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Using compost and cardboard as a weed barrier

We had 3 cubic yards of compost delivered today!  That's actually the smallest amount of compost I've ever had delivered.  I get organic mushroom compost, which is supplied by a local company.  Last year, I actually did not order compost, although I had some left over from the year before last.  But I do like to add quite a bit to my beds each year, so I am very happy to have it again. 

I completed my first project with the compost: as a topdressing and mulch for my front flower garden.  Now, this area is really terrible.  I did a good job of digging out the bermuda grass and weeds the year we moved in, but there were a couple of seasons where I didn't weed at all (hard to weed when your toddler keeps running away from you), and it just got awful again.  So, I surrounded my annual seedlings and perinneals with paper and cardboard and spread compost on top of that as a mulch.  This is extremely effective in my vegetable garden, and I think it will be in my garden as well.  It looks quite nice right now. 

The bermuda grass is making me so crazy that I may have to resort to a chemical solution, but for now I'm going to give this a go.  I may add a wood mulch next month, so I can repeat the process, adding an additional weed barrier.  I find that the paper/cardboard is far more effective against bermuda grass and other weeds than a weed fabric.  I'll update on how it goes.  I'm hoping for a pretty flower garden this year, which I haven't had for the past 2 seasons! 

Pick Your Own Strawberries

It seems crazy, as much as I love fresh food, but yesterday was the first time I went to our nearby farm that offers strawberry picking every spring.  My older son and I went out and picked two pounds of delicious strawberries.  Today, I made freezer jam for the first time, using an instant fruit pectin.  I made 18 cups of strawberry freezer jam, to be exact.  Hope my boys like it!

If they do, I'll pick more strawberries and make enough to get us through the year.  I'm trying to buy more local.  I had an awful moment in Trader Joe's when I realized that their strawberries were from California, even though we have tons of strawberries growing right now here in Virginia.  It's ridiculous to have to buy fruit that's been shipped 3000 miles when we have the same fruit right here that would taste a whole lot better (and stay fresher) than the shipped berries.

I bought 2 wonderful bell peppers and a delicious cucumber at the same farm.  Now that my youngest child is a little older, I think it will be easier to go gathering produce at the different farm markets.  I refuse to eat flavorless produce anymore.  Life is too short.  I hope that someday, it will be easier to buy delicious, local produce in the grocery store.

May tomatoes!

Here are my almost-ripe tomatoes:

They came from these plants, in my Earthboxes:

This has got to be the earlist I've harvested tomatoes before.  I bought them in late March at the local garden center.  They were already flowering a little.  I put them in the container on my front porch, which is the hottest place in my garden.  I wheeled them in on nights when there was danger of frost, and there were a couple of days where I just had to keep them inside all day.  I left them on my front ponch until about mid-April, when the afternoon sun got to be too much for them.  Then I wheeled them through the house into the back porch, where they get morning sun.  It's also nice back there because they get rain, so I have to water even less.

The tomatoes are a determinate variety called "Short 'n Sweet."  I haven't tasted them yet, but I'm optimistic that they'll be superior to our grocery store tomatoes.  I also have lots of larger indeterminate tomatoes growing out in my raised beds, but the first ones I planted (in late March) are just now starting to flower, so these will be all that we'll get for at least a month, I guess.

So happy that tomato season is back!  Depending on when our last frost is, we may have real homegrown tomatoes until Christmas! 

April Garden Update

I can't believe how long it has been since I updated my blog! I'm still gardening, loving it more than ever.

I am very proud that I have tomatoes ripening in my earthboxes! I'll write more about them tomorrow.

I've also got tomatoes flowering out in my beds. I'm so excited. It's been a very warm spring, so I also have some peppers and eggplants already planted. I have tons of beautiful lettuce, and a few radishes, although it really got too warm for the radishes. The peas are almost ready, and they are tall and beautiful. My garlics are growing, which is good, because I am nearly out of the garlic I grew last year for cooking. I've got my herbs growing too, and enough parsley that I really need to make some chimmichurri sauce as soon as possible, and save it up. I'm also wanting to plant lots of flowers in my beds this year, mainly zinnias.

I'm still battling the bermuda grass in my front garden, but have planted some very tough perinneals and annual seeds. I'll be using paper/cardboard as a weed barrier.

Garden Update

My garden is growing like CRAZY. Everything (pretty much) looks lush and healthy. I am excited about a giant butternut squash plant that grew out of the compost I spread on the ground. It is making so many squashes!

An early crookneck I planted is doing great too, and I should have tasty squash within a week or so.

The tomatoes look lovely and Jenny is just starting to ripen. Next year: I will plant some really, really early tomato varieties in the water chamber things. I'm not sure it was worth putting the peppers in those, as the ones that weren't in them are making peppers just as fast now. So, peppers coming soon too!

The bush beans (Festina) look wonderful, are flowering, and making tiny beans.

I have a huge borage bush that looks lovely.

The tomatillos are huge and flowering. I have four this year, and I intend to make salsa, amongst other things with them. Got eggplants both in the ground and in the Earthbox. Will be interested to see how they do.

Got some of my poblano peppers planted. Can't wait for these! Will start them much earlier next year, and not in my regular seed starters--they didn't like them.

Planted my pepino cucumber seeds today, also zucchini (Italiano largo), melon Amy, a watermelon, pattypan squash, and spagghetti squash.

Made a rustic pyramid for my cucumbers.

Got to go eat dinner!

a mid spring summary

So much has happened (gardening-wise). I love, love, love my garden. It is full of plants and lush and beautiful (to me). I'm going to try and summarize by plant what's been going on since the spring.

Asparagus: I talked about that in my last entry. It's growing much taller than last year and hiding my compost bins well. A gorgeous plant.

Kale and collards: Long gone now, the four of each I bought at the garden center were delicous. I can't wait to grow them this cool season and learn to experiment with them.

Mustard: Started this in the fall; overwintered. Delicous. Plan to grow several varieties this fall.

Arugula: Didn't turn out nearly as nice as last year. I think the weather had something to do with it. I didn't plant it as early (cuz the ground was frozen), and I didn't get around to it as soon as I should. Anyway, it was cold for longer and then got really warm.

Radishes: Tasty as ever. I grew a lot more of them. However, we've had these hot spells, and the ones that are coming up now are rather bitter. I'd like to try sauteeing them.

Spinach: Most of these I bought at the garden center, but I managed to grow a few plants from seed! All are delicous. We've had creamed spinach once, and my husband made a couple batches (Emeril's recipe) to freeze last night. Great in salads too. I see why people love it. The tasty greens just keep coming, and we haven't had to buy grocery store greens in weeks!

Lettuce: The speckled lettuce and the buttercrunch I bought at the garden center have thrived! (After I nearly killed them from neglect/lack of water.) I have too much of them. The ones I grew from seed and have going in the self-watering containers (Earth boxes) are delicious as well (and more interesting). I am also growing some iceburg (a first) because I'd like to use it as wraps. I am moving all of my lettuce containers to the back porch, where they will get less afternoon sunlight.

Peas: I grew Maestro and Mr. Big, all mixed together. I was going to grow Mr. Big, but couldn't find it, so I started Maestro from seed, and then when I planted them out and some died (lack o' water), I put in some Mr. Big seeds. Both are garden peas, and they are so delicous. Like candy. The children and I just eat them out in the backyard fresh.

Beans: A few bush beans have been started, and I plan to start my pole beans soon. I'm having to plan around some summer travel.

Cabbages: The red ones from the fall are still not ready to be harvested. Waiting on the white ones I planted this spring too.

Broccoli: First harvest last night! The Packman I bought at the store (same kind I grew from seed last year). I made a broc-cheese soup out of it and froze it. (Emeril's recipe). Hope to get some side shoots.

Squash: Have planted crookneck squash seeds that are coming up now. Got tons of mystery squashes growing throughout the garden. Be interesting to see what they are. (Probably all fall gourds). Going to plant more as the cabbages and spinaches come out.

Melons: Haven't planted any yet!

Cucumbers: Son has some early bush ones planted in his little bed. I plan to plant more to make pickles. (I got a canner!)

Tomatoes: Oh, the tomatoes. The ones I started in the kozy coats (well, 2 of the 3--one died right away) are thriving! They are giant! I need to take pictures. I took the coats off today because it's been so hot. I've got lots of green tomatoes already. It appears that the Early Girl bit the dust, and that I'll soon have delicous Ladybug Hybrid and Jenny tomatoes to eat. I have many other plants, both cherry and beefsteak set out. One of these days I'll do a post just listing the varieties of plants I'm growing. (So that I'll remember!) I haven't set them all out yet, the colors of cherry I'm growing include red grape, red cherry, orange, purple, white, and green!

Sweet Peppers: I ended up putting one (Carmen) in the kozy coat for the Early Girl that died, and it is already growing at least one pepper! Has several more flowers too. Plan to grow many colors of pepper! I didn't buy a mix--bought individual packages. I don't know why...

Hot Peppers: I let my seedlings (Ancho 101 and Anaheim) get too cold, and they are really coming along slowly. Right now I have 3 seedlings of one (not sure which--probably Ancho) and none of the other. I even started some more. Couldn't find any poblano or anaheim peppers at the store. Bought a jalapeno and a super chili (don't know what this is), and a friend gave me 2 haberneros. I loved my Ancho 101's, and still have a couple frozen that I am so sad to use up. Hope to store up a lot for the winter and give some away if I have too many.

Huckleberries: Trying to grow these! Looks like one has germinated.

Alpine strawberries: Trying to grow these as well.

Annual herbs: Got dill, cilantro, stevia, parsley, basil, nasturtium, borage all growing.

Perinneal herbs: In my little herb garden: Sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme all doing well. In pots, chives are doing fine. In the front garden, mint is trying to fight off the bermuda grass, joined by it's ally echinacea white swan.

Flowers: Got celosia started. Cannas planted.

Things I've learned:

• If I plant seeds, and it doesn't rain, and I don't water, they won't come up. (I know this should be obvious).
• New transplants need to be watered every day at first, even in cool weather.
• Things that are gross in the grocery store (kale) are often delicous in the garden.
• Garden peas taste like candy.
• I really need an irrigation system. Got spoiled to all the rain we had last season.
• It's okay to buy plants at the garden center instead of starting everything from seed.
• I will not start perinneal flowers from seed again unless they are really, really easy.
• I have to stock up in a major way on my Park's Starts refills. I HATE it when I run out of these. Not all seeds do well in these, but so far, they are my favorite way to start seeds.