Well, sooner than we would if we were still in Wisconsin, that's for sure. To make matters more challenging, there's usually a nice weather break, sunshine and all, around mid February or so here on the coast. So if you are a gambler, this is the big roll of the year: plant or not plant.
I'm a long-time raised bed and cloche gardener. I push the envelope both ends of the season. Sometimes it works. Sometimes I end up with funny looking green popcicles...
Anyway, this spring the urge was worse than usual. So I planted. This photo is from about a week ago.
That's a bag of fresh lettuce leaves, in case you didn't notice.
Doesn't EVERYONE plant butter?? Just kidding - that's the poor man's slug trap. I conned my niece into picking up a can of beer for me, cut holes in the sides of a couple of Smart Balance tubs, poured the beer in, and set the tubs out where there was likely to be slug traffic. I've found a few very small ones floating happily in the beer (they eventually drown), no big guys yet. Mom cuts them in two with scissors. Ewww. But it is a sure-fire method of elimination...
Here's a peek into my pride and joy. I have to admit, I started with some plants that I got in Salem (which is two hours inland where the nurseries begin selling veggie starts about a month earlier than on the coast) and I'm not one bit ashamed of it! Not when I can start eating out of the garden before the first of April. HA!
That's romaine on the left (your left), mixed lettuces in the middle, and buttercrunch on the right. There's a purplish Peacock Kale just at the end of the little row of peas (ain't they cute?!), with a flat parsley on the left and some Lancinato kale on the right (from seed - they're still little guys).
Besides a raised bed planted with strawberries, I got a little herb garden going. Chives and thyme, rosemary and sage, a variety of mints in big pots back by the fence. Little violas for pretty flowers in the salads-to-come.
So far, so good. The envelope is holding.I'm going to finish eating my salad now.
There appears to be sunshine in your garden. We have shadeshine and shade and deep shade. Then there are bunnies and deer and they are even going after the stuff that is supposed to be deer and bunny yucky. Maybe I need signs so they know it really isn't that good, or a good dose of garlic or cayenne. Hooray for you for your efforts. You always make me encouraged.
ReplyDelete