Update

I did cover the tomatoes and even managed to remember to uncover before work so they did not boil under glass. They are Mountain Magic, recommended by Bill Lord of Almanac Gardener. Aren't they sweet?

It did get cold at night. The beans looked sad until the warm days and nights perked them up. I thought I was going to have a redo for about a week there.

I am now covering the lettuce from the sun with an old beach umbrella. Afternoon sun is too hot for these tender Buttercrunch babies. Looking snappy casual in the back yard on these hot days.

Planted a bell pepper in a jute bag this morning. It worked before. Growing sweet peppers are not my superpower. Banana peppers always do best here, go figure.

Ollas are covered by the potatoes now. During dry spells I push back the plates and fill the clay pots with water. Osmosis does the work. Sure were ugly when I first put them in though. Looked like random dishes tossed out in the garden.





Marigolds, zinnias, shallots, dill and parsley seeds were planted this weekend. Now we wait.

What to plant, when.

Spring is time of choice. Straddling two seasons one can plant cool weather crops knowing that as soon as it heats up down South they'll be goners, and, looking forward to warm, sunny days, plant beans, squash, and tomatoes.  I have room to do both. Chugging along in the shadiest area of our yard/garden are late winter broccoli, cabbage and mustard. Our hope is that the weather will be moderate enough for them to not bolt. Gardening is a gamble. If we win this game we, and our neighbors, will be living large, in the vegetable category. Natures lottery.
Our current inventory of eats are all things green. Salads every meal. Amish, Summer Crisp, Red Sails, Savoy Spinach, baby turnip and mustard greens. And yes, kale in our morning smoothie.
Because our temps are going to drop to below 40 at night this week, out come the covers for our tomatoes. Checking Felder Rushing on the beans, they will be OK. If it doesn't freeze.
In the category of amazing recoveries is the garlic. It looked awful all winter. I despaired and planted a late winter crop (not doing well at all) sure that our Fall crop was going to fail. And...drum roll please, we have these strappy Elephant garlics growing. I think I've figured them out. Two years, they take. I think.

                                           Spinach. It's been years. 

Flu bug

One year ago...

Hmmm. The shot helps but flu is still some powerful mojo, bad juju, icky poo. Didn't care if my garden lived or died. I thought about it but I couldn't act on it. To the rescue, doo-doo-di-doo!!! Scott! He covered everything with Johnny's Seeds handy-dandy garden fabric and saved the day. Now we need a nice soaking rain. Not his superpower.

In the not much to report category: Scott harvested our first and only (so far) asparagus spear this weekend. We wait. For warmer days and nights paired with ample sun and rain. Then we will have beautiful salads, sweet peas and broccoli, brilliant beets and carrots, and tangy greens. The good life couldn't be gooder for anyone, anywhere, when there are just picked vegetables on your dinner plate.

In the crossed fingers category are the apple trees. This is it. Either we start getting apples this year or, I fear, the gig is up. They have all three set buds that are swelling and my hopes are high. Please, please, please. I so want to win this one. Stay tuned.

Spring Forth!

Pronounced oy-yah. 

Check out our tater bed. It is a beautiful thing. Tilled finely by A1 shoveler Scott, enriched with Joy's composted chicken manure, designed by me.  Lovin' those estate sale pots repurposed as ollas,  I'm going to pull up a chair and take it in while the birds twitter, dogs at my feet, on this fine sunny day. Nothing like the satisfaction of a garden task completed.
Ciao for now!

Garden fabric

Couple weeks ago I ordered garden fabric for next year. This weekend we used it to cover or current winter veggies. Winter is so not done with us Southerners just yet.

Here is what I've learned about the gauzy fabric: It works if the wind doesn't blow it loose.

Ya know those caricatures of winter? The blue and white, cloud-face blowing curls of wind? That Winter blew off and tore  my garden fabric. I keep going out in the frigid cold and tucking it back in because that's what gardeners do; perseverate; persevere.

It has crossed my mind that we might get lucky on the back side of this winter and have a cool, rainy summer. Wouldn't that be nice? Yes it would. For example, like last July 4th.

Reminds me of Uncle Tom's home movies of crops in the 1950's  :)

Growing snow

Whoa hoss! Even the Deep South is in a Deep Freeze. Great gravy! (taking a quote from Nana B). Nothing to do but sit and watch the snow on the ground. It's 9:00 on this fine winter day 27F, 6 inches of snow on the ground and another sweep of winter mix headed our way. Scary. A similar scenario 50 years ago in L'ton shut down the power for a week. It was a long, boring, week. That was my take away as a twelve year old.

There are gardening things to do indoors. Today I organize seeds resolved to throw out the old ones.

Figgy bottle tree

Michael Bublé - "Feeling Good" [Official Music Video]