I can't get going...

I just can't get myself going this season. I have gotten some garden work done, but not much. The "non-winter" we have been having this year has not kept me inside, especially since I've continued to run all winter. That inside time is what makes me long for outside time.

I've got broccoli planted. Twice actually. The first batch that I planted died. It took too long for me to get the shelves and lights upstairs, and they literally died.  The new stuff is happy, with second leaves, and is ready to be potted up. They've even been fertilized (I know, right?!). I'll need potting soil to pot them up though, and I haven't made so much as ONE newspaper pot yet, so where they're going, I don't know yet.

I've got all of my peppers and tomatoes planted. I took it down a notch this season. I doubled what I wanted for myself, just to be safe, and plan to give extras to my mom and my neighbor ladies, but otherwise this "nursery" did not take orders this year. That still means I have 40 some peppers and 60 some tomatoes that I will need tending.

We're still getting a steady supply of lettuce from my Aerogarden. Tender lettuce knocks the socks off of any store bought lettuce we get, so it is a nice treat.  I know not to plant any more "red" lettuce in it though, it starts out trying to be red, but then goes green and stays that way. I'm not sure if there is a nutrient deficiency from the liquid components that we use, but it's not something that concerns me enough to try to fix it.

Yesterday, it was 72 and beautiful (though very windy) and I got the first "Spring" glimpse of Eleanor! She was "out" before I stuck my phone in her face to send this picture to the hubby. She is never shy once she's out and about for a while, I very rarely see her shell close this much.  We've never let our turtles come out of hibernation naturally because I always want the compost that they are hibernating in. This year we moved the finished compost to the garden, and have done all of our composting on a pile in the garden, so we're going to let them do their own thing this year. Eleanor is from Pennsylvania, so we know she's used to a bit colder weather. I'm anxious to see when the others will emerge.

The only gardening I've done was to stir the compost in the garden, and move some of the finished compost we'd piled in so I could build a new trellis and plant my snow peas.  I haven't used a pitchfork or those muscles in months apparently, because I was SORE after even that little amount of work!  At least something is in the ground, even with my lack of planning. I have really good luck with peas in the location I've used in the past, and I know they SHOULD be rotated, but something keeps them doing really well there, so I'm not changing that up this year, but I did have to rebuild the trellis.

I'm a part of a group getting ready to start a community garden in my area, so some of that planning took place yesterday.  Night shift has really taken the life out of me I guess, but I'm hoping some motivation blows my way soon!

I'm glad to catch up on blog reading when I get the chance... Happy Gardening to all!

Wait Five Minutes... and a little Harvest for Monday

I can't get too upset for too long.  It truly is the case here in St. Louis, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes. The weather changes quicker than you'd think.  So the snow covered garden did no harm (that I am aware of) to my garden.  Here it is basking in some sunlight (the tomatoes and peppers are still safely tucked inside until potentially the weekend when we're expecting temps back in the 70s)

Before the snow was completely melted, the lettuce was hanging on...

I was able to get a harvest in the middle of the snow storm for another batch of egg drop soup.  I think my scallion harvests are a kind of, "in your face, snow" attempt.  It's little, but it's something, and it's green.

To check out what others are harvesting all over the world, check out Daphne's Dandelions!

I've got little sprouts up all over the place.

Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seedlings- I planted quite a few because it was two year old seed, looks like I'll be doing some thinning!

Spinach sprout

Radish sprout

Something is already eating on one of my spinach transplants-- my spinach never got to this size last year. I'm hoping it does better with this compost! That is, if the bugs leave it alone!

more...snow.

After a beautiful week- four days in the high 70's and low 80s - We've got a predicted 4 inches of snow... so now this:

is already covered with two inches of the white stuff.

People have lost their minds whilst driving.

I'm ready for Spring to make up its mind.

We found this:

when we went to check how hot our compost was the other day.  It's not that hot right now, but at least it's nice and toasty for the turtles, since we woke some of them up.



We had snow yesterday, and it melted by the afternoon.  All of my plants looked fine.  I've got loads of seedlings that have just sprouted out there, and I'm hoping that I won't have to replant, but if I do, it'll only set me back by a week or so.   We only had a half an inch on them yesterday, I'm thinking they won't like 4.  I was able to cover half of the garden with some plastic, but I don't really trust it.  Only time will tell.

 I planted some more lettuce seeds today, and cleaned out the Aerogarden for a fresh start. Some of the roots are amazing!  That is obviously JUST roots, because there was no dirt!  This was the basil plant that I've been using. It was growing way too fast, so I decided to try to get some cuttings from it to root.  They're close!

Accomplished

That would be the best way to describe how I feel about the past four days.  I already wrote about how I spent Thursday.

Friday: We got a load of mulch for the front yard, and a load of compost for the garden brought by my brother in law.  We worked incredibly quickly trying to move the yard of mulch to the bed and get it cut in to make room for the compost that was coming, and also to avoid the incoming rain.  It was much cooler, and we were able to get most of the mulch moved before the compost came.  Our next goal was to move ALL of the compost to the garden, because we didn't want a muddy mess on the driveway with the rain coming.  We were able to transfer it all just in time, and after the storm I couldn't help but plant some lettuce, spinach, and radishes.  So I've got 16 square feet planted outside now.  I think I'll be putting in my broccoli tomorrow.  The garden looks extraordinarily neat for my normal standards because the compost makes the bed look just beautiful!

Saturday: I was able to garden vicariously through my friend Mandi.  We made a trip to buy all of the things she would need for two 4 x 8 beds, with one trellis.  We got quite a few heads shakings and feeble wishes of "Good luck" from some guys there. Two blonde twenty somethings carting around lumber is probably not the norm, but the beds turned out beautifully, and we did it all by ourselves!  We brought it all home, painted the boards, built them, and installed the trellis!  All that's left is for her to get soil/compost, and we can start planting in it!

Today, we tackled a new project of painting her shed next to her garden.  We got two coats done before I decided it would be nice to be home for my last day of Spring break, though she did a beautiful job finishing it.

We had another absolutely beautiful day today, and it appears we'll be getting that for the next three.  All of my plants spent the day outside.  It's been nice to have my tomatoes and peppers outside at this stage.  They are as "hardened" off to the sunlight as they could be, which is nice because I seem to burn them when it comes to transplanting time.  My hubby got the rest of the mulch straightened out in the front today. We just checked the compost pile, and it is piping hot in just the three days since it's been moved!

I'm looking forward to seeing some things germinating outside this week! It'll be nice to see some green!

It was so beautiful today, that this was my dinner.  I think I've worked hard enough for it this weekend anyway...

Soaking up the Sun!

I can't believe how crazy St. Louis weather is. There is absolutely NO complaining coming from me today.  It couldn't be more beautiful, and it now sits at 81 degrees outside, and all of my plants, TURTLES, and I have gotten plenty of sun today!  I wanted to post yesterday, as it was my official BLOGIVERSARY, but I didn't get to it.  It's been a full year since I started this blog, and it's been a fun one!  Here's to another great year, and hopefully more frequent posting!

I was able to run with a friend this morning, followed by an ab workout on her deck, followed by turning/loosening up all of the soil in my garden today.  I am sunburnt and tired, but so full of endorphins and vitamin D, that there is absolutely nothing to complain about! (You can tell by my gross overuse of exclamation points)

Hope everyone is having an amazing St. Patrick's Day!

SPRING BREAK!!

Spring break is in my house for the next week! I couldn't be more excited about it (other than the lack of a paycheck).  This means garden time for me, which has already begun.  Earlier this week, I was unable to get a sub job, and used it to my advantage.  I spent the morning rolling my newspaper pots for my tomatoes and peppers while watching Anne of Green Gables.  Make fun all you want, but it's one of my favorite movies from my childhood, and the three hour duration was perfect for making those 107 pots!

Newspaper sure makes your hands messy!

Heidi is such a funny dog!  This is her favorite place in the house.  This is where she spent her afternoon. She really has no idea she's a dog!

Yesterday I cleaned out the strawberry bed.  I pulled all of the straw off of the top, and cleaned up all of the dead foliage. I've since read that you can cut your strawberries down to two inches at the end of the season.  Anyone out there use that technique?  It's fun to see that my plants look like they did a month after transplanting last year, and they are a few weeks from when I planted them! I'm looking forward to seeing how that bed fills out this year, and I absolutely can't wait for those strawberries! I put a little bit of the straw back, that hopefully the plants will grow right through.  I want to keep the berries off of the dirt this year, and also wanted to protect them because the weather might still get a bit nasty before Spring is completely here.

I called it quits after that.  I wanted to clean out the rest of the leaves in the bed, but figured I'd better not do too much, because I'm notorious for starting projects that I don't finish.  So I quit while I was ahead.  That also left me with something to do today.  I finished cleaning out the main bed from the leaves that were sitting over it all winter.  I was pretty amazed by the number and size of worms in there!  Definitely not complaining! I got the bug after that, and ended up loosening some of the soil by the trellis, and planted my peas.  I was going to wait until later this week because we're getting 1.5 cy of compost to add to the bed, but I guess I just couldn't wait.

Seedling update: My first few tomato seeds sprouted today, and I have a nice little surprise from my saved Pineapple seeds.  I thought they had all germinated, but after they dried they looked okay, so I figured I'd try to sprout some of them, and so far 6 have germinated!  I won't be planting all of them, but I'm going to go ahead and let them go and see what kind of germination rate I've got.  Look closely! You can see the radicle protruding from the seed in the middle!

I'm contemplating cleaning out the Aerogarden and starting fresh. I know that means I'll be out my basil plant, but it grows WAY too quickly, and keeps burning on the lights... I can't move the lights any higher because the new lettuce that was planted got too leggy.  I'll probably be back to square one, but it's been a fun journey, and I've enjoyed some fresh basil, and LOTS of salads!  My husband requested ALL cells be used for lettuce this next time around. I hope I don't regret that when we've got LOADS of it growing outside shortly!


These are our Evergreen Bunching Onions (scallions). The only thing growing in the main bed right now... beautifully green though! Happy Spring Everyone!

Harvest Monday

My husband and I enjoyed a salad for him and a wrap for me on Saturday with our second harvest of lettuce! Here's the before shot:

Here's the after shot:

Here's the harvest!

My broccoli seedlings have sprouted, which meant I had to bring the shelves back upstairs for the growing season. I moved my Pineapple tomato plant in there as well so that I could lower the Aerogarden lights back down after I cut the lettuce. As of today, all but two of the cells have at least one of the broccoli seeds sprouted! I was unable to get a sub job today, so it looks like I've got plenty of time to do some more planning!

If you want to see what everyone else is harvesting, head over to Daphne's Dandelions to check it out!

Seedling Update

I'm not sure I can appropriately title this "seedling" update, because some of them are seedlings, and some are PLANTS now!

My lone Pineapple tomato seedling has two sets of true leaves now, and is VERY ready to be planted in a different container. I just have to make that happen. The roots look incredible. That is a fun part about an Aerogarden, I get to lift up the lid and actually SEE what's happening.

My lettuce, I've been told, will be a part of my husband's birthday salad tomorrow. That is the real reason for this post. I wanted to actually DOCUMENT the growth, before he mutilates my plants. I don't know why I get this way. I grow this stuff to be eaten, and then I fall in love. Don't you DARE hurt my babies! I could never be an animal farmer. As far as I'm concerned, steak comes from a steak tree, and that's the only way I eat it. We have a whole deer in the freezer right now (we receive one or two a year, as a present from my father in law). I want nothing to do with seeing pictures of the "kill" until it has completely been consumed. I love meat, but I have over-attachment issues.

Seedling Saturday

I have a seedling Saturday this week. Not completely by design, but here goes.

I've got the stuff that I planted in the Aerogarden 16 days ago. I'm still loving how much growth I get to enjoy with this thing.

I've got true leaves on my basil plant. Pesto here I come!

My lettuce seedlings are sizing up nicely.

And here she is. The Pineapple tomato seed that I stuck in the Aerogarden 24 hours after the seed saving fiasco. I had NO intentions of having a tomato seedling on January 15, while snow is on the ground., but here she is. I'm going to have to figure out a way to keep her alive between now and MAY. At least all of my seed saving wasn't for naught.

I had several days without a sub job this week (snow day, and then a day without a phone call...) I've been spending my time working on some crochet projects for an etsy that I started last week. If anyone feels like checking it out, and giving me some pointers, I'd greatly appreciate it! I still need to get pictures of the hats on actual people, but for now this is what I'm working with.

Garden in January

Here's the typical shot I take of the garden. This one will be fun to look at later on. We've got fresh snow on top of the leaves on top of the garden.

Here's an updated picture of what my tomato seeds look like after they've dried. I did stick ONE seed into my Aerogarden so that they won't be a total loss (and that was after they dried for 24 hours) and I can definitely see the radicle sticking out now.

Here is an update on my lettuce and basil seedlings that have emerged on my Aerogarden! It's fun to see how fast these grow, I planted them 12 days ago.