My Life, My Organic Garden

Since I have written the last post I have been busy, and that has taken my attention away from the garden. I guess not all blogs can be all about productivity! However, I did take string and we divided the raised beds (two, 4′ x 8′) into 1×1 foot squares. We have little screws on the outside of the box at the measurement so it’s only a matter of weaving the string on - like getting a loom ready.

I’ve planted some early riser peas, lettuce, mesculn, spinach, spring lettuce mix, and chard. The rosemary is coming back from last year, and the peas and arugula is coming up! I’ll have to thin the arugula in about 1-week I think. There is some lettuce popping up, and a little spinach sticking out of the dirt. I’m going to be patient and try succession planting in 1.5 weeks. (Plant more seeds to keep a continuous crop, and hopefully make up for where some greens don’t work out for some reason. I have a feeling some greens aren’t going to make it since it did freeze a little while back. We’ll see!

It’s amazing to just really notice everything. The buds are either opening (e.g., azaleas, daffodils…) and some buds are just swelling now (e.g., serviceberry bush, dogwoods, rose of Sharon). Some seeds were rough and tough (spinach/chard), and some were big and smooth (peas), while others were light and small (lettuce and arugula).

My next goal is to keep cleaning up the yard, spread more mulch, and try to continue to pull out the invasive plants so we can plant more without desirable plants having to compete.

Also, when I have a day off I’m going to do a fun neighborhood walk where I take pictures of landscaping features and designs that I love, dislike, and other interesting finds! Coming soon!

My struggle is to balance life to save time for gardening.

It’s good to be a gardener!

It’s mid-March and I have been dreaming of those endless summer days spent in the garden- and, this goes without saying, salivating over the prospects of fresh tomatoes, basil, beans and cilantro! A dish fit for the gods.

Gary, my neighbor, referred me to the Cook’s Garden for purchasing seeds. I appreciate that the lettuce seed mixes come by season. I’m praying this means that I won’t have to spend countless hours obsessing and researching about germination rates and temperatures; only to find my lettuce has bolted, rendering a bitter taste. O, how this spring of love resembleth.

Cast:
Lettuce Spring Mix
Pole Bean Trionfo Violetto
Mesculun Salad Fresh Cutting Mix
Pole Bean Emerite
Winter Squash Mix
Bean Filet Triumphe De Farcy
Pretty Babies Green Mix
Lettuce Fall & Winter Mix
Lettuce Summer Mix
Onion Italian Torpedo
Scallion Summer Bunching
Garden Arugula
Carrot Minicor
Chard Perpetual Spinach
Cucumber Marketmore
Melon Pulsar Hybrid
Spinach Indiana Summer Hybrid
Sunflower Snack Mix
Parsley Catalogno
…Cilantro & Dill (Need to find seeds for this)
……Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind

*Most are organic when available
**I am not yet advanced to save my own seeds
***I do not have adequate light and space to start seeds indoors so I will purchase starts from our local farmer’s market: Tomatoes, Peppers, Oregano, Rosemary, and Basil.

In Indiana there is a rule that Mother’s Day (May 11) can be considered the “last frost date”. My next steps will be to continue to prepare our raised beds and divide these with string so I may continue to practice the Square Foot Gardening Method….There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio.