My Garden 2012

[matt walker]

Oh goodness, now it's snowing to beat the band. I have a couple flats of herbs from the nursery I was planning on planting today. I think I'm really getting ahead of myself this year.

[pa_friendly_guy]

This is MARCH Matt, not April, lol, This really warn spell is Fools Gold. It will be 80 here tommorrow, 80 in March way up here north of the Mason Dixson line. Way too early to be this warm. But it is Fools Gold, don't believe it, plan on planting at your normal times and you will be fine. I still expect it to snow up here befor spring really gets going. But like I said, it will be 80 tommorrow and all week is to be way above normal. Nature is trying to fool us, don't take the bait. Plant like its a normal year and everything will work out fine.

[matt walker]

Yeah, thanks Guy. It's a good reminder. I am truly right on schedule, at least, it's what I've done the last couple of years with good success. My low tunnel does give me an extra month, and I just went and picked it up off the ground where the wind laid it last night. Doh! Lol. Anyway, I hear ya, I won't let it fool me. We aren't having any of that warm spell, if anything we've been significantly colder than normal all spring. I'm just excited from reading and soaking up so much information from you all that I can't wait to get out there.

80*!! In March! Unbelievable.

[Lollykoko]

Late last night I got "home" from six days at the farm. Yes, the temperatures were in the 80's for several days in a row at the 41st parallel. No, I didn't plant anything. But a lot of deadwood on the ground has been rearranged.

[matt walker]

Oh wow, that's crazy warm. Glad to hear you got a good start on the hugels. Lolly, i was really thinking of you when I wrote the review of "A Pattern Language." Forgive me if you are familiar with it, but I sure wish I had been when I started figuring how I was going to lay things out around here. I feel it's absolutely invaluable to someone in your position.

I had a big day in the garden yesterday. It was not terribly nice weather, but not snowing anyway! I dug another sloped bed/swale and got my onion sets in. About 300 or so for now. I mulched like crazy as I got another round bale on Wednesday, so it's all getting covered. Planted two Grapes I had purchased from the nursery.

Then I started planting the things I had started inside, and some herbs from the nursery.

Planted out: Oregano, Egyptian Walking Onion, Welsh Onion, Chinese Artichoke, Borage, Rosemary, Thyme, Blue Hyssop, Catnip, Lemon Balm, Jerusalem Artichoke, Chinese Yam, Globe Artichoke, Joi Hoi.

Planted in low tunnel: Globe Artichoke, Water Cress, Purslane, Strawberry Spinach, Fennel, Sorrel, Italiko Rossa, NZ Spinach, Corn Salad, Miner's Lettuce, Radicchio Rossa, Orach, Baby Chinese Cabbage, Edible Chrysanthemum, Joi Hoi, Feverfew, Blue Hyssop, Fenugreek, Loveage, Parsley.

Then I came inside and transplanted all my tomato starts into bigger pots, and started some new pepper seeds I received this week.

Today, more mulching, more digging beds.

[matt walker]

3-23-12 Direct sowed Camas and Plantain, and mulched quite a bit.

Today: Made a new hugelkultur bed! I think this will be my hot bed, with a low tunnel, for peppers, tomatillos, and cucumbers.

[matt walker]

3-25 Inoculated two areas of the garden with different mushroom "patch" starters from FungiPefecti. I started the shaggy manes and the garden oyster, still have the h.u.g. to go. Gotta get some woodchips from my woodshed for that one.

Sowed in the tunnel: Romaine lettuce, Basil, Cilantro, Dill

Sowed out: Spinach, Mesclun Mix, Radish, Carrots, Kohlrabi, Peas

[pa_friendly_guy]

The pear trees were in full bloom yesterday. It got down to 20 last night. Looks like no pears this year, The apples were showing color but had not opened completely yet. We will see if they are going to make it. Warm again today, down to 20 again tommorrow night. Looks like a no fruit year here on the hill. I got notice that the rest of my order was shipped. Asperigus and the 3rd gooseberry should be here in 3 or 4 day. I am still waiting for the 1st stuff to arrive, maybe today. I still need to correct the bed for the gooseberrys. I walked up and looked at it again today, still can't believe I did that,

[Lollykoko]

Guy, I don't think nature cares if everything is perfectly lines up at precise distances. In fact, I'm sure hoping she doesn't!

[pa_friendly_guy]

I agree Lolly, I do not use a tape to measure things off, I either pace it off with my long legs [ 3' to a step ] or use my large 12" foot to measure short distances by walking heel to toe along the line. I am not worried about being precise, I am worried about mowing and how my 48" mower deck will fit trough the rows. With the amount I mow anything to make mowing easier and less of a problem for me is a GOOD thing, lol. With 7' between these rows the bed is the right size, the mower can do it easily in 2 passes and the last bed comes out even with the end of the garden so I can mow a nice even line along the garden and the bed. It is going to rain today, so I am going to get out there and retill the bed now.