Now our attention has turned to our garden in the back. My little seed packets were begging to be planted. I had created a sketch/plan for our plots back in March before we left for Haiti. In late March, we paid for someone to rototill four 4×8 plots, which I then amended with peat and compost, as well as throwing our remaining topsoil from last years lawn project.
The only kink in my plans weighs ten pounds and likes to sleep on our clean laundry – Bianca, our dog. It only took one trip into the back yard for us to realize that she saw no boundaries between lawn and garden plot. Which could mean death for my little seedlings. Hmm. Three trips to Lowes and Home Depot later I was fearing hundreds of dollars in garden fencing and way more work than my tomatoes and beets merited. All I had wanted to do was dig in the dirt!
Fortunately, my darling husband came riding in on his white horse and saved me in my moment of desperation. At his suggestion we created our own simple fence using 3′ bamboo stakes and baling twine. It certainly won’t keep out rabbits or deer, but hopefully it will signal to Bianca to stay out.
There was rain coming yesterday afternoon, so we put in some early gardening time in the morning and I was able to plant the rest of my seeds as well as transplant the seedlings I had started back in March. Here’s what I’m hoping to grow:
Soaking seeds in mid-March. Kohlrabi, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Marigolds, Basil, Parsley, Zinnias
Seeds planted in late March: Swiss Chard, Cosmos
Seedlings started in peat pots in Mid-March: Kohlrabi, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Marigolds, Basil, Parsley, Zinnias
Seeds planted this week: White Scallop Summer Squash, Sugar Snap Peas, Snow Peas, Okra, Beets
Lots of watering and weeding remain, but there are few things as enjoyable to me as working in the garden.
Sounds yummy! I wish we were gardeners, but we have black thumbs for sure.