Early spring stuff...

Wow, it's been a busy week in the garden! Many of my squash, gourd, and melon starts outgrew their pods, so this week I have been busy transplanting. I didn't expect that many of them to turn out, so I've been farming a bunch of them out to friends, because my basement is starting to look like a scene from "Where the Wild Things Are."

Last week I planted peas from seed, and this week, I am trying an experiment. I bought pea starts from the nursery, so I'm going to see how the starts compare with the plants from seed. I also transplanted my spinach, and planted some onions today. It's been around 50 degrees all week, so it's good planting weather for the cold plants.

Yesterday, I tilled our garden and raked it again...it has about a 6-10" base, so I'm hoping that will be deep enough. I only hit the sprinklers 3 times :( I love my tiller, though, can I just say that. I tell everyone, so you've probably already heard this story, but about 4 years ago, I found it on ksl.com for $25...in Preston, Idaho :) So I packed up my then 3 children and we drove 2 hours and hauled home my beautiful yellow tiller. It's probably older than me, but I love it so so so much. If I don't get to play in the dirt in heaven, I am going to be very upset.

I also planted my asparagus!!! I had to dig a 6" trench, put the roots in, and bury it with 3" of dirt. As it emerges from the soil, you are supposed to bury it a bit more, until by the end of the summer, you have filled in the 6" trench.

It doesn't look like my garden boxes are going to happen this year...we had to buy a washer and dryer instead...grrr. So I'm hoping since I tilled so deep that the beds will still turn out okay. Once we get our taxes, I am going to Lowes to buy my trellis stuff. I already bought the stakes, so I'm excited to get going on this.

We are also getting ready to sod the yard which is no small task considering our yard looks like an overgrown Eden. But I'm excited to have a place for my kids to play...finally.

Tidbits I Learned Today From The J&L Nursery Lady

• Today at J&L, I asked if there was a particular brand of seeds that was more aclimated for where we live than another, and she told me that pretty much all of the seeds come from the same place in Mexico, and they hand pick the varieties that do well here, so if they carry it, it will work for here. Makes sense :)
• I am going to try asparagus, which takes a couple of years to be able to get a crop from it, but the time to plant is between March 1-15, which is when the starts come into J&L, so that's my plan. She also said to always start that from a seedling, and not seed (or bulb or whatever it is). I guess it can be pretty temperamental.
• I was going to also try broccoli and cauliflower, but since we have such a huge snail problem, I may wait until next year when we have that more under control. She said if I was going to do plant those, I would plant that also around the first part of March.
• She said any time in the next 3 weeks is the time to plant peas, she's planting hers this weekend!
• Carrots and spinach are also good ones to plant here pretty quickly.
• I talked corn with her. She told me that you have to plant a minimum of 5 rows (18 inches apart) of corn of each species to have them pollinate right (otherwise you end up with that inbred-backwoods looking stuff). If you do more than one variety, they have to be 40 feet apart. They are supposed to be in full sun. In this yard, that could be a problem. We shouldn't plant that until closer to mother's day.
• Also, I am trying to start seeds in my basement under our plant light. She said the two biggest things that make seeds not turn out are having the light more than 12 inches above the plant, and overwatering. She suggested using a spray bottle every day. Any more water than that will rot the seeds. Here is what I planted:

Cucumbers (I usually do these first 3 from plants, so we'll see what happens)

Watermelon

Cantelope

Hubbard Squash - freezes good for pies and baby food

Butternut Squash - awesome for cooking, soups, baby food, etc.

Spinach (this is an experiment...it recommends planting this straight outside...I just want to compare the two)

Birdhouse Gourds (these are sooooo cute! I can't wait)

Gourds (I love to decorate in the fall with these)

Baby's Breath - perennial

Petunias - annual

Impatiens - annual

and...Lupine - perennial