Spring Garden

I'm on spring break and it's cold.  It's been in the 30s the past few days.  Feels more like winter break.  

Over the weekend I started to clean out the garden and amend the soil.  I even got a bunch of spring seeds planted like peas, lettuce, radishes and kale.  It felt good to get out and get the garden going.

Garden Work Has Begun!

Today the weather was warm enough that I was able to get outside and do some work.  Work that was LONG over due!  It was a rush to get things done since we're going to be gone over the Easter weekend and when we return it should be raining.  Here are the garden beds at the beginning of the day after a long winter without any work.

This is what I accomplished today:

*clean the straw and leaves off the beds

*pull plants that finally gave out over the winter and harvest any left over roots.

*prune back perennial herbs.

*amend beds that were going to receive seeds.

*turn over/loosen soil in the in-ground bed.

*Finally created draft garden plans so I could figure out where to plant some of my seeds.

*planted the following seeds: peas, kale, lettuces, carrots, and radishes.

Here are what the beds look like now:

Not perfect, but immensely better.

I still need to:

*amend remaining beds.

*plant spinach and chard

*finalize garden plans for summer plant placement.

Seeing the garlic growing without the straw and the pea tepee supports in place make it really feel like the gardening season has begun.

Spring Break?

I am on Spring Break this week.  Although it should be called Winter Break #2.

This is what is looked like this time last year.

This is what this week has looked like.

We got this snow on Monday and it hung around until Tuesday.  The snow has melted over the past couple of days and the temperature today is getting up to the low 50s.  I am hoping that the soil won't be too soggy and I can actually get some things planted!  I am more than ready for winter to finally let go.

Spring?

Yesterday we only reached a high of 38 degrees. A week ago I thought spring was arriving.  I was wrong.  

It's been too cold and wet to get any seeds in the ground.  I am hoping to get some in next week!

Signs of Spring

The garlic is coming in through the straw and the chives have already started new growth.

Spring Is In The Air

This is what the garden looked like on Wednesday when we had a snow day.

Seeing this gal collecting pollen as I walked around without a coat today put a smile on my face that Spring has arrived.

Spring Seedlings

Everything is beginning to emerge.

Lettuces

Radishes

Carrots

Sugar Snap Peas

Happy Spring!

Today is the first official day of Spring!  In celebration I have cleaned the winter branches out of all the planters and boxes and replaced them with pansies.  I am definitely ready for colorful flowers again.

It might be the first day of Spring but it has been looking like Spring for awhile.  Even all of the trees are in bloom 3-4 weeks earlier than usual.  Here are the ones at our house:

Planted

I was able to get most of my spring seeds in by my March 17th deadline.  Last year I didn't get my lettuce, carrots, radishes, parsnips and such into the ground until April 14th due to building the beds and the constant monsoon we had last year.  I am hoping that getting the seeds in significantly earlier will result in better yields.  Although the summer like weather we are having might mean we have a really short spring meaning I am late yet again.

Today I planted the following items: astro arugula, high mowing mesculun mix, buttercrunch, green star lettuce, lettony lettuce, rouge d'hiver, baby romaine, antago lettuce, nevada lettuce, cosmic purple carrots, red cored chantenay carrots, french breakfast radishes, cherry belle radishes, purple plum radishes, hollow crown parsnips, lancer parsnips, rainbow swiss chard, sugar snap peas, cilantro, and bouquet dill.

I still need to plant spinach, but I am trying to chit them first.  I also have an assortment of heat tolerant lettuces that I will get in next week and a second planting of radishes and carrots.

Spring?

All last week it was in the 70s.  Soon we will have some 80 degree weather.  It feels more like summer than spring.  Thankfully it is going to cool back down a bit.  I am hoping to have some great spring crops and I would like the seasonable weather to hang around awhile and help me out.

Spring Cleaning

I was busy in the garden over the weekend.  I cleaned out all of my overwintered plants, pruned up the herbs that needed it and worked on amending the soil.  Our in ground garden is high in clay and I have had poor luck growing root veggies so I decided to try adding sand to break it up.  I wasn't really sure how much to add so I added about 75 pounds.  In the raised beds I added 25 pounds, the soil in those beds was bought and doesn't need much work.

I also had a delivery of composted horse manure/bedding mixed with a bit of topsoil.  The mix is 75/25%.  I used the mix to top off all of my raised beds.  I made the mistake of not covering them over the winter and they lost at least one third of their contents.  I also spread a few inches on the in ground garden.

Before Spring Cleaning

After Spring Cleaning

In Bloom

Everything around here is in bloom, the temperature is higher, and it finally feels and looks like Spring!

Our ornamental tree in the back.

The neighbor's Magnolia that hangs over our garden.  This is the only time of year I like this tree when it looks so pretty. 

Our large Bradford Pear tree and the tulips that look like tiny yellow dots in front of the porch.

Happy Spring

As of today Spring has officially sprung!  I am excited and looking forward to warmer weather and the world reawakening.  Our indoor tulips are blooming and a welcome reminder that Spring is here!

Signs of Spring

It is March 1st and Spring is right around the corner.  With the unseasonably warm weather the bulbs are starting to come up!

Crocuses

Daffodils peek out 

Tulips breaking through.  I will be interested to see how well they fare since this will be their second season.  Normally tulips do their best year in their first year.