Garden Diagram: The Plan

plotting everything out in a diagram helped make better use of my limited space.

Planting Day Three

i was excited to find artichoke starts at the nursery the other day. i had previously purchased seeds and had planned to start them indoors, but this was a huge time saver. i decided to plant 2 starts, not sure how much each will yield.

the rain held off long enough to also get the watermelon and crenshaw melon seeds planted. the soil is pretty soaked, so will most likely have to wait a day or two for planting the pole beans, onions, carrots and beets.

i read online that growing ginger was easy, so i decided to give it a try. i started by soaking the rhizomes in warm water overnight, then potting them in a bit of rich soil. they're sitting in a sunny window for a week or two until they sprout, then will be transplanted to the main garden.

Planting Day Two

tomatoes, spinach and lima beans got their starts today. i was a bit of a dough-head when transferring the tomatoes to their upside-down buckets and tried shoving the root ball through the hole instead of the soft bendible leaves. duh. i was able to get 3 of my 5 plants in the buckets today. need to pick up more potting soil and 2 more hooks for them to hang on. i'm also thinking about planting some small cascading flowers in the buckets tops...maybe nasturtiums.

natalie and i also carved out a small area on the side garden for her own veggie patch...she chose spinach, butterhead lettuce, carrots and lima beans for growing. she loves all veggies so it was tough for her to choose just four to plant. the Easter Bunny gifted her a nice gardening kit and she's putting it to good use.

This Year's Herb Garden

the herb garden is located at the front of the house...started 3 weeks ago. basil, parsley and marjoram have all been slow to sprout, but cilantro has really taken off. sage, chives, oregano and thyme are all thriving...these were newly planted last season and are now well-established.

this season's bed includes rosemary, chamomile, arugula, dill, flat leaf parsley, 2 types of oregano, strawberries, ginger mint, sage, chives, thyme, basil, purple basil, lavender, marjoram and tarragon.

Planting Day One

i've been a hobby gardener for many years, but this year i'm truly making the most of my small garden plot. i'm trying new plantings this year like artichokes, garlic, watermelon, snow peas, new potatoes, and crenshaw melon. this blog will hopefully serve as a personal journal where i can document planting dates, experiments, successes and failures, and will help with my future growing seasons.

the past week was spent turning the soil, de-weeding and adding compost. the tomato arbor is new this year...this is my first year for attempting the tomatoes upside down. i'm anxious to experience a growing season without pesky slugs attacking them.

today marked great progress: snow peas, green & red bells, jalepenos, chili peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, garlic, summer crisp lettuce, and butterhead lettuce were all planted. plenty of refreshments kept us going.

weather cooperated pretty well for us...the threat of rain loomed, but never delivered. the kids all joined in the plantings today...a great opportunity to put the hard sell on benefits of eating lots of veggies.