All In

Well, almost.... the vegetable garden, that is. Today Dan and I worked on the vegetable garden, turning the beds again and planting more seeds. The weather was cool and overcast, but the predicted rain help off. Dan started a smudge pot to dispel the bugs, which worked great. Later the breeze picked up enough to keep the evil buggers at bay.

We were joined in the garden by our friend the titmouse, who built a snug, furry nest in the nest box on top of the garden fence post seen in the top center of the photo. The titmice seem unfathomed by our presence in the garden, flitting in and out of the nest box to feed the brood we can hear inside.

I planted the Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash, Spinach, Fedco's Broccoli Blend, Oliver Brussels Sprouts, Mike's Pole Beans, Prescot Fond Blanc Melon, Winter Luxury and New England Pie Pumpkin a few days ago, and last weekend we planted Peppers in the raised bed and covered them with a floating row cover. Over the pumpkins and melon I placed hot caps made from gallon milk jugs with the bottoms cut off. Once the weather is warmer, they will come off. They really help, all the seeds have germinated as of today. At the far end of that bed I planted some calendula, which has also germinated.

We finished up the direct seeding today with a few Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans, Indy Gold Bush Beans, Atomic Red and Mokum Carrots, , Rainbow Lights Chard, and more Diva Cucumbers to replace the slug-eaten ones, sigh (I liberally sprinkled Sluggo about today) . I have mislaid the Sugar Ann Snap Peas and the Gold of Bacau Pole Beans, grr. I subbed the beans with some old Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean seeds passed on by my friend Steve, and a leftover 2006 packet of the Indy Gold Bush Beans. At least I hadn't cut the extra poles yet. I planted thickly hoping for good germination.

The salad greens have germinated well, and in fact are in need of thinning. I hope to get to that this week, but it is my last week in the office for the summer and I'm anticipating some long days as I try and reach escape velocity. I also need to cut the potatoes for planting. I've got Carola, French Fingerling, Rose Apple Finn, and Austrian Crescent to plant after I divvy them up with pal Karen (they are half hers).

We also prepped the center of the garden for the herb beds. I have basil, dill, parsley, chervil, rosemary seedlings, and lovage plant to go in those beds, with a birdbath for the center, and some flowers for cutting. I also have leeks and of course lots of tomato seedlings to go in, and the flower seedlings mentioned above.

I am really pleased with the new vegetable garden layout, I hope eventually we can manage to make raised beds, but for now this layout looks great, and seems workable. Next vegetable garden project: renovating the third overgrown raised bed, full of apple mint. Will we be able to save this bed? It will be a big project!