Garden Time

Good morning!  Yesterday I made a trip to the nursery for a few things I needed to get my garden in the ground.  I came home, and slipped on my gardening clothes, and got busy.  I prepped the boxes, by turning over the soil, and adding fresh composted soil from my own compost bin.  Then some fresh organic bagged soil to top each box off, and got to planting.  I rotate my crops, making sure I never plant the same things, in the same garden boxes.  Especially tomatoes! Last year I tried several heirloom varieties of tomatoes.  Although they were tasty, their yield was not high.  I went back to the beefsteak variety this year.  I only planted four seedlings.  However, I still need to plant some sweet grape tomatoes in a container or two.

My herbs are planted in this tire.  I have herbs going year around.  But I decided to take the sage out this time, as it had taken over!  I will put that in it's own container.

Dill, parsley, basil, thyme.  I will do another container of basil as well.  We use a lot of it, and I like to keep it planted in intervals.
I have one box with all types of lettuces.  I call it my Salad Bowl.

Do you see that green raft back there behind the box?  Instead of using a soft foam knee pad when I garden, I use a retired pool raft.  They work so great because you can move across it, several feet, and be comfortable without shifting a small pad that is just for your knees.  The yellow sand sifter you see in the box to the right that has yet to be filled, is a sand toy that I use to sift through the soil to discard small rocks and such.  And I also use it to put the grubs in when I remove the composted soil from the bin, to give to the chickens.
I planted some strawberries, and will be planting more.  There is nothing like a vine ripened berry!

In one box, I will use the fence along the back of it to allow the cucumbers to climb.  And on the opposite side, I have cantaloupe planted.

This box also has my broccoli seeds planted.  And one jalapeno pepper in front corner.  Last summer with only one jalapeno pepper plant, I got hundreds of peppers for my homemade salsa.
I decided to not plant any squash this year.  Last year, it took up so much room in my garden, and I wound up giving most of it away.  I am planting only what I know we like.  And a few things I have never planted before.  Like beets, and swiss chard.
Today I have to go back to get some more soil, and then I will plant all of the cabbage in one box.  Last year, we loved the fresh cabbage, and it takes up a good deal of space.  So I am devoting one whole box to it this year.  I will also be planting several containers that I can move around, and replant as the summer goes on.  I will still be putting in potatoes, corn, sweet peas and green beans.  But for the most part, the planting is done, and I am ready to garden!

As soon as I have all of the guys home, I will have them turn over that cast iron bathtub, and this will be planted with flowers.  I have repurposed that other cast iron sink as my potting sink.  I keep my extra soil there.  I still need to find a bench or table to use next to it.  Unfortunately, my garden is planted in the ugliest, most removed part of our  yard.  I had to have a giant bouganvilla removed from this area, and we moved our big garbage cans so that I can have this space to garden.  It is the sunniest place in the yard, as we are full of trees here.  When it all fills in though, it is quite pretty.  The makeshift fencing is a must to keep my nosy little hens out of the boxes.  They would destroy a garden in a matter of minutes.  In fact, a few still found a way in yesterday, so today I have to get some of that plastic fencing on a roll and put it all the way around.

Greg put up a new mailbox a few months ago, and I kept the old one for my garden to store my hand tools in.  I also have my seed packets in there.  I keep planting every few weeks so that I always have a harvest going.

Greg is going to put it on a post for me.
A little off subject here.  I finished my Spring Wreath of crochet flowers.  This was taken with my iphone.  I need to take a better photo.  I had so much fun making this.

The sunflowers, and bird nest and eggs, and cockscomb and carrots are my own design.  I love the addition of the Spring carrots, with their frilly green tops.  And every Spring around here, means lots of nests, so I had to put one in too.  I could stand to tuck a few more leaves in here and there, but for the most part, I am very happy with it.  I simply used straight sewing pins to tuck each item into the styrofoam ring where I wanted it.  The pins have colored heads, making it easier to hide them, using a matching colored pin head.
I will be moving it.  I just hung it on a cupboard to photograph it.  I already have some ideas for my Fall wreath that I will begin soon.
While walking around the nursery yesterday, I kept looking at all of the pretty hanging baskets.  I have had these before, but with our heat in the summer, they just never stay pretty for long.  I couldn't resist this one, to hang on the hook outside my kitchen window where I watch the hummers from my sink.

So pretty!  It makes me smile.

And one last photo, just for fun.  I snapped this of our son Drew last night, as he was playing beautiful music.  I love to hear him play the piano.  We haven't even had it tuned yet, and to me and my untrained ear, it sounds just fine!!!!

It's pretty quiet around here today.  Off to the nursery, and then a bit more work in the garden.  Maybe a movie later.  What are you up to?
XO  Kris