Welcome March!

 I like March. It feels like spring is imminent.  Easter approaches. We aren’t just turned back towards the light, we are ready to be out in the sun in any way we can be.

I have gardening plans in my head every day.  Here are some ideas for planning your garden this season.

DOA In The Garden 2/4/24

 

Temperatures in the 30s just don’t have the same mental impact when there’s sunshine and no snow.  Even the seed companies are detecting people want to just get out there and PLANT.

I’m finding pictures and plans for the vegetable to be most appealing.  As always, I want to grow lots of everything. Here are some pictures to dream on as we wait for the calendar to catch up with our dreams and plans.

Sunday Dreaming: Garden Inspirations

I use Bay leaves in soups and sauces and would love to grow it, but have only found it locally once.  Perhaps it will be available in this odd season.

yougrowgirl.com/growing-bay-laurel-in-a-pot/

I have several seed varieties of cucumbers, and I always have good luck planting them directly in the garden.  I'm hoping to try some in pots this season to make good use of space.

https://gardeningsoul.com/grow-cucumbers-vertically-effective-way/




From the National Garden Bureau, how to plan a container Victory Garden.

https://ngb.org/2020/04/08/container-victory-garden/





Not sure how much to plant for your family?  The Spruce has some tips:

https://www.thespruce.com/how-many-vegetables-per-person-in-garden

I love Bleeding Hearts.  I could be happy growing one of each type.  Here are tips from the National Gardening Association on keeping them happy.   (My own tip has always been, if you keep them nicely moist, they'll stick around all season.  If you let them dry out, they'll go dormant, particularly the White varieties.)

https://garden.org/plants/group/bleeding-hearts/

Garden Planning For 2017 : Garden Mapping

Here it is, November 28th and it rained hard with thunder and lightening all day long.  It was 50 degrees and if all of that doesn't get a person in the mood for spring, what will?  Maybe we will have a short balmy winter.

When I'm on top of things in the garden I know every plant, and their common and Latin Names.

I have maps of the garden which include date planted, and notes if I've moved something or if it didn't survive the winter.

Planning next year's garden is fun, particularly the vegetable garden, which is all new every year.  I faithfully rotate my crops so nothing is grown in the same spot every year.

For the 2017 vegetable garden, I know which beds I want to plant a few things in, tomatoes need the sunniest spots, lettuces would like some shade and protection from varmints.

Many of my beds have lots of open spaces in my plan thus far.  I want to see what seeds I buy, and I'd really like to try the Square Foot Gardening method in a couple of beds next spring.    How I've managed to garden all these years without trying it, I don't know.  Perhaps because I've only been working on vegetables for a few years.  There are many techniques to try, and I'm excited to see what can be done.

Here is my vegetable map so far:

I'm not sure what varieties of beans, peas, peppers, melons or culinary herbs I'll plant, but I penciled those in at the side of the map as a reminder to look for varieties to fill the beds.  There is plenty of space in this garden for plants in pots as well.  It is usually my favorite area of the yard.

Time to dream of summer.

Figure A: Tomatoes

I did nothing with my vegetable garden this year except move raised beds around and plant a few tomato seedlings.  Miraculously, the seedlings thrived and better late than never, have put out some nice tasty little tomatoes.  

Back to full production in the spring.