Around the Garden

I've been working hard at getting the garden done. It was originally going to be 50x150' but the grass just is making it impossible, so I've reduced it to 100x50'. Some of what I wanted to plant were going to go out to the larger, unfenced field, like the corn and possibly some of the squashes so reducing the plot isn't such a big deal.

Here are the tomatoes. I'll be adding in some basil and carrots around them as soon as I can.

The cucumbers I planted two Sunday's ago have already sprouted. I'm looking forward to pickling this year for the first time.

The broccoli isn't doing as well as I'd hoped. A frost and the delay in getting the garden done prevented me from planting them in the ground and they suffered for it.

I'm hoping the 12 peppers I planted do well. I picked up some sproutlings from a local nursery to go along with the six that made it out of the seeds I started. They look pretty healthy and I have some interesting heirloom varieties I can't wait to try. Again, this is another for the canning squad. I'm hoping to get a good supply of sundried tomatoes and sauce out of these plants.

And another part of the garden that isn't doing as well as I'd hoped -the lettuce bed. Again, the delay in gardening to plant the sprouts and a frost I didn't expect stunted much. Those two large ones are arugula I grew from seeds last year that was still growing when we moved. I yanked it up about 4 weeks ago, threw them in a grocery bag and hauled them 150 miles North and they're doing just fine in the new garden. Since they're so hearty I let them go to seed hoping I can save some for future planting.

Other than that, I have about 180 seeds I'm waiting to emerge from some flats on the porch. I'm hoping to make a couple more cold frames this weekend to transfer them to. I ordered Precision Products GS2005 5-Pound Capacity Garden Seeder off Amazon last week and hope it will arrive this week so I can start the sunflowers, quinoa, amaranth and corn in the West Field. I won't be able to do the burn like the neighbor suggested so I'm just going to plant in the 2 large swaths he made for a fire break.

Much, much more to come!