And So It Begins … And Ends (Kinda)

So the garden was planted over the May Long Weekend.  It was the third year in a row we were out planting the garden as the chuckwagon trucks rolled by.

This year instead of rushing to get everything planted we took our time and spread the planting over two days.   I still have my seedlings to transplant and now that the fence is up they should be in the ground tomorrow.

I think we went a little crazy with what we planted, it everything grows well we could have an over abundance of fresh vegetables – nothing to complain about that’s for sure!!

This is what we planted:

                                  Sunflowers (45 ft)

                                  Potatoes – Yukon Gold & Norland (approximately 60 of each)

                                  Peas – Green Arrow (50 ft)

                                  Peas – Sugar Sprint (15 ft)

                                  Soy Bean – Beer Friend (5 ft)

                                  Spinach – Tyee (36 ft)

                                  Beets – Detroit Red (36 ft)

                                  Beets – Touchstone Golden (18 ft)

                                  Beets – Chioggia (Candy Cane) (18 ft)

                                  Beans – Yellow, Gold Rush (72 ft)

                                  Swiss Chard – Silverado (36 ft)

                                  Carrots – Bolero (72 ft)

                                  Turnip – Purple Prince & Laurentian (18 ft of each)

                                  Onions – White, Yellow, Red (10 ft of each)

                                  Green Onions (5 ft)

                                  Shallots (5 ft)

                                  Dill (10 ft)

                                  Garlic (10 ft)

                                  Squash – Small Wonder (Spaghetti), Papaya Pear (2 plants of each)

                                  Zucchini – Golden Dawn III (2 plants)

                                  Zucchini – Elegance (6 plants)

Still to transplant: tomatoes (18), celery (6), broccoli (6), cauliflower (4), cabbage (2)

Goodness that seems like a lot… did I mention my garden is bigger than some people’s houses – it’s approximately 1800 square feet!!!

Similar to last year, the day after we were done planting we received two days of heavy rain followed by a thunder storm on the third day.  The rain was the first in a long time and it allowed us to get about 1400 L of water in storage; which was a good thing because its been so hot and dry the past few days we’ve already been watering.

On Sunday we noticed the turnips (purple prince), spinach and potatoes were starting to make an appearance.  Today we notice a single pea (green arrow) and bean and that almost the entire row of beets (detroit red) are also gracing us with their presence.  We’re supposed to get some lite rain over night so hopefully that will give everything else a little boost!

So that being said, the beginning of garden season has started; and I think the end of blogging is near. Last year I enjoyed blogging about my garden but by the end of the season it started to feel like something I was obligated to do.  Anyone who has a blog can truly understand how time consuming it can be and right now I would rather spend my time doing other things.  From time to time if I stumble across something interesting that I feel the need to share I will but the multiple postings per week will stop…. And who knows, maybe I’ll change my mind later!

So thank you to everything who followed my blog, keep in touch and Happy Gardening!!

I'm Still Here!!!

A few weeks ago marked the beginning of summer for me – it was the first time since last year that I did something outside, and it was wonderful.  To be out of house and doing something outside instead of being a lump on the couch felt refreshing and exhilarating.

I tackled one of the flower beds removing last years plants and pulled a few weeds – yes, there are weeds already.  As I cleared the dead plants I was reminded why I love perennials.  Hiding amongst the dead leaves and stems were numerous little buds pushing through the earth; and now, two weeks later they are flourishing.  I love my perennials because they never let me down, every year they reappear and make things oh so easy for me.

I must admit, I haven’t really given this year’s garden much thought yet.  We always seem to be busy with something and have had a few things comes up that required our full attention so garden planning, and blogging, have taken the back seat.

One thing I did do over the winter was stumble across a wonderful garden book.  It’s called “NO GUFF VEGETABLE GARDENING” and is a book I would recommend to any gardener.  It’s a fun book that is easy to read and is full of useful ideas and suggestions.

I’m still having a hard time believing it’s a week into May already.  Over the weekend I actually took the time to try and plan the garden layout.  In previous years I would have done this several times already.

Over the weekend the temperature was in the high teens and it was tempting to start planting but I know it’s too early.  On the long weekend we’ll tackle the garden and start planting – I’m starting to get excited.  And I promise once the seeds are in the ground you’ll be hearing more from me.