Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Spring Is Here

Well, Spring is finally here.  And it's time to get the garden tools out again.  It is such an exciting time of year, the birth of new seeds and the beginning of regrowth from the established vegetation.  Time to pull the winter weeds and till up the garden plots to get ready for new plants. 

Soon, I will have to make final decisions what vegetables I want to set out this year.  I am already developing ideas for new small vegetable garden beds.  I am successful with small raised beds instead of one large plowed garden area.  Because of my health, such a traditional garden would overwhelm me and I may loose interest.  With the small beds, I can successfully take care of one at a time and feel successful.

I have reset my strawberries from a place I had them on the ground to a long planter set on the railing on the back porch.  This way, they can grow and the berries will hang over the planters and are easily accessible from the kitchen by way of the back door.  I got this inspiration from a picture of a strawberry farm where they had the plants in what appeared to be rain gutter in very long lengths, held up by polls and 3 rows up. 

I have also put out some cool weather greens; spinach, mesculin and kale.  Here in coastal North Carolina, these greens wilt like a delicate southern belle in the hot humid days.  I want to try my hand a brussel sprouts this year.  I remember them from my childhood and long rows in the family garden.  Frozen ones are not as enticing as fresh grown from your own garden. 

So time to get my garden journal out and look over last years successes and missteps, and plan for this years bountiful harvest.