one last night inside

Our forecast is a for low of 42F tonight, so I brought my tomatoes and other warm weather seedlings inside for one last night. I try to bring them in if it goes below 50F. The rest of the week is predicted to gradually warm up and I'm planning to plant these on Wednesday and Thursday.

My "warm weather seedlings" include tomatoes, squashes, peppers, basil, and zinnias. They've been outside "hardening off" for more than a week, day and night, now.

I was surprised at how many seedlings I've ended up with, so last weekend I counted them and made a seedling list. I decided how many I will keep for myself and in which garden they will go (home or community plot). I then sent the list to may parents and they listed what they want for their garden. The last column is my extras. I'll try to find good homes for these.

My tomatoes have gotten extra attention. I cut all of the cells apart and labeled each one separately. With all of the different varieties, I worry that I'll end up with an unidentified plant! I'd like to know what each plant is this year. I used labels that I can attach to the stem of the plant. Most years, I have no idea what individual plants are as the labels in the dirt seem to disappear.

I considered being sad, or some similar emotion, on the last night my seedlings are inside. But as a commenter yesterday said, she just went ahead and planted more seeds inside. A good solution. Actually I noticed the watermelon seedlings are not happy (i.e. they're dead). I'll plant another 6-pack or two of these as soon as I can. Its still a bit cold for these guys.

its tomato and squash planting week!

This looks like a good week to transplant my tomato seedlings. Also my squashes, pumpkins and cukes. The temperature is staying sort of warm - about 50 F at night and up near 70 on sunny days. I've seen nearby gardens with tomatoes and squash already planted. I think its time to set mine out.

I have some fancy thermal plastic this year. Its from Johnny's and lets near IR through, but not visible light. This is supposed to warm up the soil well. I'll try this under my tomatoes in both my community plot and at home.

My plan is to plant half of my tomatoes in my home garden and half in my much sunnier community plot. I'll see what does better where. It can be an experiment. I have 10 varieties, 24 total plants, both heirlooms and hybrids.

As for squashes, the ornamentals (gourds and pumpkins) will go in my bed along the house and the edibles (summer squash, winter squash and cucumbers) will go to the community plot.

I was very lucky to find a gardener who would like to help plant on Thursday! So I'll have extra hands and we can set plants out in my community plot. I think Wednesday will be a good day for transplanting in my home garden.

Wednesday also my parents will stop by and pick up their plants. I have about 50 or more seedlings ready for them. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, chiles, squashes, etc. I've gotten very fond of my little sprouts after tending them for the past two months. I'm glad they will go to a good home!

rose leaf

When I turned over soil of my new community garden plot this spring, I found a few plants that looked interesting. I put these in a bed at the side of the plot. A found what looked like oregano, tarragon, rhubarb, sweet potatoes, lots of onions and a pretty little rose. The rose leaves are lovely. I have no idea what sort of flower it will have, if any. But I am curious to see. As for the other plants, I've found out that the "sweet potatoes" are actually Jerusalem artichokes, an aggressive weed in the gardens. The onions too are weeds that come up all over and I throw them on my compost pile now. But the herbs, rhubarb, and the little rose seem like good tenants.

carrot seedlings

After three weeks, I have carrot sprouts! All three of my varieties. Lots of very tiny seedlings. I put my macro lens on my camera to get a photo. We got nearly an inch of rain last night and they have a bit of mud on them today. But they are looking good.

No sign of parsnip seedlings yet. Since I've never grown them before, I'm not sure what to look for. I'll keep watching....

Daucus carota

garden birds

Here's the bird bath I made with a plastic plant saucer and a rock on top to hold it in place. Pretty basic. I hope the birds enjoy it. The cute wren is in my community plot bird house. She's spending alot of time in the house, even when Skippy and I are in the garden right near by. A very sweet and quiet pair - for house wrens.

The three Baltimore orioles were making a commotion in the community gardens today. Looks like two males and a female? Or is it two females? Many orioles arrived in our area this week. Great flashes of bright orange!

gardenbirds

soaking morning glory seeds

My mom told me this morning that she just planted her morning glory seeds. She said she soaked them overnight in water then planted them directly in the garden. I was pleased to be reminded of the morning glory seeds I saved last year. Mine are have a dark purple flower. My Mom's are blue. I'll have to remember to collect some of her seeds this fall.

community plot work

I did a number of little tasks in my community garden plot today. Its a wonderful place to spend the morning. The lilacs are in full bloom and so many birds singing.

I planted seeds for three varieties of sunflowers, nasturiums, two varieties of soy beans, and a row of radish. I am running out of space, so I am planting along side the beds I laid out. This will make my paths smaller, but why not?

My potatoes, fava beans, onions and beets are doing well. The carrots and parsnips are growing VERY slowly. I transplanted some very tiny and delicate lettuce a couple of days ago and covered it with white row cover to protect it a bit and increase the humidity. Its looking very good underneath.

I started preparing the bed where I will plant tomatoes soon. I marked the locations that 12 tomato plants will go in with little sticks. I need to collect enough poles for these. I noticed other gardeners have tomatoes in already. No rush with mine - the plants are still small.

I made hills in the bed where I will transplant my squash in a few days. The bush summer squash will go in the hills and the vining winter squash and watermelon will climb the fence. I'm still trying to figure out where I can put the cucumbers.

I set up a pot saucer as a bird bath on the far side of the plot. The birds are wonderful in the community garden. So many different songs. I have to look up who sings "old sam peabody peabody". I heard this bird today. My bird house in my plot has a nice pair of house wrens nesting. They are defending the house from a pair of pretty song sparrows. Chickadees are nesting in another birdhouse nearby. Tree swallows swoop all over. A bright pair of Baltimore Orioles was there last evening.

Lastly, I watered everything well. Its been really dry. The dark soil looks very nice with a good watering.

lettuce rows

Lactuca sativa

gardening

I brought my trays of squashes and cucumber seedlings outside this morning to enjoy the warmth and sun. My tomatoes have been outside (in pots) for more than a week now. I'd like to plant them all this weekend. I put some fancy plastic film on the beds where the tomatoes will go. Only my chiles and peppers are left inside under the lights now.

I was amused to find big patches of dill that have volunteered in the path between my beds. I didn't need to go to the effort of saving seed and winter sowing. Such an independent plant!

Today I planted seeds in my home garden beds for pole beans and several types of bush beans (Cherokee wax, purple beans, green bean Provider, and haricots verts Maxibel). I mixed seeds for all of these together and planted them along side the peas. I sprinkled bean inoculant in the soil as I planted.

My dad asked my why I bother using inoculant for the beans. As he said, one plant makes too many beans anyway and by mid-season you're wishing you didn't have so many beans. The package says it improves the soil by increasing nitrogen fixation as well as producing faster plant growth and earlier harvests. My soil is perpetually low in nitrogen levels (I did finally remember to fertilize a couple of days ago), so I think it can use this boost.

winter sowing results

I've opened up my winter sowing bottles.

From the far left (the ones that grew best are bold-type):
Rudbeckia Indian Summer, Tansy, Delphinium Fantasia Mix
Purple Coneflower, Hollyhock Zebrina, Onions White Portugal
Wild Heliopsis, Dukat Dill, Delphinium Magic Fountains Mix
Onions Sweet Yellow Spanish, Shasta Daisy Alaska, Rudbeckia Green Eyes

Most of these did well. Only two pots have no sprouts: the wild heliopsis seeds that I collected and the Delphinium Fantasia mix.

winterplanting

"aerial" view of my plot

Again I survived perching on the tall thin tree stump for an aerial view of my new community garden plot. A few plants are now starting to grow. I have planted seeds for fava beans, carrots and parsnips. Also onion sets and potatoes. Today I transplanted some small beets, lettuce and onions that I raised from seed in pots under lights at home. I think everything in my plot will be from seed this year.

apple blossoms

rock meadow plots

Here are a few plots Skippy and I walked by today. Its great fun to see what's growing in the gardens. One gardener has tomatoes in already, with lots of plastic sheeting as protection. Rock Meadow can get very chilly at night in May! Many gardeners have beautiful spring bulbs in bloom. Onions seem to be a crop that does very well.

rock meadow bluebirds

I spent an hour at my community plot today after a long absence of at least a couple days. I was glad to see the bluebirds are still in the house on the Meadow that they have occupied for a month or so now. I think this probably means they are nesting, in spite of the swallows. I hope they will raise a big family! The photo is not the best resolution - I didn't want to go too close. That's Mr Bluebird on top. I suppose the Mrs is inside.

gardenbirds

new community garden blog

Here's a new idea! A blog written by a community garden. All gardeners can sign in and post. Kind of a bulletin board, photo journal combination. I love it.

Click here: Squirrel Brand Garden Community Blog

I wonder if any gardeners at my community garden, Rock Meadow Victory Garden, would like to do something like this?? I like this format better than a Google Group I think. What do you think???

photos from squirrel brand community garden day

Who knows what I talked about. But it was really nice to meet the gardeners at Squirrel Brand Community Garden. Thanks everyone!

presentation preparation

Well, I'm trying to figure out what a group of gardeners would want to hear me talk about tomorrow morning. I'm talking at 10 am at the Squirrel Brand Community Garden Spring Kickoff in Cambridge. The weather's going to be drizzly, so I don't expect too big a group (my parents are coming, so there will be at least 2 people). Let's see, I should come up with an outline ....

Title:
"The On-Line Community of Gardening: Garden Blogging"

aerial view

Our weather has turned into beautiful springtime the past few days. Temps only went down to 60F last night and the baby tomato plants (in pots still) stayed outside. Everything is growing nicely. I am starting to think that we may not get any more frosts - in my sheltered home garden at least. Yesterday I went ahead and planted sunflower seeds outside. I think bean seeds can go in soon too. Maybe the squash and tomato plants can be transplanted soon! Spring comes so fast once it starts!

I've been looking at the number of seedlings I have, plus the number of bean varieties I want to sow. Its disappointing not to be able to use the space next to my house (lead levels are too high there). I hope I can squeeze everything in to my raised beds and my community plot!

I was able to get the bed next to the house cleared out and planted with a thick cover crop of crimson clover seed yesterday. I planted two rows of enormous sunflowers along the house. And I bought a nice big half cedar barrel so that I can plant a few vegetables in this nice sunny area. Its such a big bare area right now.

gift plants

These are plants my sister and I potted up and gave to my parents for their vegetable garden. I was pleased with how nice they look. Almost like store bought! (I grew them all from seed.) They're a little wilty here because we forgot to water them, but they perked up very well. My dad planted them in his garden immediately when he got home. Nice straight rows. They look great!

The box includes 6 winterbor kale, 6 tuscan kale, 6 red russian kale, 12 broccoli, 6 garlic, 6 red lettuce (mervelle de 4 seasons) and 6 green lettuce (escarole blonde).