Garden Friday

We are working slowly but steadily

on getting our veggies sown.

Although the weather has been less than cooperative,

we've managed to get a few things going.

 

Our tomato starts are looking pretty good.

We have two varieties growing,

San Marzano and Arkansas Traveler.

Too bad it's still too cold to put them outside.

They've spent a  lot of time on our southwest-facing window,

being teased by the sunshine that streams in around lunchtime.

Whenever the temperature reaches about 70, 

they get to visit their friends outside.

 

The leek don't seem to mind the temperature fluctuations.

They spend time inside overnight,

but get plenty of outdoor exposure during daylight hours.

I will most likely be starting some more of these this weekend.

Leek is a delightfully mild alternative to onions.

 

We are making do with the pots we've collected.

Sister was kind enough to bring these buckets by

(they had even already been washed!).

They seemed like the perfect vessel to grow lettuce in,

as it doesn't need a very deep pot.

Holes were drilled in the bottoms for drainage.

 

These Romaine starts had been purchased from a farmer 

out at the local Saturday market.

 

It had been a few weeks, and I thought they would appreciate

having a little more room to stretch out.

Three to a pot should fill it out nicely.

There's no need to wait until these plants fully mature.

Tender, baby leaves can be picked and used while they are still growing.

 

With a freeze coming overnight, I needed a cover that would work,

as these are already spilling over the top of the containers,

and the lids would have crushed them.

 

I simply inverted a few more of the buckets without holes

and used heavy branches to weigh them down.

It did a great job of keeping the worst of the cold out.

 

The cauliflower out front (facing southeast) is doing great!

These starts were picked up from the same farmer at the Denver (NC) market.

Upon close inspection, small lime-green bugs were found on them.

I decided to try using collars to keep them at bay.

These are just toilet paper tubes cut in half

and sunk into the soil.

Hopefully, they'll do the trick,

as we believe in growing pesticide-free
and prefer not to use anything harmful.

I'm not sure if I shared this,

but I'm taking a course through the local Extension Center 

to become certified as an Advanced Gardener.

The learning never ends...

What's growing on in your garden?