Working in the Garden

Once the gardening season starts, there is always more work to be done. It is a never ending activity until the frosts of late fall bring it to an end sometime in November…maybe. When I read other blogs and some of the comments, it’s hard for me to imagine still having snow on the ground and having to wait until June to plant. By the middle of February, I am ready to play in the dirt and get things going. Here is a run down on our latest activities.

Earlier in the week we planted more onions, then we got the last of them in today.

Even though the carrots are not growing as good as they did last year, we went ahead and planted them by the peas as well. Even though the peas are growing, we feel they should be doing more than they are. We will see.

The potatoes are coming up and look great.

The beets are growing and look pretty good.

This afternoon we got out the pots we had made and filled all 220 of them. Here is a list of the seeds we planted. Some of these varieties we have tried before and some we have not.

• Romano Italian green beans (very good pole beans)
• Dr. Jaeger’s Cantaloupe (new variety)
• Early Cluster Cucumbers (new variety)
• Swiss Chard Fordhook Giant (new variety)
• Oakleaf Lettuce (new variety)
• Summertime Lettuce (new variety)
• Tendercrisp Celery
• Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach (new variety)
• Earliana Cabbage
• Early Jersy Wakefield Cabbage (new variety)
• Premium Crop Hybrid Broccoli (the only hybrid we grow)
• Early Golden Yellow Crookneck Squash
• Large Smooth Prague Celeriac (new variety)
• Red Russian Kale

The tomato and pepper seedlings are doing very well. We will begin to harden them off out on the porch after the cool nights expected this week pass. Then we will plant them in the garden in a few weeks after it warms up a little more.

Even though April 1st is our last average frost, we are still having some cool nights. Once these seedlings are up and hardened off, our gardening season will be in full swing. It’s a very busy time of year, but one of our favorites. We will still be trying to tuck in some projects in between all of the regular chores that come with everyday life at our homestead. Life is good.

Until next time – Fern