Cooler today, digging soil

Luckily it cooled off quite a bit after the storms.  It’s about 60 degrees today so it’s perfect weather for digging, although it’s a bit windy.  The buttercup squash I direct seeded is sprouting.  I finished filling in the bed on the side of the garden by the compost, the first tomato bed, and most of the second tomato bed.  I was going to do more digging after supper but it’s so windy now I’m afraid something will drop on me.  The plan for tomorrow is to finish filling in the second tomato bed and try to get the other pepper bed & the cucumber bed filled in so we can plant the rest of the stuff that will go in those beds.

Storm Damage

Memorial Day today.

Last night’s storm dropped a big branch from the tree by the garden & it left a huge hole in the yard when it fell.  Of course we forgot to retract the clothes line so that got bent.  Other than some other smaller branches that was all the damage I could see upon first glance.  When I was out checking for storm damage I discovered 2 ripe strawberries.  Kaitlyn & I ate them & they were delicious!  I got most of the beds where the tomatoes will be weeded so tomorrow I can do lots of digging to fill them in.

Branch on the clothesline

Hole left by the branch

Branch down from last night's storm

Squash & radishes

Spinach & arugula

Our first strawberries of the season

Radishes

Storms predicted & planting beans

It’s SO hot!  It’s 93 and very humid and they’re predicting severe storms sometime this afternoon & evening.  Kaitlyn helped me weed the beds for the beans, kale, peppers, & part of the pumpkin bed.  I got all of the wax beans, lima beans, & some dill planted.  There’s a black seeded simpson that came up on its own in the second bed from Jayne’s fence.  The amazing thing is it’s in the exact space it should be to mark the end of the row where it would have been planted by the kale & lima beans.  I was going to do some more digging to fill in the other planting beds but it’s too hot so I did more weeding instead.

First Harvest

Pulled lots of weeds in between rainstorms.  Harvested the first of the black seeded simpson & arugula so we could eat some with our tacos for dinner.

Arugula & Black Seeded Simpson harvested

Warmth test

The garden guy on channel 5 had a great way to figure out if the soil is warm enough to plant tomatoes and peppers.  We’re calling it the “butt test” now. J Sit on the ground for about 20 minutes or so.  If you can sit there for 20 minutes without your butt getting cold then the ground is warm enough for the tomatoes & peppers.

The arugula is loving all of the rain we've gotten lately

Growth in the front planting beds

The frames are done!

I finished putting together the last of the frames for the raised beds.  Although the stupid wind blew my hair in my face as I was hammering in the last nail and I ended up hammering my finger.  Ouch!

The squash is planted and most of the seedlings are coming up nicely.

Pumpkins

Oregano & Dill

Oregano

Squash & Radishes

Pumpkins & planting boxes

We brought back a bunch of boards from Grand Rapids this weekend and Al helped me cut the rest of them to size.  George had a great idea to use stakes to support the places where the boards need to be joined so they stay in place.  It worked well.

The pumpkins are coming up!

Pumpkins

The last planting box frames

More garden prep & plants sprouting

It finally stopped raining so I was able to finish digging the bed for the broccoli & cauliflower.  I got all of the cauliflower & broccoli planted as well as a couple sage plants and some dill seeds.

The garlic is sprouting now so they must have survived replanting.  The peas seem to be doing well also.  Four of the pumpkin seeds are sprouting!

Back outside after picking up Kaitlyn from school…. Got most of the squash bed filled in.  There are a lot of tree roots near the surface so I’m not digging the pathway down very far.

Onions

 Red onions & white onions are coming up nicely.  It would be nice if the trees would stop dropping so many of these darned helicopter seed things.  It seems like they’re everywhere!

Garlic

The bed where the squash will go

Raised beds & Asparagus

Yesterday I sank wide boards all along the back line of the garden and along the side by the compost bin.  Hopefully that will keep some of the animals from digging their way into the garden.  Of course I twisted my ankle getting out of the garden last night.  Ouch!

Today I finished digging dirt into the planting bed for the asparagus and got the asparagus planted.  I also finished putting the boards along the side of the garden by the compost.

I got most of the bed for the cauliflower & broccoli dug but my ankle & hand are hurting too much to dig any more today.  

Fixing storm damage

It finally stopped raining so I can fix the planting beds.  I think the peas & garlic will be ok after fixing the beds but a bunch of the romaine will have to be replanted.

I dug in boards along the back line of the garden to work as a retaining wall & to keep the animals out.  Also started putting boards along the side by the compost pile & tree.  That will have to be finished tomorrow since it started raining again.  I also tripped getting out of the garden & twisted my ankle & hurt my right hand so I won’t be doing any more gardening today.

Storm damage

During the severe storms yesterday it rained so hard it washed dirt out of 5 of the front 7 planting beds.  Some of the peas and garlic washed out of the boxes.  I got them replanted - hopefully they'll still grow.  Of course I just planted the garlic yesterday. Ugh. On a positive note, there are blossoms on the strawberry plants.

Soil washed out by the peas

Soil washed out of the planting boxes

I just planted that garlic yesterday!

Blossoms on the strawberry plants