our lives and some of those periods aren't necessarily ones we would choose! And yet we do survive and continue to plan for the next stage which is often what keeps us going. Hope you have a good summer season wherever you have to be and whatever you have to do.
ReplyDeleteLeigh - You speak the truth about plants! A reader once said I was the only one she knew who could successfully grow Sweet Peas. Since then, I've not been able to do so. Did I let bad growing vibes invade some part of my green thumb? (Or my brain?) Nature is NOT under our control, which methinks is the way it's supposed to be. ;o)
I certainly didn't think I was difficult to be around early in the mornings. I did TRY to be nice. She just finally said, "Don't fight it. Have a cup and then come down when you're ready." I complied gladly.
ReplyDeleteI have always grown my onions from plants and sets. But Johnny's Seed Catalog says I can plant seeds right out in the ground until about now. So I'm trying that, too. I hate putting all my eggs into one basket!
Cheers
Tim - Smart man to not put all your eggs in one basket. I should be more like that because it seems I drop my basket more than I'd like to admit! If one would plant the seeds (right about now as is the time I plant my onion sets) would it take how much longer for the onions to mature, I wonder? With my short growing season up here in northern Minnesota, would the onions have the time to mature? Oh, so much to learn about gardening. So much one can learn and change and experiment with. But regardless, it all keeps gardening interesting! This fall you'll have to be sure to blog about your onion results, please.
ReplyDeleteWe had heavy snow this morning! Only a little accumulation then changed to rain, low 30s the next 3 nights. Crazy!
ReplyDeleteNancy - Heavy snow!? Sounds more like it might have happened here in northern Minnesota! Glad to hear it turned to rain. At least you didn't have to shovel it. Low 30s for the next three nights sounds like you may be covering any plants that are already showing on your little homestead. We really can't count on the weather, can we? :o\
ReplyDeleteSecond morning without frost here. I am so tempted, but the memory of those end of May frosts last spring are keeping me wary. Cut my first few asparagus spears yesterday, and have planted some greens, onion sets and beets. Hope those sweet peas cooperate! Happy gardening, Mama Pea!
ReplyDeleteRosalea - Seems we had the more frosty mornings and lower temps than you a few weeks ago and now the tables have turned. And yet we've not seen one little asparagus spear even poke its head out of the ground yet. We're expecting heavy rains tomorrow and tomorrow night so maybe that will encourage them to pop. Yes, late May frosts do happen in our area, too, and it wouldn't be surprising to anyone. Come June 1st we should all be feeling more confident to hit the garden hard!
ReplyDelete