May 15 Garden update

All planted but one square, and I'm deciding what to put in it.  I also have one small portable box that is empty.  Here's some pics of what I have so far, except for the planter I made that has my bush beans.  They haven't sprouted yet.  Also, I don't have a pic yet of the third grow box, because not much is showing in it yet either.  I will post pics of them when they are growing.

I'm pretty excited about getting some good fresh veggies this year.  Especially tomatoes.  I have 9 tomato plants of about 5 different varieties.  Yumm!

It got below freezing last night

It got down to 30 degrees.  I knew it was going to, so I covered my tomatoes.  I put small plastic trash cans and jugs over them and then covered them with blankets.  It seemed to work.  When I took the blankets and covers off they all seemed to be fine.  I have six tomato plants right now with plans for a couple more.

Hopefully that will be the last frost this spring.  Our normal safe day for no more frosts is May 10, which is only 8 days away.  Global Warming should at least give me a week, or what good is it?  All the worry about it ain't worth spit if you can't plant a week early.  I should have taken photos of my covering method.

We are leaving for Utah tomorrow and won't be back until next Wednesday.  I have asked Jennifer to keep my garden watered while we are gone.  I'd hate to have anything die out.  

3 more squares planted today

I planted three squares in box 2 with leaf lettuce today.  I had been growing lettuce from seed in a grow box, and it had sprouted and was growing, but it was all flopped around and stringy.  Erik told me that I needed go put it in the wind outside so it could strengthen, so I took the box outside yesterday.  I also have broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, and eggplant sprouting in the indoor box.

I took the box outside, and at the end of the day all the lettuce appears to have laid down and died.  I wonder what happened.  The peppers are ok, not sure yet about anything else.  Anyway, I took some new seed and planted lettuce directly into the garden, in three squares.  I figure when it sprouts it will already be outside so it will be ok.  Hope so anyway.

My grid layout

So far, only two of my four 4x4 raised beds has been filled.  There is something in all of them though, so progress is being made as the weather warms.  I'm taking a bit of a chance by planting tomatoes outside; the conventional wisdom is that it's safe after May 10, and it's still April.  I'm hoping, and if it's predicted to be freezing I will cover them with something to help them survive.

Hopefully I can attach the Xcel program that has the grids:

I had to take a photo of the computer screen to get the grids on the blog.  As you can probably see, Squares 1 and 3 are filled.  When I get them planted I add color to the boxes.  White means nothing planted yet, but  I've typed in what I plan to plant.

I'm learning a lot about cold weather plants, warm weather plants, and stuff like that.  I've also started to poke my nose into something called "edible landscaping."

"Nuff said."

Onions and radishes and carrots, oh my!

It was a nice afternoon, so after I got all the other stuff done that I had to do I went out and planted my onions, radishes, and carrots.  No photo because they were seeds and so all you see is dirt.  Photos when I have green things to photograph.

In a couple of weeks I can plant my tomatoes and corn and stuff.  Can't wait!

April Surprise!

If April showers bring May flowers, what does April Snow bring?  Below is a pic of what my garden looked like when I got up this morning to let Molly out to do her business.  There's seeds planted under that there snow!! 

It's supposed to keep snowing most of the day, but then clear up for a few days.  Maybe this is the last snow of the spring.  Hope so.

It's cold and rainy outside...

...and I planted two squares of beets anyway.  Maybe I will get out later and plant onions, radishes, and carrots.  My information says to plant about 3 weeks before the last spring frost, which is normally around the middle of May.  I planted them with an open square on each side for tomatoes.  I figure the tomatoes won't bother the beets, or the onions, radishes, or carrots for that matter.  The veggies that are planted one per square like tomatoes, beans, eggplant, I will space out and plant other crops in between.

It's early yet but I still have a lot of planting space left.  Can't wait to get stuff in the ground!

Congrats to Joe and Ashley on the birth of their new daughter!  I'm not sure what her name is yet, but I think it's Genevieve Ruby.  Not sure on the spelling either.  I am sure that she's a cutie though.