Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Wednesday Workday - Veggie Garden!

This bizarre winter/spring that we are having is providing all sorts of opportunities to get things done early.   Beginning on Monday and going for the next ten days we are 10-20 degrees above normal ... normal being high 50's and this warm stretch ranging from mid-60's to the low 80's.  What?

There's plenty to be done, but i'm concentrating on getting the veggie garden up and ready for the plants when they arrive.

I've bought soil mixture and made soil mixture - and mixed the two together.  

I've created a cold frame in the hope of getting some seeds started outside early.  (Our last freeze date is April 6 or 15 - depending on your authority - so i am trying to push it by three weeks.)  Am hoping to use this warm spell to heat the soil enough to germinate the seeds now, and then protect them in the cold frame until they are large enough to harden off after the last frost.
Am testing early seeding in the cold frame - with seeds held back in case i need to re-seed in mid-April.
I've set up two more planters - one for peas and one for a second blueberry.  
The "tuteur" was a Christmas gift from friends.

It's filled with little birds!
And, i've started planting cool season herbs and greens - lettuce, spinach, arugula, broccoli, kale, cilantro and Italian parsley plants and spinach and kale seeds.


I joined GrowJourney and the first seeds (cherry tomatoes, eggplant and spinach) have already arrived and are planted in cells in the cold frame, with scallions, beets and ground cherries due later this week.  If you are not familiar with GrowJourney, see Marie's post here on "Sixty-six Square Feet (Plus)" for good information.

There's another order of tomato plants, peas and an additional container-sized blueberry due to arrive over the next couple of weeks.  In other words, spring planting is well underway - even if it's not really spring. 
The first breath of spring!

Next week ... more early flowers!