Moving the chive plants

Kaitlyn with the chive plants

The first plants in the new raised beds

Kaitlyn helped me move some of the chive plants to the first raised bed so we can finish digging where the chive plants were.

Filling raised beds & seed report

Buttercup Squash

I dug more soil into the planting beds and cleaned up some more.  Kaitlyn is having fun collecting the rocks that I dig up. J  I finished the second bed and started on the third before I was too tired and we had to come in to eat & get ready for Girl Scouts. 

I planted cauliflower, and more habanero & jalapeno peppers, rosemary, sage and marigolds in seed trays.  I moved the seed trays with mostly herbs to the corner by the red onions to make room for the new seed tray.

Several peppers are starting to come up!

The buttercup squash and broccoli are really doing well!

Most of the tomato plants are up now & doing well!

Broccoli & Sage

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Digging soil into raised beds

I started digging the topsoil from the walkways into the planting beds.  I’m glad it’s so warm so I have plenty of time to work on this because it’s A LOT of work!  I finished the bed closest to Jayne’s yard and got part of the next one done.

Garden plan work

Measured Sean & Melinda’s garden & started on their garden plan.

The buttercup squash is starting to come up!

More seeds are sprouting

Broccoli seedlings

Most of the tomatoes are sprouting now above the fridge.  The broccoli is growing fast and most of the broccoli seeds that hadn’t sprouted a couple days ago are now up.  Most of the basil has sprouted. 

The Gurney’s order came today, well the seed part.  The onions, garlic, rhubarb & asparagus will be shipped when they’re ok to plant.  I won’t have time to plant the cauliflower today, so I’ll do that tomorrow morning.  I’ll bring Sean & Melinda’s part of the order out to them tomorrow and help Sean measure the garden so we can figure out a garden plan for them.

I worked on the frames for more of the planting beds.  Most of them are done now – just 4 left to go and then I can start filling them in when the ground completely thaws.  With the record temperatures we’re having it shouldn’t take too long.  It was in the 70s today!

Since it’s been so warm I thought I should check on the strawberries and sure enough, there are several plants up already.

Just before turning the grow lights off tonight I noticed most of the sage plants are starting to poke through the soil!

Seeds are sprouting

Two of the Sweet 100 tomatoes are sprouting!  And some sweet basil and some broccoli!

Marigolds & Thyme are coming up

Went to water the seeds and noticed the thyme is starting to come up as well as some of the marigolds!  Went to Menards for more seed starting mix.  

Started buttercup squash (6) & more sweet marjoram (12 total).  I noticed on the seed packet for the buttercup squash that the spacing suggested is larger than what I had previously read, so I adjusted the garden map to update the spacing.  We’ll plant 5 buttercup squash plants then instead of 8.

Marigold seedlings

Thyme

Seed order

Checked on the status of our Gurney’s order.  The seeds shipped yesterday and should be delivered via UPS Ground on Wednesday (3/14).  The asparagus, rhubarb, white onions, garlic, and Sean & Melinda’s blueberries & black raspberries will be shipped when it’s time to plant them.

I finally found the celery, sweet marjoram & chamomile seeds at Home Depot! Nobody else around here seems to carry them for some reason, or at least they didn’t have them out.  Started celery (12) & sweet marjoram in tray above the entertainment center.  Ran out of seed starting mix so I’ll have to wait to plant more seeds until I get more seed starter.

Asked Melinda what herbs they’d like.  They’ll take 1 of each of the kinds I’m planting.  I’ll bring their seeds to them on Thursday & help measure their garden so we can figure out their garden plan.

Ordering seeds & starting seedlings

Ordered seeds & plants from Gurney’s since the 50% off coupon expires after today.  Went to Walmart, Kmart & Menards for seeds & seed starting mix.  Nobody seems to have celery or sweet marjoram.  I can order them from Jung Seeds (www.jungseeds.com) if I can’t find them anywhere else but I’d rather not pay shipping just for 2 seed packets.

Started tomatoes (beefsteak-9, big boy-10, Roma-10, Rutgers-9, sweet 100 cherry-6, golden rave-6), bell peppers (orange-12, green-3, yellow-8, mixed-13), banana peppers-12, jalapeno peppers-9, habanero peppers-3 and put trays above refrigerator.  Started some red onions in a little tray under the light in the living room corner.  Started marigolds-10, sweet basil-18, sage-8, broccoli-6 in tray on top of the entertainment center.

Getting ready to start seedlings

I collected all of the plant signs & markers from the cabinet in the garage & washed & sorted them.  Planted some of the herb plants in seed trays – sage, thyme-6, basil, rosemary-6 & parsley-10.  

Talked to Mom & asked if they’d like any plants so I know how many seeds to plant.  They’d like 1 each of sage, thyme, basil & Roma tomato (for the topsy turvy planter).  Sean & Melinda will take 1 of the Sweet 100 tomatoes and George & Dody will take a couple.