Preserving

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Almost Finished Digging at the Plots!

I have spent the past two days turning over the last two big beds at the plots. I am happy to say that the only digging that I have left to do is one small bed in the back for the raspberries that have been hiding in the basement!!

Bed #3 was turned over on Thursday. This bed is 5'x 25' and will be the main tomato bed (Tomato Alley). "The Italian" informed me last night that he cut the wood to make it 5'x 26'. I don't think that it will take me more then a few minutes to turn over that extra foot!

Bed #4 was done on Friday. This bed is also 5'x 26'.

I am happy to say that 80 of the 82 strawberry roots that were planted 12 days ago are growing nicely. The remaining two may make it. I only ordered 75 so we are ahead of what I had planned. One can never have too many strawberries!

All of the broccoli plants are doing well and have new growth. 8 Calabrese and 6 Walthan 29 have been planted so far. I have a few more broccoli seedlings to plant there on Sunday.

This Cabbage is Tet Noire, seeds from Jane at "A Kitchen Garden in Khei Maui" is also showing signs of new growth. I planted 3 of this variety and 3 Red Acre. The Tet Noire leaves are bigger then the Red Acre.

3 Chiefton Savoy Cabbages were planted. They are also growing nicely.

6 Pak Choi  have been sown in between the broccoli & cabbage. They also seem very happy. I have to say that I am very pleased with everything that I have planted at the plots so far. I was a little apprehensive as to how well everything would grow since I have not added a lot of compost to the beds yet. I'm still waiting for my nephew to find me some good clean compost. I haven't found any that I feel comfortable to use there.

I finally remembered to get something to mark the plants with. I purchased 300 large Popsicle sticks at the craft store for $4. I was then able to take the plastic cups that where next to the plants out and replace them with markers!

I have met a lot of great gardeners at the plots. There is a very nice woman who will be a great help. "Whitey" the oldest gardener at the gardens, sent her over to talk to me. He says we are both Gardening Nuts!! She has been gardening there for many years and has quite an interesting gardening background. She used to tend to Mrs. Rodale's gardens at her home until she passed away. Yes, that is "The" Mrs. Rodale! I'm sure she will be very helpful since she is a completely organic gardener with many many years of experience.

Another one of the gardeners there "Bill", who is two plots to the right of us, brought me a great gift the other day....Calla Lilies! He grows them from seed and gave me 8 rhizomes each of two varieties. In the 80's & 90's I had many Calla Lilies....but one year I didn't bring them in for the winter and lost them. Since they are quite expensive I never purchased any more.

These will be planted in pots on the deck.


I would like to introduce to everyone a local gardener, Todd. He lives right here in the Lehigh Valley where we live. He has a very good, well written, informative gardening blog. Stop by his blog, BBOG, Big Blog of Gardening. He has a lot of great information to share!


16 comments:

  1. Robin-it's looking wonderful. I can't believe the transformation since you've aquired that space. Amazing!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Robin, I'm with Sue you have accomplished a wonderful transition from a virtual weed patch to a thing of order and garden beauty. No wonder folks are attracted to you.

    I spent quality time outside in the yard and garden all last week. All the beds are now ready to plant. I've planted onions, radishes, and lettuce. I've started working on outside summer projects. It has been a lovely week. Thursday the gentle April showers started and carried through all of yesterday. After it dries up a bit I can get my potatoes planted. It was wonderful rain that come just at the right time to avoid a super dry spring beginning. Hopefully I will be back at the outside projects again next week. Of course I always have to run the backyard fence line to grub out the new tree sprouts that come from bird poo while sitting on the fence. Most of them are mulberry trees that grow like weeds here in Nebraska.

    Have a great day in both plots and home gardens.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Robin: I could sure use you out at my Community Garden! I've had a couple problems out there. Your beds look just fabulous! I can't wait to watch your *garden grow*!

    ReplyDelete
  4. YAY! You actually have things growing now, and with all the time and work you put in, you'll soon have the prettiest garden plots in the community!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You have put in SO much work with this plot! I can't wait to see all of the harvesting rewards you get for that work! You're going to have strawberries out your ears in no time with 82 strawberry plants!! I'm looking forward to watching your garden fill out this season!

    ReplyDelete
  6. You are doing an awesome job and everything is coming together so well! You saying another foot wont break your back...isn't that what we do every year? ha!

    I'll go check out your friends blog too!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You make me feel so lazy with all your work! It's looking good though!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I used to use the popsicle sticks too but they tend to fade - another master gardener down here turned me onto buying a set of miniblind slats at the dollar store, I think I paid $2 and I'll have enough cut for a lifetime of labels and they don't fade!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks Sue, I think everything is moving along quite well despite the weather we have been having.

    David, I'm having a day off from gardening. It's cold, rainy and windy out today. I want to see a post of all that you have been doing in your garden...please :)

    Lynda, you certainly have your hands full at the gardens. Hopefully everyone will get their plots in shape over the weekend

    Granny, Everything that has been planted is doing well so far!!!

    APGal, Yes, I think that we all break our backs for the love of our gardens :)

    Megan, I can't wait to get this phase over with and start seeing some green over there!

    Kaytee, No need to feel lazy, you have been doing quite a bit of work yourself and working full time!

    Erin, I usually re-use old plastic garden tags...but, I ran out. Thanks for the tip. I hope that they don't fade too fast.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Everything is looking so good. I use Popsicle sticks too. They were left over from when my kids use to build things with them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm so glad you've met Whitey, and I'm glad we've met you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, what a bargain on popsicle sticks! How cool that you were gifted those calla lilies. How nice! I agree, you can't have too many strawberries. I'm looking forward to ours fruiting!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Daphne, I thought that I had popsicle sticks in my craft stuff from when my kids were young too...but, couldn't find them. I'm sure that I will find them now that I have purchased some!

    Thanks so much Jody, I appreciate your kind words.

    mimi, They were a great bargain! Here's too all of us having lots and lots of Strawberries this year!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow everything looks great and what fun to have a built in gardening community to share ideas and items with. Those lilies will be great and what a nice thing for him to share with you.

    I did not realize you actually lived in the Lehigh Valley, although I wondered if you did at times. My daughter moved there last year and is attending Lehigh University. She live on a place with acreage in Kutztown and commutes to school. If I spend time there later this summer I may have to try and connect up for a short visit or a tour of the new garden area.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Laura, I think that it will be a great experience!

    Please let me know if you are coming out to visit with your daughter. We will definitely have to get together. We are in the process of changing our vacation schedule for this year, so I'm not sure when we will be going away yet!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Robin - I will certainly do that. :D

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment!