Solanum

All of my Solanums are now planted. I have 10 Hamson in one bed (I lost some to a frost and had to replant), 5 Stone tomatoes, 5 Bonny Best, 4 Riesentraube, and 3 Celebrity that a neighbor gave me. I also planted 3 Sweet Cayenne peppers, 5 Mammoth Sweet peppers, and 1 eggplant (I'll have to get more eggplants). Phew!

Now it's time to broadfork the rest of the garden to put in corn, beans, and zucchini!  Yippee!  PS I have no idea where I'm planting melons or pumpkins this year. I ran out of room. I may have to tear up some grass...

By the way, our Buff Orpington chick has started to crow. So he'll go back. But the other three are turning into wonderfully beautiful Chickens. Only 4 more months until they start laying eggs (fingers are crossed).

My Sweet Williams have finally started blooming. I have white and two different shades of pink. They are so pretty. The funny thing is that I thought they'd be blue.

I have the most beautiful columbine flowers. But the kids trampled one set, so I'll have to relocate them. They were purple. My others are a blue so deep and fine I haven't shown them to anyone out of fear that something will happen to them. I'm in love with columbine. It may just be my favorite flower.

Hamson

I planted 11 Hamson tomatoes on Saturday. Most are in wall o' water, although I didn't have enough for all of them and the boys knocked another one down. So far they are doing great!

The chickens got into the garden -- twice -- and started digging in my onions. Spiteful chickens. I've lost a few plants, so the chickens are staying locked up indefinitely (although they still have quite a space to roam around in).

My tulips and daffodils are spent. But my Sweet Williams are about ready to bloom.

The strawberries are in full bloom. Unfortunately, we're lacking in bees again this year. I sprinkled my water/sugar/peppermint/lemongrass mixture on them, which worked that day, but I haven't seen any more around. I'll have to put some in a shallow dish and refill it occasionally to bring the bees. We LOVE strawberries in our family.

The baby chicks spend every day outside roaming the yard. They are hilarious to watch as they chase each other around in the grass. I'm excited for the extra eggs they'll supply in, oh, six months or so.

Tomatoes

I started tomatoes today. Admittedly, I'm three weeks later than I wanted to be. Okay, maybe five. But just maybe my tomatoes will grow really fast so I can still plant them the first week in May.
  I also started a lot. So far I have thirty red cups full of dirt with seeds in each one.  And I have fifteen more to plant. I don't have enough room in my garden for that many tomatoes, but I love sharing. I have the seeds, so why let them go to waste? So, if you want an heirloom tomato plant this year, let me know. I'll start a waiting list!!

I have Hamson (bred especially for Utah--this is my first time trying these, so we'll see how they go), Stone, Bonny Best, and Riesentraube (which is a cherry tomato).  Yippee!!

Onions, peas, and Daffodils Oh my

Two weeks ago my first daffodils bloomed. They are still in bloom. There are only 4 of them, and none others are looking even close to blooming, but as long as those 4 go strong, I'm okay.

The peas are coming up. I noticed the first ones about two days ago. I'm so excited, especially since the chickens got into them numerous times and I wasn't all that efficient at reburying the seeds.

I planted my onions. First, though, I emptied a bin of compost onto the bed and broad-forked it in. The northern-most row is Juane Paille des Vertus. I planted them last y
ear and I wanted to try them again this year. However, I only have 15-foot row of them. I have two rows of Southport White Globe onions (I've never grown them) and Utah Sweet Spanish Onions (also two rows, planted in the southern two rows of my 15x4 foot bed). I'm doing a test this year to see which we like the best, which are the best keepers, etc., so I'll know better what to concentrate on next year.

It's a VERY windy day. The temperatures have been in the 50s for weeks. The apricot tree is budding out and will soon be in full bloom. Poor apricots -- they may not make it this year if we have a frost.

I pruned my grandmother's peach tree yesterday and cleared out her raspberry canes. We both already have new canes coming up. SO EXCITING!! D has been working on putting in the last of the trellising for the raspberries. I think I'm most excited about raspberries this year.

It's time to start everything else from seed. Tomatoes, here I come!!

Carrots in Feburary

So today I walked out to the garden to check on the peas. Then, as I was walking around, I decided to pull up some carrots that I didn't get to last year. This is a small part of what I found:

We are eating them for dinner along with our onions from last year along with a roast we bought from a local rancher.

Speaking of onions, this what onions look like when they come up from seed. You can see the seed still attached to the top of the plant. It's the little black ball you see on some of them.

Peas

I planted my peas today. The pea seeds were saved from my pea crop last year. Last year was the first year I saved my own seeds and peas are the only seeds I saved. So, we'll see if it worked. Grow, little peas, grow!

Onions and Chickens

I started onions from seed last week. They are just popping out of the dirt. I turned the lights on the moment I saw them starting to grow. I have started Utah Sweet Spanish Onions and Southport White Globe. I am also going to grow Jaune Paille Des Vertus. So, I'll let you know which perform the best!

 

 

 

 

One of our chickens found a way under our fence into our neighbors flock. And, yes, that is where she laid her egg today. I had to hop the fence to get her back.