Welcome to Garden Friday,
where we share our Zone 7b Piedmont garden.
Asparagus has been emerging from its winter sleep.
It is sampled while working outside,
a true springtime treat.
Yukon Gold potatoes were planted this week,
one of several sowings I hope to do.
In past years, they were all planted at the same time,
and harvested that way as well.
This early planting shouldn't be upset
by any cold snaps coming our way,
and another round or two sown later on.
The Ruth Stout method is being employed,
something I've never tried before.
The mulch next to the garlic beds was moved
and the spuds were laid right on the soil.
No preparation or amendment was involved,
unless you count some curious chooks
scratching, digging and "fertilizing" the area before planting.
The rows will be covered in organic straw
and left alone. As the foliage shoots up,
more straw will be added to cover and avoid
sunlight from penetrating the crops.
I'm also toying with the idea of using this method
to grow sweet corn this summer.
Isn't it just grand that there is always something new to try?
This gardener will definitely be checking out Ms. Stout's books
on my next trip to the library.
The garlic is benefiting from our consistent rainfall.
At least once a week,
we get an ample soaking.
I haven't run the irrigation once this winter.
The winter sowing has been a game changer for me.
I have always tried to grow seedlings in the house,
but have had limited success.
This method, which is fairly hands-off,
has worked miraculously!
I will never go back to anything else.
No need for grow lights, heat mats,
or even a greenhouse.
Just look at the germination in this bin.
They have all been this way.
Once the seedlings hit the top of the container,
(the lid is mostly closed, except for very warm days),
they get transplanted to cell trays.
Using a bamboo skewer, holes in potting soil were made
to receive each seedling.
The starts were lifted by the leaves
and gently placed into each cell.
The root development was like nothing
I've ever grown before!
Placing welded wire over the trays
helps to deter squirrels from using them
as a hiding place for their food stash.
It also dissuades the chooks from pecking at them
when they are roaming the garden.
Okay, I think it's fair to say,
that I've fully embraced this method of growing.
Each one of these reused lettuce bins
has about 50 seedlings in them.
I'm thinking I will have more than enough to share
with friends and neighbors who want to grow their own food.
Look at this darling chart I found on The Farmer's Almanac!
It's a great visual about companion planting,
and at a glance, it's easy to tell which crops
play well with others.
I love it so much, I am planning to frame it.
We added a cattle panel arch
to the back entrance to the garden area.
It will be seeded with something lovely,
maybe peas, morning glory or clematis.
In the front flower beds,
spring is popping up all over.
Here, the black-eyed susan is enveloping the bird bath.
The weather will soon be mild enough
for us to put out our new birdbath that a friend made.
The salvia is coming back with no prompting from me.
This is one of my favorite perennials,
as it is so easy to grow.
I look forward to sharing with you the new design beds
that a fellow master gardener is helping me with.
The idea is to use mostly what I already have,
and creating a cohesive space to enjoy.
The mums that grew to be gargantuan,
will be relocated to ensure that they
have enough room to spread out.
The new tarps are in place in the chook run.
I can't tell you how much better it looks.
The bonus is that they are weather resistant,
and this white one in particular keeps the chooks dry.
The streamlined look really appeals to me.
We ended up adding another cattle panel to this side
of the run, so that we could open up the tarp completely
and give them more shade and protection from our ever present rain.
An added blessing of the rain, is that it has shown me
where I need to work on the chicken run
to improve the drainage.
I will get out there with a shovel and maybe some river rocks
to create a more aesthetically pleasing system.
It's important to keep standing water out of the run,
as chickens are prone to bumblefoot in wet conditions.
The chooks enjoy some mealworms on their
They also get to free range several times a week
when I am outside working in the yard.
No doubt they are finding a few more things to eat out there!
Thank you so much for stopping by to visit.
May you enjoy wherever life finds you.
Peace...
