I prepped the garden last week. It is amazing how much better the soil is each year. Now we even have worms!. Every time I cleaned up after the horse on a rainy day, I would throw a bunch of worms in the bucket to add to the compost. Then the composted horse droppings were added to the next garden. Now the garden soil is soft and wormy.
Check out who is watching me work this morning. Perhaps she is scoping out where she will steal the fruits (vegetables) of my labor. Can you see her? How about now?
Today I rolled out the weed cloth and staked it down. I didn't have quite enough for the whole garden...I guess I got cheap when buying it and didn't get enough.
I hate it when that happens. Rather than going all the way into town to buy more, I decided I could weed the areas where the soil isn't covered. Chances are I won't weed that either, but it won't be a lot of weeds and they don't scare me! The open spot is where the rhubarb will go.
I usually shop for my veggies at Sharin' Flowers. It is a collection of greenhouses on Highway 11 and is just down the street from us.
They don't usually have everything I want, so I go to the greenhouse at the other side of Buchanan. Support your local gardeners! They weren't open yet, so I went home and planted what I had.
I bought two big tomato plants. I try new kinds each year and can never tell you from year to year which I buy and which is the best. Don't ask, don't tell.
I also bought a Roma...that I know for sure. Then I bought some yellow squash and some herbs.
I always buy basil and it does very well. My lavender is coming back after a cold winter, so I don't need any more of that this year. It makes for some nice lavender bread and cookies. I may try to make some sachets for the closet in the B&B this year. That way it will smell nice and not all closed up when it isn't being used.
Next I bought some Rosemary for cooking with meat or potatoes and some cilantro. I don't hold out much hope for the cilantro. I have grown it before and after the first time I cut it, it got all leggy and bloomed and that was that. But hope springs eternal, so I will try it again.
Sharin' Flowers was out of zucchini and didn't plant any rhubarb, so I went home and planted what I had. It is supposed to rain all week and I wanted to get the first batch of plants in the ground.
I cut an X in the weed cloth and dug a hole for each plant. Here is where I have to confess. It is so late in the year, that I didn't buy the wee tomatoes in a 4 or 6 pack. Oh, no. I bought the tomatoes in the gallon pots. That way I won't have to wait until summer is over to have some garden fresh tomatoes. So I had to cut a BIG X and dig a big hole and now I will have to remember to check the plants for fruit. Now that I don't have to go past the garden to feed the horse, I may forget it is there!
Later in the afternoon I bought three zucchini and planted them. The rhubarb she planted won't be ready until next week. I am thinking about rhubarb pie and bread and maybe some muffins. I might get a big box of strawberries from Sam's Club and make strawberry rhubarb jam. Doesn't that sound good?
I better hurry up and lose weight. I need to start baking again.
Good for you, getting your garden in! or MOSTLY in. I love that movie too.
ReplyDelete