Garden Tour

April showers have brought May flowers…and the vegetables are following suit.   A momentous day arrives each spring when we can officially “plant the garden”.  Leaving our fears of frost behind, we set out with tools, seeds, and transplants to organize the mulch-covered plot into rows and blocks.  Unlike the cold frame that has been steamily growing cool-season crops for weeks, the garden has been home only to the garlic, asparagus, potatoes, brassica transplants, and pea shoots.  All that changed on Monday.  A handful of the family members bent and stretched, dug and watered, sweat and ached. But it was worth it!

Before the weeds awoke in early spring, the entire plot was covered in a thick layer of mulch.  Weed suppression was its first purpose.  Now, it will protect our young seedlings from too much wind.  Later in the heat of the summer, it will keep the soil cool and help retain moisture.  Rest assured, as the earthworms do their decomposing work, we’ll add more mulch throughout the season.

Despite a wet and late start, the peas were ready for trellising.  A simple setup of nylon netting zip-tied to tobacco sticks does the trick!

The tomato transplants had begun taking over the greenhouse.  I think they were more excited than I was to get in the garden!

A post-hole digger makes excellent wells for sinking tomatoes.

A handful of lime and a cap of compost for each plant give our line-up of tomatoes a healthy start in their new home.

Trimming suckers from a tomato plant directs the plant’s energy to upward growth while encouraging airflow and discouraging blight. 

Strawberries blooming = strawberry eating is coming soon! 

Seeds and transplants crave water at planting time.  It’s not just about moisture -- a good soak decreases air pockets under the soil, giving roots a cozy space to thrive.  Adding a natural fertilizer (like our stinky fish emulsion) to the watering can gives an added boost for growth.

You wouldn’t know it by looking, but the garden is full with squash, zucchini, okra, dill, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, cucumbers, and beans.  Soon it will be overrun with greenery and produce…but that’s another tour, for another day.