Right now it is 36 degrees out and we are expecting snow of all things over the next couple days! Seems like a good time to sit in a warm house and post some updates.
At this point there are 3 things physically in the garden: peas, garlic and lettuce. The garlic was planted last September and is doing extremely well. The peas have not germinated yet. The lettuce has just started to come up and we will have photos of all in a few days. This is our first attempt at all three crops so we will surely have much more to share in the weeks to come.
Tucked away in the corner of the basement resides four flats of vegetable transplants we started about a week ago. Varieties include Marigolds, 4 different tomatoes, 2 eggplants and 3 peppers. These are the heat-loving plants that need a bit of a head start — the rest of the garden will be direct-sown on May 15 or so.
Growing our own transplants from seed is one of the most rewarding experiences of our gardening season. We get to witness the miracle of life — seeing a tiny dormant seed sprout up and grow and eventually produce fruit and seeds that will start the cycle again next year. Perhaps we are strange, but we get very excited when the first sprouts push their way through the soil.
Outside there are several projects on the drawing board. We will probably frame in the beds with boards and level them off with the rest of the soil from last year. At the same time we will build a couple new beds and do something with the walkways. We have a couple new ideas for tomato supports. We also want to grow gourds and melons outside the garden on a spiffy new trellis system we are developing.
On top of that we have already seen two groundhogs sniffing around the area and this morning we caught a racoon behind the shed. Rabbits are out in force too on the back of the property. Keeping these larger pests out of the garden is a top priority due to the massive damage they can cause in a short time.
Speaking of pests — we have a rotation plan in place to help eliminate issues this season. We are also committed to being pesticide and herbicide-free to protect our health and the health of the environment.
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