Planting Day!!!

While we still have one more snow to go here in Ohio and our last frost date is nearly two months away, it is planting day!!!! The vernal (spring) equinox and particularly after a full moon is an excellent time to plant early cold loving root crops. Radishes, Beets, Leeks, Carrots and Onions are best planted early in the season (as soon as the ground can be worked). Since some of

these plants won't germinate for 10-20 days and not mature for 60-75 days, it is best to get them in the ground now.

Since I live in the city, the hard frosts are more than likely done for the year and I only need to worry about light frosts that may damage the leaves of early seedlings, I am safe to get the seeds in the ground. When they mature to seedlings I will only cover them with row covers, glass or plastic cloches to protect against any potential damage.

Getting started on growing my vegetables really gives me a sense that Spring has arrived!

Happy Purim, Equinox and Ostara...and Happy Gardening!

Happy Garden Visitors and New Beds

Attracting beneficial visitors to your garden means making it a hospitable place for visitors both visible and those a bit more elusive. This morning, I added another new feature to the garden, a bird bath!! A few years ago, I had to bid farewell to an old sour cherry tree. It broke my heart to have it cut down but it was really old and was beginning to split at the trunk. Removing it added more places for direct sun light...it also left a small stump. I had the arborist cut the stump as close to the ground as possible, but there was still as small flat reminder of the tree. Well today I positioned a beautiful stained concrete birdbath right on top of it and built a small bed that will hold thyme and lavender. The bath will allow birds to splash, bath and drink...I added a piece of flagstone in the middle to allow bees and butterflies to use the bath as a lovely respite from polinating and making my garden a better place to be!

I also added a small bed in a more shaded part of the garden. I will sew peas in this bed as well as cooler climate crops such as arugula and lettuces, with its location, I can have fresh salads all summer long!!!

Happy Gardening!

The Herb Garden

Yesterday I spent the afternoon preparing the potager for spring, I top dressed the beds with compost and hand tilled the soil (avoiding the sprouting garlic of course). But what I was most excited about was working on the perrenial herb garden!

Three years ago when I renovated my kitchen, we eliminated an exterior door and back porch leaving a large bed (where my new eco friendly air conditioner lives). In my haste preparing for a party, I planted some plants in this bed just to get something in it...not a terrible choice, but just not the most practical.

After a few years of a lot of change in my life, I am finally coming back to this bed and putting in what I have always wanted, a perrenial herb garden. I have grown herbs in pots since I bought this house, but have always bid them goodbye at the first frost only to buy them the following year. Now I can have herbs that come back year after year (with some winter protection). The previous residents of the bed have either been transplanted or thanked for their service and composted. I never take the life of a plant for granted so while they are no longer in this bed, they will live on in compost for the garden and its newest residents...culinary and medicinal herbs!! Stay tuned for the progress!!

Happy Gardening!

2011 Garden Planning

It is the end of February and here in the heart of the Ohio valley winter is in its final throws and spring waits just a couple more weeks. As a big pot of chicken stock bubbles on the stove today, I have been planning the 2011 potager, I am mapping out the garden space and also ordering seeds for those plants I will start myself. You can see from the picture above I have moved some items around, ommitted some things and added others.

In the coming weeks I will share with you the rest of the plans (along with pictures when I am outside working) for a shade vegetable plot and new herb garden! Let me know what you think!!

Happy Gardening!

Materials Matter

Conitnuing with the topic of starting a garden in the fall is the choice of materials for your garden beds. The simple solution would be not to use any materials at all, to simply till the soil, ammend the soil and plant. It is a completely viable and very cost effective solution.

I would recommend, however, that you consider using raised beds. Depending on your soil, you can easily spend a lot of time, energy and money ammending your native soil. By selecting raised beds, you can combine your native soil with a more loamy mix, peat, sand and compost to create a plantable bed almost instantly. In addition, by giving the bed more height, you make it easier and more comfortable for you to tend to your garden!

Think about it...and Happy Gardening!

Fall is the Best Time To Start A Garden?

I know it sounds like I've gone crazy, but hear me out. Last year I talked about how I fertilize just before putting the garden beds to bed for the winter. The same principles apply. The best time to create a garden, ammend the soil, etc. is the season before you plant. Since the ground freezes here in Ohio over the winter, that leaves the fall season to prepare ahead of time.

I decided to share my nutty theory in multiple posts. The first is about selecting a site in your yard for a garden.

The thought for the first time gardener is to start small....at least at first. A small garden will take less work and materials and frankly, if done well a 4X4 foot garden will provide enough vegetables and fruit for a family of 3 to enjoy during the standard growing season.

Once you get the hang of gardening and get hooked (and you will!) you can expand your garden to incorporate more crops, varieties and to experiment.

The first consideration in locating your garden is light. A vegetable garden needs anywhere from 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, so select a site that has that amount of exposure to center your garden.

If you will be using native ground only, you will need to test the soil and ammend it appropriately for nutrients and drainage (adding compost, peat, sand, etc.)

We will continue the series talking about other methods of creating a garden...until then, let the thoughts of your garden perculate!

Happy Gardening!

Raindrops On Roses...and veggies and seeds!

Raindrops are definitely some of my favorite things. With such a dry late summer, I have been concerned that my plants and especially my freshly planted seeds would suffer. Even though I collect rainwater for such an occasion, I try to let mother nature tend to my watering as much as possible.

It was so nice to have a gorgeous light and long rain this afternoon here in Columbus, OH. While I am sure the Buckeyes and the fans at the game probably weren't too happy, but this gardener and especially his plants were!

Happy Gardening!