the season’s first patio dinner
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A lovely warm spring night was perfect for patio dining. Our first “dinner out” of the season. No fresh garden veggies, yet that will come. my back patio
plot beds
I did a bit of work today on my new beds. I want them to be fairly straight and level and have been working on this. The photos help me to see where the unevenness is. I’ve decided to bring some dirt in to fill them. I made a stone step today in the sloped area on the north west side of the plot. Skippy posed next to it.
sunning seedlings
Today was one of those reasons I put up with the long winter. A clear blue sky and the beauty of the earth waking up. It was over 50F between 12 noon and 6 pm, so ALL my seedlings got to sunbathe. 50F is my minimum temp for mid-range vegetables: tomatoes, basil, marigolds, etc. For cold-weather vegetables like onions, cabbage, lettuce etc., 40F is fine. Hot weather seedlings need 60-65F. Eggplants and peppers are hot weather veggies, but today was so lovely I put these out too. I have seven…
a bluebird is here!
Last year the bluebirds arrived at Rock Meadow by April 10. On this date several were here. I’ve been watching for them this year and finally one is here. I think this year is running about a week later than last year for blossoms, birds and weather.
well I did get some peas planted …
… but not the others yet (favas, potatoes and onions). I have a lot of business taking precedence… My priorities are all messed up. The others need to go in soon. But at least the peas have been planted. I used branches this year to support my peas. I’ve read that the supports should go in when you plant the peas and not later. And I’ve heard that well branched trees like fruit trees make good pea supports. I used pruned branches from my crab apple tree. I ran out…
finally planting in the garden today
Enough with the dog poetry – I’m finally planting today! Peas, favas and a row of potatoes will go in. Beautiful sunshine and sort of warm. Photos later.
a happy Easter with freshly dug potatoes
The over wintered potatoes I dug on Good Friday were grilled to perfection today (with onions) by the head griller here (my spouse). Really nice with spring lamb, broccoli and asparagus, spinach salad and dyed eggs. We were joined by my parents and had a good time together. I had a big surprise on awakening – kind of like Christmas – the Easter bunny left a couple gifts for me right in the middle of the dining room: a big red wheel barrow, a new rake and a garden shovel!…
Good Friday for planting potatoes
Good Friday is a traditional day for planting potatoes. I didn’t get mine in today, but I did dig up about 2 pounds of nice little potatoes that I missed last fall. They’ll be good roasted with my Easter lamb. A little rosemary, a little garlic, ahh….. And I measured my potato patch today: 11 by 3 ft. I noticed that some of the potatoes I dug had started to sprout a little already, so looks like it is time to plant. Hopefully I’ll get mine in next week –…
planning for my asparagus shipment
I ordered 25 units of Jersey Supreme asparagus back in the depths of winter. They should be here any day now, so I checked on the planting instructions. Here is what Johnny’s recommends: CULTURE: Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that can thrive for 15 years or more. It likes a sunny or only partially shaded spot richly fertilized with compost or aged manure and limed to a pH of 7.0 or higher. Space plants or crowns 8″ apart for slender spears to 14″ apart for thick spears in a trench…
This is a journal of my vegetable gardens. Skippy thinks the garden is his, even though I do all the work. We're located near Boston, in USDA zone 6. I have bees, chickens, fruit trees and berry bushes, too. I use all sustainable organic methods and strive to grow all of my family's vegetables myself. -Kathy
weeks and counting until my last spring frost
My garden this week
Skippy’s vegetable of the month – Egyptian walking onions!
