Garden is growing

My husband and I were out in the garden tonight. We lifted the netting on our raised beds so I could weed around our growing plants.  Here are the tomatoes and a few of the basil plants. Our grandchildren like the tiny tomatoes and so so we.

 

Beans and more basil and one other herb.  Carrots on the right are still really tiny.

My husband was trimming around the box. You can see the top of his cap.

 

 

My favourite lettuce–romaine. I never did take to leaf lettuce though my mother grew lots of it.

 

I got the weeding done and we put the netting down around the box again to keep birds and small critters out. See the zucchini in the foreground? That’s new this year.

 

Man hard at work yet, trimming. He mowed yesterday then we got talking with our neighbour about driveways and drainage and such and never did get all the trimming done, so that was his job tonight. I might also mention that for those new to my blog, my husband built these beds.

 

Ending with a pic of gaillardia this evening. More flowers another day.

How is your garden coming along?

Garden is growing

That rain we had for an entire weekend really gave the gardens a boost. Seeds sprouted and plants grew taller.

The basil seedlings left over after I put in my raised garden were pretty small so I cut the bottoms out of plastic pots and put them over top to protect them from small animals. This basil plant is growing. Time to take off the pot.

zucchini plant is definitely growing

and the tomatoes too …

The herb pot by the front door is showing signs of filling out too

the portulaca is beginning to open as is the dianthus beside it.

I called last evening to let my grandchildren know that the seeds are sprouting and we have little plants above the ground.

And there’s even signs of the carrot tops coming too. By next post those will all be larger and easier to photograph.

Planter box is filling out too.

Until next post, happy gardening.

Time to Plant the Garden

Friday was the day, like “X marks the spot” on a calendar. The day, rather the evening, that my older two granddaughters would help me plant the garden. We had a conversation weeks ago about what we would plant and my daughter and I planned for an early evening when she could bring them.

They started out with a little picnic at our outdoor table, to eat their supper.  It was hard to sit and eat because they were so excited. I had everything we needed—plants and seeds, shovels. Our rain barrels had a lot of water in them, and the two watering cans were ready.

Like a true farmer’s daughter, I planned for crop rotation even in these two raised beds. And we had added compost that my husband and neighbour had gotten at the landfill site. With that all good stuff mixed in, the plant beds should be ready for growing good things. We’re hoping for rain, because the soil is very dry all around, but we’d like to get the planting done first, if  we can.

We decided to plant the tomatoes and other veggie plants first. Like busy little beavers, the girls ran back and forth from water barrel to the garden to water what we’d just put in the soil. The older of the two helped set the tomatoes in the ground and together we carefully put the soil around them.

We have tiny tomatoes, zucchini plants and lettuce the girls call “salad.” We planted basil and rosemary plants, and we had basil left over, some of which we planted in another spot. I put the cages on the tomatoes.

One asks, “What’s that?”

“Cages, for the tomatoes.” When they get big and full of tomatoes, so they don’t fall over.”

“Oh,” she says, puzzled. She doesn’t remember this step from last year.

Zucchini was next. We need to leave room for them to spread. Then the cucumber seeds in the back section of the box nearest the cedars. We need to leave room for cucumbers and zucchini to spread.

Then it was time to plant the seeds for carrots and beans. We made the row with a small shovel and I showed them the small brown carrot seeds. “Tiny, aren’t they?”

“Can I have some?”

“Me too!” the younger one said.

I put some seeds in their hands and showed them how to spread them in the row. They got it, more or less. We’ll have a lot of seeds in some parts of the row.

“We don’t need all the carrot seeds.” And they look at me, puzzled. “We need to save some room for the beans.”

The older of the two spreads soil gently over the carrot seeds, just as I showed her. I praise her and the younger one wants to do it too, so we save a spot for her to try.

“Next, the beans.” They crowd in to look. “See how these are bigger?” And of course they both want to plant. We have a row ready and they each get to have bean seeds to plant. The older and the younger plant their seeds, the older having a  bit more control and putting them in just right. I separate the seeds a bit farther that the younger one has planted and then we’re ready to cover them. They know what to do now and cover the seeds. Then they run to fill the water buckets again, giving the soil a good dousing.

While we’re planting, their Mom and their (grand) Papa are snapping pictures, asking us to say, “Fuzzy pickles” and the girls giggle and smile and we pose, just a little, and call out, “Fuzzy pickles.”

We have some basil left over and we decide with their mom that we can plant some in small pot for them to take along to the trailer when they go this week. They’ll keep it on the deck.

The girls are tired and it’s starting to show. With their Mom’s help, we put the netting over the garden beds and secure it.

“Why are we putting that on?”

“So the bunnies and birds don’t eat the veggies.”

The oldest, coming on 6, comes up with a solution. “You should make a scarecrow.” She has this satisfied look on her face. “Then the birds will go away.”

Her Papa says, “Not all of them. We want to hear them sing.”

“Oh,” and there’s a contemplative look on her face.

We give them hugs and see them off with the promise that they can come and see the garden when they return from their vacation. “Then maybe we’ll see some shoots above the ground,” meaning the seeds are growing. “And you can help water the garden too.”

They’ll remember to do that, along with the pot of basil they’re taking along.

Their Mom said on Facebook afterwards, “The girls had a blast.They are tired too. Evy is very excited to take “her” plant to the trailer.

Tired, just as their grandma, at the end of this day. But it was a good day and now the garden can grow.

Netting is secured and my husband gave the garden beds a good watering in case it doesn’t rain.

Follow our garden progress. I’ll update as there’s something to share. Hoping for lots of sunshine, enough rain and a bountiful garden this summer.

photos  © L. and C. Wilker

Continuing story of my garden

 

In May, my husband finished constructing raised beds for our garden. We’d looked at a plan and decided to make our own. Rather my husband figured out a plan to build the beds to fit into our sloping back yard. And since sandy soil makes it hard to grow some garden varieties, we decided this plan was good for our yard and we’d use a garden mix that has peat and compost in it already.

 

My husband and our neighbour, Pete, who lent a hand in the construction and moving into place.

 

Moving the soil from the pile in the driveway was a rather lengthy task, but done with the help of our daughter, as shown, with wheelbarrow and ramp and a steady hand for tipping the load. Granddaughters and I filled buckets with soil and for the second bed, Pete was there to lend a hand again, this time filling the wheelbarrow and pushing it to the back yard. We so appreciated his help.

One box in place, being filled.

We were pleased, at the end of the first afternoon that we could begin our planting.

 

Help with planting. They each have their own packet of bean seeds, one green and the other yellow.

 

Then the  tomato plants and a few others, and the netting. All this in one day.

Once we had the second frame in place we could put in the rest of  the plants, basil, cucumbers and more tomatoes.

 

 

The cucumber, tomato plants and beans are all doing well, along with the peas my granddaughter started in her  Jr. Kindergarten class

 

The garden, along with strawberry plants, need tender loving care.

 

And we like strawberries especially. It’s a big watering can for a small girl to manage, but she’s ready and willing to help.

 

And here is where our garden is today. Small tomatoes are forming on the tall plants. There’s blossoms on the cucumber plants too. Waiting and watering for the day of harvest, which will be awhile yet.

Last evening I cut some slots in the netting so the tomatoes could grow. Also pinched off little new shoots that don’t need to be there so the energy can go to producing the fruits.  There are small tomatoes growing on the plants.

Waiting now for the tomatoes, cucumbers, beans to grow big enough to harvest.