Happy Valentines Day! Sorry, I don’t have a lovey-dovey mushy-gushy post for today. I’m showing a little love for our garden instead. I feel slightly guilty telling you all about the gardening and warm weather we have going on when half of you are probably buried under snow or freezing your butts off, but it’s what’s happening around here right now, so bear with me. Just think: come April, we’ll be sweating already and looking forward to face melting temps in the following months while you are enjoying beautiful spring weather. There, feel better now?
I found my gardening motivation last weekend with the warm weather, and then I ran out of daylight. I managed to get the transplants in, roses pruned (more on that next week!) and dead/diseased stuff ripped out. We had a major infestation of whiteflies and/or aphids, to the point where it completely overwhelmed the poor artichoke plant and left a puddle of sticky goo around it. I was sad to rip it out, but at the same time, I know that wasn’t the best place for an artichoke plant anyway. I also had to say my goodbyes to the eggplant planted nearby. That’s what I get for ignoring the garden for so long, right?
Here’s what I planted (and where):
Four different tomato plants: “Champion” and “Better Boy” in the garden bed, “Large Red Cherry” and “Juliet Grape” in pots, afternoon sun
“Pasilia Bajio” pepper plant: large pot, morning sun
Two types of strawberries: “Sequoia Junebearing” and “Quinalt Fragaria Everbearing” both in pots and in the garden bed
“Beggarten” Sage: large pot with tomato, afternoon sun
Thyme (garden bed)
Onion sets: “Yellow Rock” and “Red Wethersfield” varieties, garden bed
*The pots will be moved around once the heat sets in!
“yolo wonder” sweet pepper, strawberry and tomato plants-the garden looks so bare right now!
“champion” tomato transplant
“quinalt fragaria” strawberry transplant
“pasilia bajio” pepper and “quinalt” strawberry transplants
cilantro and tomato
sage and tomato
our springtime front porch-aren’t those pots so cute?!
hanging baskets have snapdragons and marigolds
This weekend, I’ll be planting seed of (don’t know where they are all going yet, but we’ll make room!):
Green onion: Bunching White Lisbon
Snap pea: Cascadia
Cauliflower: Chef’s Choice Blend
Spinach: Bordeaux
Lavendar: Hidcote Dwarf
Corn: Sweet Painted Hill
Cucumber: Persian Baby Hybrid
Dill:Tetra
Sunflower: Elves Blend
Hollyhock: Summer Carnival Mix
Marigold: Brocade Mix
Snapdragon: Dwarf Magic Carpet
Sunflower: Red Sun
Water-wise wildflower seed mix
So, here’s the thing: I spent $140 at the nursery. I did get a lot of stuff, and splurged on some cute pots I have been eyeballing that finally went on clearance for 75% off, a new sprayer thing-a-ma-deal for the hose, a 20 quart bag of potting soil, 8 quart bag of pumice, fish emulsion and coco-liner for our hanging baskets. BTW, flippin’ love my new hose deal, it has all sorts of settings, including “rain,” “arc,” and my most favorite: “mist.” Seriously, best $13.99 I have spent is a long time! Oh, and it’s purple. O.M.G. Anyway, that’s a lot of green for, well, green. But I went to the grocery store right after the nursery and spent almost $70 on produce and a few other items that will last maybe a week and a half, so I’m thinking, $140 is either going to be a really smart investment for the next few months of food or a really expensive hobby cost. We’ll find out together!
this is what $140 at the nursery will buy you
This season’s garden goal is to keep everything alive until the seed stage, so I don’t have to keep shlubbing back to the nursery every season! Wish me luck, cross your fingers and do a rain dance for me, ok? In the meantime, check out my latest harvest:
Hope you are all staying toasty and getting your garden plans together, because warmer weather will be here before you know it!
P.S. For last year’s spring garden, click here, here, or here.
