Χά�ων Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 It is getting to be that time of year! I am trying to grow artichokes this year so I started the seeds indoors since I am just a smidgen too far north for them. I am hoping to get to taste some fresh artichokes this year! I am reading up to see about over wintering them next year. I think if I trim them back, heavily mulch and use a cold frame to protect it I might be able to get them to survive. DS wants to try the Three Sisters method of growing corn, beans and squash. I had planned to do this with my beans but figure it can give my squash a place to hang out was well. Okra and sunflower seeds are my other go to plants for supporting running beans. I primarily direct sow but I am starting a few things indoors and I am planning to build half a dozen raised beds for my because they do not seem to like my soil. I need a safe place for my lettuce, kale and other plants that I need to protect from the young of some of our insect visitors. I am growing 5 different varieties of watermelon another 4 varieties of melon 3 summer squash varieties and 4 winter squash varieties. Did you know you ca freeze watermelon? I plan to do that, assuming there is any left! I am attempting to grow swiss chard. I have never had it before but DS requested it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrookValley. Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 ME TOO! Unfortunately I have a ton of land and only a teensy place suitable for a garden, so I never grow fun stuff that sprawls, like corn and beans or melons. If I have the gumption this year, I'm going to tear out my raised beds (concrete block) and build new ones. And more of them. The husband would love to grow a three sisters garden. He desparately wants to grow sweet corn, but I have no place to plant enough of it. Chard is like a weed. Easiest thing ever. Kinda like growing kale. Mmmmm, kale...I love growing Lacinato (dinosaur) kale! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Make sure that you give the corn a head start over the beans. The vines will strangle your corn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I have my teeny raised beds set up and a cloche over them to let the ground dry and warm. I'm going to start some peas inside this weekend, to plant out when they are bigger and less exciting for the mice. I need to have a look at my seeds to see what I can plant out when, and when I can start other things indoors. Our last frost isn't until May, so I have to make sure not to move too fast. I'm growing some things in amongst my flowers: rainbow chard, chives, red-veined sorrel. I think it will be pretty. I'm also restarting my herb bed in a better location. I'm looking forward to it. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 It's too early here! (Zone 5 US) and we're still under a foot of snow. In any event we have a lot of prep to do (trying to be less haphazard this year, our second one of any gardening that doesn't involve a fire escape). I also buy my seedlings from farm down the street and only plant from seed direct seed vegetables and annual flowers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I also buy my seedlings from farm down the street and only plant from seed direct seed vegetables and annual flowers. Last year I planted up a five metre by four metre patio-with-intermingled-beds almost entirely with perennials that I had raised from seed. A lot flowered last year, but I can't wait to see what happens this year. I reckon that after that I can try veg from seed. We'll see if pride comes before a fall. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I wish we could start now but we have 1-2 feet of snow on the ground and it's freaking cold. We are just starting this year so the garden will be small Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 We are trying to identify what the original owners of our home planted. Lots of love and care went into the grounds, so we want to preserve as much as we can. It's a learning process since we are in a different zone now, and I don't recognize much of what I see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 We are trying to identify what the original owners of our home planted. Lots of love and care went into the grounds, so we want to preserve as much as we can. It's a learning process since we are in a different zone now, and I don't recognize much of what I see. Check with your conservation department, or a local nature center, or a lawn and garden center to get someone to walk you through the yard and identify the plants. I'd suggest calling in that order, with the hopes that the first two may have programs that will allow a walk through to happen at no cost to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I'm ready to get my fingers dirty, too...but it's too early to do much. I do have onions in. I'm not going to do broccoli or cauliflower this year. Love the flavor, but hate fighting the little moth that gets them. I might toss some kale and chard out.... My husband did a three sisters planting last year. Here corn is done by 4th of July so we had dead stalks for the beans and squash to sprawl over. Squash loved the arrangement, the corn and beans, less so. We are planning to get the rest of the roses pruned in the next few days. All the shrubbery rearranging is done...now to keep everything watered until next fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 We are trying to identify what the original owners of our home planted. Lots of love and care went into the grounds, so we want to preserve as much as we can. It's a learning process since we are in a different zone now, and I don't recognize much of what I see. One of the nicest surprises we found when we bought this effectively-abandoned-for 10 years farmhouse is that daffodils came out in the spring, followed by...glorious, beautiful peonies! My favourite!! I hope they come up again, we tried to help their bed a little and hope we did not hurt. We also are having the very worst winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Oh, I do have 10 rose bushes on order. So much to look forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldilocks Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 We are so excited about our garden here! We started lots of stuff indoors over the last two weeks. We go downstairs and check our "babies" several times each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I can't even think about gardening until the state Science Olympiad competition in a few weeks. I want to try potatoes this year. We'll do hot peppers (a few varieties), some smaller tomatoes, onions, garlic in the fall, lettuces, pole green beans, hmmmmm. We'll be out of town for the last two weeks in June---I'll have to pay dnephew to water for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My3girls Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Oh don't remind me! I need to get out and clean up my beds and mulch. We will wait another month or so to plant. It never fails that we plant and then as soon as we get seedlings or shoots, we get a frost. Usually, I wait until after Easter, but Easter is pretty late this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I am ready, but our weather is not! We still have 6-8 inches of old, yucky snow in our yard, and it snowed another inch today, with more coming next week! I'm supposed to have started my onions and leeks by now, but I'm really afraid they won't be able to go in the ground in a month, and I only have limited seed starting space. I do, however, have an AWESOME spreadsheet and bed layout. I have nearly 60 types of seeds I want to plant, and I thought I'd never fit them all in. Turns out I will, and I even have extra space! Oh don't remind me! I need to get out and clean up my beds and mulch. Ugh, yes, this too. I was so burned out in the fall that I never put the garden to bed properly, and now I'm paying for it. I can't even get into it to clean up the beds at the moment. Blech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I just picked 12 peas from my sorry looking straggly plants! But they are producing, bless their hearts! Since we're in a drought situation here and will probably be rationing water this summer, I can't do any experimental gardening. It'll be strictly tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and green beans. But I am looking forward to putting it in. Dh will roto-till in a couple of weeks and we'll mix in the compost. We've been composting this plot for the past 10 years and the soil is wonderful. Though we're definitely moving the tomatoes. We've been trying to move them around, but I still think we're not rotating as much as we should. So we'll be planting them in the front yard in the Rose garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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