Garden Friday

 
Welcome back to Garden Friday!
Spring is runnin' wild, here
and we are so ready for it!
It's been a busy week here in the Piedmont.
Here are a few things we've been up to. 

 We've got potatoes, folks!
Last Thursday, we showed you how we planted our
Yukon Gold potatoes in our homemade towers.
They must be cozy in that straw because they are popping up already!
Not only was I happy to find spuds underneath,
there was a special visitor nestled in there.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture before it slithered away.
Forewarned!

The hugelkultur bed is teeming with greens
(and reds).
The chard, kale, and lettuce keeps on coming!
I picked two gallon-sized bags at the beginning of the week,
and even with my snacking during the day,
it is ready to be harvested by mid-week.
Blessings abound!  



 Something else is making itself a home in the same bed.
I'm not sure if this is caused by squirrels burying something
or some other critter digging for bugs.

 The one Vates kale that I got to germinate during winter
is going to seed.
There are transplants ready to be put in the spot.

 The leek I planted around the perimeter of the hk bed
is doing well.
Nasturtiums were added as a companion plant.
The snap peas are growing taller,
but seem to be having a hard time clinging to the trellis.
I'm thinking it's due to some windy conditions.
No flowers yet on the peas, but we're gettin' closer!

 The shallots are gigantic compared to the last time I grew them.
I can hardly wait to dig them up in a couple of more weeks.
Slurp!

 Last week I talked about the shallots forming flower buds.
After consulting with a couple of experts,
I decided to leave a few flowers in tact to save seeds,
and cut off the remaining buds.

 The garlic will soon be ready to harvest and I can hardly wait.
Next season, I plan to make a lot more room for this crop.
It stores well and we use it nearly every day.

I didn't get a good shot of it,
but our blueberry plants have fruit!
SQUEEEEE!!!
Love me some blueberries!

 I managed to finish driving the stakes for the wattle fence.
Hopefully, Sunday will be conducive to beginning my weaving.
My friend Jannah  
gave me a mess 
of grapevine,
so we shall see if it is enough to complete the project.

 I seeded the pollinator bed with
an array of bee-lovin' flowers.
Daisies, echinacea, nasturtiums, and zinnias
are but a few of the seeds sown here.
The tipi will support morning glories and moonflowers.
Can you see the holes in this bed too?
Ugh.
The two flower beds on the other side of the property 
were sown yesterday.
We are forecasted to get a good dousing all day,
so I'm hoping for good germination.

 Our neighbors have been happily providing us with cardboard
to add to our pathway project.
More free mulch will be collected,
as soon as our trailer is free.

This pathway will wind around the lorapetalum
and end up by the arches.
I'm hoping to plant flowers on either side of the walk.

 I got the mulch added to the area under the arches.
It will be so exciting to be able to walk under the melons
and beans that will be growing on them.

 The three beautyberry bushes acquired at the Farmers' Market
a couple of weeks ago have been planted.
They were placed with lots of space around,
so they have room to spread out.
Another area under the lorapetalum is beginning to take shape,
with a few new transplants added to what I hope becomes a seating area.
Thanks to a lot of inspiration from fellow gardeners
and a few YouTube channels,
garden design is something I am starting to enjoy exploring.

With daily goodies from the garden,
I feel blessed beyond measure.
My basket runneth over.

Are you harvesting any goodies yet?