Just Add Water and Sunshine

I went out to the garden yesterday as soon as the husband left for work and started in on the list of tasks.

I transplanted the corn, cauliflower, red cabbage, and something called Purple Peacock, which Susan tells me is a cross between kale and broccoli (she grows it):

Those grapes are going to get a haircut today. They are out of control.

The tomato cages are in place, although I am reluctant to put the tomatoes out just yet. Maybe in another couple of days.

I have a problem with tomato math. I vowed that I would not plant 45 tomato plants again this year because last year, I was giving tomatoes away to the entire neighborhood. I did cut the number down—I thought—but I still have 39 plants. I only have room in this spot for 30, so I need to downsize a bit more.

I try to move things around every year and not plant in the same place. Some years that works better than others. The squash, cucumbers, and melons will be planted where the tomatoes were last year. The snakes like that spot, too. I haven’t seen any yet this year.

I assembled my new soaker hose system over the potatoes, lettuce, collards, and Swiss chard:

Watering this far section of the garden has been a problem in the past. The potatoes usually do really well in this spot, though. I am planning to put this system on a timer and water early in the morning.

When all that was done, I spent another hour in the greenhouse planting beans. The problem with beans is that if I wait until the soil truly is warm enough to plant them outside, they don’t have a long enough growing season. They sprout and grow so quickly in the greenhouse that I am going to start them in pots and move them outside in early June.

The garden is getting there. By the time the garden tour rolls around in mid-July, the raspberries will be ripe and the lavender will be blooming.

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Our total take for the plant sale was about $1800. I am very happy with that. At our Financial Planning Committee meeting last night, we talked a bit about the changes we want to make for next year’s sale. And hopefully next spring won’t be so cold.

The next event coming up is the garden tour. I am in charge of laying out and printing the booklet that will be given to attendees and will contain information about the gardens and the gardeners. I’ve got the basic layout done and just need to drop in the information and make it pretty.

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Sewing projects will be relegated to rainy days for the next month or two. I do have to schedule a few more serger classes, but those will be months out yet as the class schedules at both stores are pretty full.