Planning and Planting

With all this warm, summery weather, we are itching to start putting things in the ground. I keep checking and rechecking seed packets, thinking that one of these times, I'll turn it over and it will say, "Plant me now!" None of them ever do. Most things have to be planted after any danger of frost is past, and despite near-90 temperatures this week, we might still get some frost this spring. (Mother's Day is generally considered to kick off the safe planting time around here.) So, I have been pacifying my greener-every-year thumb by reading up on a gardening approach called "mini farming" and plotting out where things will go in our large garden and the new raised beds we put together a few weeks ago.

So far, I have only planted some lettuce, radishes, and spinach in one of our new beds along the side of the house. This year, I want to stagger the planting of our salad veggies so that we can use it as it comes on, instead of having a whole bunch ready at one time and most of it ending up in the compost bin. I will do a larger planting of spinach to be ready all at once so I can freeze it though.

I also planted white and vidalia onions around the old clothesline posts where we put beans the last two summers. The rabbits ate our beans last year, so they need to be in a fenced area this time but our neighbor said the bunnies don't bother his onions, so we are trying them in an unfenced spot. I still have a handful of onion sets leftover so I might still do a row in the garden.

Next up for planting will be turnips, carrots, and peas, which can withstand some frost, and I think we are past heavy frosts for this year. At least I hope we are, because our strawberries and blueberry bushes are all in bloom, and I would hate to lose all those berries. What we really need is some rain. I've probably jinxed us for getting any significant rainfall anytime soon since I had Keith put up the rain gauge over the weekend.