I really enjoyed our garden thread last year. What are you doing now to get ready for your garden this year?
I have my seeds bought and cant wait to get to plant them inside maybe in a week or two. I saved so much money not having to go and buy plants last spring.
I also cant wait to turn over the ground.
I have a few easter flowers poking their heads up already and mom said her crocuses are blooming now.
Gardens, YES! I have a square foot garden that goes all year round. This year I am trying some winter tomatoes -- they are the kind they grow in Alaska in the summer, they can handle short days and chilly nights and are doing OK, not as prolific or tasty as summer tomatoes but waaaay better than store bought!
I also have green onions, cilantro and parsley right now -- just planted carrot and radish seeds.
Oh me, me me, can I join in.
I need to order and start my seedlings indoors... plan on doing that sometime next week. I love having a garden. To look out and see Mother Nature's Beauty for free everyday. MY absolute faves are tulips and Bleeding Hearts... I also have a few herbs and a huge thing of mint. It smells so nice. It is nearby the stairs, so if you brush it as you come up them you smell it. So yummy and pleasent. As for the veggies I am hoping to find a way to keep the rabbits from attacking and consuming all my veggies this year. Last year they ate a good chunk of my harvest. Poor kiddos were so sad to come out one day and see most of the veggies gone, or nibbled upon. We always do tomatoes, cukes, peppers and carrots, hoping to add sugar snap peas this year and a few others... perhaps squash? Not sure yet. Still deciding on a Rabbit Stay Away deterent.
I've got about 100 daylily seedlings growing in my grow light room downstairs at the moment. I also started some Wave Petunias about a week ago, plan on taking cuttings once they grow.
The days are getting longer and longer, can't wait to get at her outdoors!
Gardens, YES! I have a square foot garden that goes all year round. This year I am trying some winter tomatoes -- they are the kind they grow in Alaska in the summer, they can handle short days and chilly nights and are doing OK, not as prolific or tasty as summer tomatoes but waaaay better than store bought!
I also have green onions, cilantro and parsley right now -- just planted carrot and radish seeds.
Here is my kitchen garden on Feb 1.
Oh wow, that is just awesome that you can grow all year around, I'm jealous!
I'm going to try growing stuff this year! Just flowers though. I usually plant things and then forget about them, which is why they die on me a lot lol. I couldn't even grow one of those, messages on a bean thingies. But I bought some pansies because they're my favorite flower, and some bear sunflowers or something haha, they're cute. My mom bought me a small tomato plant to try growing. I can't wait to start my graden! I'm hoping they'll all bloom and be pretty <3.
I have clay-ish soil and and getting my tomato patch ready which means digging in lots of compost....which is really good exercise actually, soil amending!
K8-I just saw a program on square foot gardening and am checking it out. I thought it was set up above ground so you wouldn't have to worry about amending since you mix equal parts compost, soil and perlite, but IDK.
Peary-You might want to check with your local extension office to see about growing animal deterrents in your garden. A friend of mine back home grows marigolds in her garden to keep pests away and had told me she used to grow other plants in her garden to keep animals out when she had lived where they were a problem.
I'd like to grow a garden, but everything is up in the air due to my job. I'd hate to get started and then have it all fall apart like happened last year due to shift work and too much overtime. If I do get to, I'm gonna do a 3 Sister's Garden using the square foot plan. We have a lot of clay too. It was a PITA digging post holes for my fence with a powered post hole digger. I'm not even willing to try to work this soil here. Thanks, but, I get enough of a work out at work.
Last edited by Operator265; 02-13-2009 at 01:13 AM.
We have turned cold again here in KY. I brought in my tulips and piled leaves up around my easter flowers whos heads were poking thru the ground. Hopefully spring wont be long in coming.
I am going to reclaim my balcony this year! Too many bicycles. And kids sports gear! I want some produce! I did manage to get my orchids to bloom again. But that is indoor and off topic! But I am proud that I did it!
Peary-You might want to check with your local extension office to see about growing animal deterrents in your garden. A friend of mine back home grows marigolds in her garden to keep pests away and had told me she used to grow other plants in her garden to keep animals out when she had lived where they were a problem.
Oh, I didn't think of doing that, thanks Operator. Greatly appreciated tip.
they are the kind they grow in Alaska in the summer, they can handle short days and chilly nights
Ummm, in Alaska there are 19 hours of daylight in the summer! Though I will admit that the nights are cool, and would be described as downright cold to someone who lives in LA. I am jealous you can grow things all year, though.
DH has been planning our garden layout for this year, and ordering seeds. We'll start seeds in mid-March, but nothing outside til Memorial Day. Even if it seems warm enough earlier, we always seem to get a cold spell and things just sit without growing.
Operator....yes you are correct about he Sq Ft garden, it is a raised bed and filled with a mix of stuff from the garden store, but I have traditional garden beds as well and they are the ones that I have to amend every spring, they tend to revert to clay.
The sq ft garden is BY FAR BY FAR BY FAR the easiest part of my yards!!
And you have to do some digging and amending UNDER the perlite and stuff when you set up for drainage.
But once done, I just dig in organic food every time I change something out. Voila! So easy!
We had an ice storm on jan 26-28 and just heard we have another one coming our way based on the old farmers almunac. I sure hope they miss it this time!! Its the weekend of my daughters wedding!! Yikes!!!
do you go by the almunac for planting your gardens?? I know my grandfather used it for everything!!
gardens?
If I do get to, I'm gonna do a 3 Sister's Garden using the square foot plan. We have a lot of clay too. It was a PITA digging post holes for my fence with a powered post hole digger. I'm not even willing to try to work this soil here.
Thanks, but, I get enough of a work out at work.
I am jealous you can grow things all year, though. 