How did April pass by so quickly? Just checked my Goals & Accomplishments for this year and looks like I accomplished little in April! 🙁
There are several quilts that were almost finished but still lack binding. I think I can pretty easily finish 4 quilts in May . . if I just do it and stop starting new ones. Slim chance of that happening, huh?
In 2010 I’ve finished 1 pair of socks. I’ve bought enough yarn for . . well, let’s not think about numbers. Except for once, I didn’t buy any yarn in April.
My biggest accomplishment in April: Both gardens are planted!
And, for three days now, no deer or rabbits have gotten in. If all the tomatoes that we planted live and produce, I’ll never have to plant tomatoes again. I do not know what we were thinking when we kept buying tomato plants. We also planted green bell peppers, red and yellow bell peppers, red chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, sweet banana peppers, ancho peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, carrots and beets in the bigger garden. I still have to plant okra, purple hull peas and cream peas when the ground gets warmer but actually . . the garden is full. Not sure what we’re going to do about that.
In the kitchen garden up by the house, I have cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, green onions, kohlrabi, parsley, cilantro, lots of basil, rosemary, oregano, fennel, argula. Maybe something else but that’s all I can remember.
I’ve already pinched a few basil leaves for adding to salads and sandwiches and sauces and I’ve been snipping outer leaves of the lettuce plants for sandwiches.
We added more straw to the potatoes on Thursday and either Friday’s rain mashed down all the straw or the potatoes grew an extreme amount overnight so I had to add more straw Friday evening.
Here’s how we’re keeping critters out of the potato coffins:
Some of the boards Vince pulled off the boxes had tons of nails in them so I grabbed those to protect my potatoes. So far, so good!
Except for keeping the weeds under control, I shouldn’t have much to do in the garden in May so I hope to get lots of quilting done.
Pat says
I can’t wait for photos of your gardens in another month or so….AND when those nice, red tomatoes are on the plants. YUMMMMMM….
pdudgeon says
did you do a soil analysis yet? if not, check with your local seed and feed store and see if they know where the county agricultural agent is located. His office can tell you how and where to get a soil analysis done. and it’s best to use hay, not bedding straw (the one with all the weed seeds) when mulching your gardens.
Judy Laquidara says
Don’t forget I’m married to an engineer. Everything around here gets tested and analyzed til I can’t take it any longer. Not mulching with straw — simply growing potatoes in the straw. It will br fine for them.
Regina says
Looks wonderful! We are a long ways behind you climate wise (NY) but my seedlings are on the windowsill just waiting to go out and GROW!!! Can’t wait to see how your potato coffins do!
Vicky says
“Coffins” cracked me up big time this morning! So when should I plan my visit to get fresh tomatoes? Everything looks wonderful!
Diana W. says
I am extremly jealous of your garden. We have NO sun here. We keep trying every year to have a garden and it is miserable. We get a few tomatoes and peppers to grow but not much. Your garden looks wonderful. You will be busy this year canning tomatoes. I make salsa and can it every year, oh and pepper jelly! That sweet hot jelly everyone LOVES!
katieQ says
The boards on top of your tomato coffins look like the fence around a prison. I bet that will keep critters away.
patti says
not being a potato grower, i have a question. is there anything other than straw in there? did it start with dirt down low, and are you using the straw to cover it for warmth or because it needs to grow underground? and then do you “harvest” them all at once by getting rid of the straw?
this is intriguing to me because i leave near idaho (potato growing weather) and our season is so short that we usually just concentrate on tomatoes — early girls. if we could do potatoes in boxes i might just give it a go. do they taste tremendously different from those you can buy in the store? that’s another reason we do tomatoes, you just can’t get the same flavor from the store.
thanx for the great blog with all of the different subjects.
Denise says
Oh no, the yarn shops must be in dire straights since I haven’t bought any for the past couple of months! LOL
Rebecca says
I’m glad I’ve eaten lunch already! Your kitchen garden still has me drooling, anyway.
With all those peppers, I thought of “themed” gardens (ones made to interest kids). I’ve heard of pizza gardens, salad gardens, and I think you have a salsa garden!
I love that you’re growing “home” vegetables that you certainly can’t get in soCal…maybe not MO, either.
Carol says
You have an impressive selection. We’ve learned not to over do the tomato and bean plants. Someone take them please! We usually grow sweet potatoes. I wonder if they’ll grow in straw – a lot easier to harvest. I grew okra once (pretty plant with red stems). How do you handle the slime?
Bonnie W. says
I’m alongside Patti – I want to know all about your potato growing. I haven’t had a garden since I “left home” 39 yrs ago! though I seem to recal that with potato plants, if you keep heaping soil up on the plant, it’ll keep growing & producing tators. Did you buy seed potatoes or use some old ones from the store that grew eyes?