May Vacation

It has come to the point that now I have to take a vacation in the spring to get some of the spring big projects done. The family is getting tired of hearing me say I can't go do something on the weekend because I have chores in the garden to do. So this year I decided to take a vacation and with a little help from above I decided to get most of the garden in the ground in one week. Mother nature so far has cooperated.
My first project was to recycle an old door and make myself a planting table. It turned out pretty good I thought. Tammy says it's kinda redneck, I call it functional recycling.

My next project was the side garden. We started this a few years ago and just add a few feet to it a year. We are half way down the side of the house now. My goal is to plant all perennials with room to add a few annuals each year. 2 days after I got the last of the perennials that I got from Focal Point nursery and some that I started from seed I was told I would have to dig some of the back plants up for one day so the gas company can put in the pipe and meter. They have the whole house and this happens to be the best place for the pipe! GO FIGURE! Oh well, can't wait to have the house heated with natural gas instead of oil.
In order 1st year, 2nd year, this year.

Today I have focused on the beds. Being careful not to plant get ahead of myself and plant things to early. I already had some Peas, Sugar snap peas, & butter crunch lettuce planted. I finished up the day by planting Kentucky blue pole beans, carrots, Romaine lettuce, Iceberg lettuce and elephant garlic. In with the peas I added summer squash, couple eggplant & acorn squash

The rest of the week will be spent planting the other beds and mulching. I have enjoyed my time off in the garden. I have used a lot of Ibuprofen but it is worth it. Still to early for my tomatoes and peppers but they are hardening off and who knows maybe next week.

From this to that

It has been slow growing this past month. Lots of seed planting and potting up but still haven't dared to put anything in the ground yet. I started some of the flowers in January but they are still very small and not ready to brave the cool spring weather of Maine yet. I have put some onions and beet seedlings in my small greenhouse (covered shelf). Here are some pictures of the seedlings starting out and what they look like about a month later.                                                                               

From This

to That                                                  

From This

  to That

and That

Now one lonely flower dares to peak out

I forgot I did plant something out in the garden. It's part of the Dogwood family I think, I call it my Pablo Lilac. He lays his bum anywhere I have freshly raked or dug. This day he is hiding out in the newly raked Lilacs
     

Ooops missed February

I was busy during February planting seeds and getting organized. I don't know where the month went. So here it is March and I'm starting to pot up some of the plants I planted in January & February. I can't wait to get them in the ground. The snow is gone from the beds but I know if I take the covers off we will get a Nor' Eastah!

 I think I will just keep planting seeds and potting up for the month and see what April brings. It would be really nice to be able to get some of the cool crops in like beets, carrots and lettuce early. Thank goodness for my friends who eat a lot of yogurt and cottage cheese. I collect those container and use them to pot up.

recycle reuse respect

Oh where, Oh were can spring be!

Is it spring yet? Pablo is sitting at the window daily looking out like a little boy wondering when will spring come and he can go out and play again. I on the other hand, I’m planning the next round of seeds to plant.

On Jan 23^rd I planted the following seeds;

Candy onions

Brussel sprouts

Geraniums

Petunia

Begonia

Fox Glove

Giant Pansy

Phlox

We have sproutage!!! The candy onions, brussel sprouts, petunias & some of the geraniums have come up. I’m getting spring fever. It is taking a lot of restraint not to plant everything now and to stick with my plan.

 

Here we are again

 So Maine is getting it's first significant winter storm and what am I doing? No not shoveling, not yet anyway, no not sitting with hot cocoa in front of the fireplace (only electric one). I'm in my basement cleaning up some racks to put my seedlings on because I'm already thinking spring. I have got my seeds and seed starting soil. I have started to plan out the garden. I'm going to keep it very simple this year, stop laughing, you know who you are! So here we are again and this year I'm hoping to keep the blog more up to date and informative and just have fun with it. Any suggestion I would love to hear from you. Bye for now