Garden Second Planting.

So. The first planting had mixed results. I don't know exactly what I expected but it was more for some reason. So I have curbed my harvest expectations and since it is only May I am ok with that. The beets germinated for the most part. I would say about 80 % or maybe a bit more. I filled in holes in my rows with extra seeds today. I got 0% germination on carrots and onions. I replanted the rows.. I am hoping I just jumped the gun and it was too cold for them or something. So I waited 3.5 weeks before giving up.. here's to another three more weeks before I scour some garden centers for veggie starts.

The greens are coming up well and the radishes are thriving.

So my new expectations are salads, with beets, and radishes ... oh and tomatoes.

I bought tomato starters from the farmers market. We have a nice mix of canning tomatoes, heirlooms, and cherry. We are doing 11 plants this year and they all seem to be doing fine despite some late frosts and an obscene amount of hail storms. One already has a flower!

On the bright side my expectations for herbs have already been exceeded! They are all growing so well! My dill is already a few feet high. Cilantro is going nuts. My herb planters already look full! Pictures to follow.

Other People's Blogs.

I often feel guilty about not commenting on other people's blogs. The truth is I usually read them on my breaks at work and for some reason this computer just won't let me comment. Then I don't schedule any at home time into rereading and commenting. I am reading.

All Fenced in.

aha- this picture makes me want to hang out with the chickens all the time.

Of course we choose the hottest day of the year to go ahead and build a fence. We have been talking about it all along but have been lazy getting to it's construction. We put the chicken coop on the side of our house. It created three walls to hold them, two being existing fences and the other is out house. We have been meaning to pen them in so that we don't have to worry about keeping an eye on them in the backyard where wondering cats often end up. Neither Joe or I had built a fence before. We bought those green metal poles and some hardware cloth. It took us a while to get the polls in the ground.. then to get the cloth attached.. then to figure out an easy solution to the door. Well we jumped all those hurdles and things looked great! Joe herded the chickens in while I started cooking up some dinner. He came in and told me to take a look.... and all the chickens were outside the fence! So it was back to the drawing board and we realized there was a big enough gap on the house side (it was where we had to move the poll a few inches further from the house than we wanted because of some buried cement) and there was a gap on the ground where there was a natural dip. With a piece of wood and some chicken wire we took care of it. The chicks should be happy being let out of their coop everyday not just a few days a week.
Besty is saying "Help Henrietta! I am trapped!" Or they are planning her escape from both sides.

There is the fence in its almost finished glory. The piece of wood swing around and meets the green pole by the house. It attaches there with some bungees.

The Garden.. Day 1.

The stars aligned and I finally planted some seeds! I am direct sowing everything except for the Celery. I just read the package and direct sowing the celery is not recommend.. so i guess I will try some small pots on a windowsill to start them. I suppose I am also not starting the tomatoes from seed either. I am going to wait until the mothers day plant date to get them in the ground. I picked up could cheapo plants at the grocery store and we plan on getting some heirloom varieties at the farmers market. I am going to have 11 plants. I thought this sounded like a lot until the neighbor came over and said he plants 26.. so now I am hoping it will be enough!

Anyway about the garden. I put in two types of carrots (purple and white). Radishes- a variety pack and some red meat. 4 types of onions.. Storage, Candy, Bunching and Scallions. Three types of beets -chioggia beets, Golden, and Early Wonder. Arugula, Romaine, Kale, Chard, Spinach. With the exception on beets these are all my staple foods. We just really like beets.

They next round of planting when the soil gets warmers will include cucumbers and lima beans.

I can't wait for something to germinate. It has only been one night but the suspense is killing me!