Garden Friday

 

Last Garden Friday I mentioned that the shallots I ordered from Sow True Seed

should be here shortly.

They arrived the same day.

What a thrill to receive this little package in the mailbox.

 

I had ordered some veg seeds a few months back

and at that time, included shallots on my order.

The fall veggies have since been planted,

but the shallots are shipped when the time is right for planting in your area.

The order comes complete with instructions on how to plant,

in case you've never sown this particular crop.

(The sheet says garlic, but the method is the same for shallots.)

 

I've grown shallots before, so I'm looking forward to enjoying the practice again.

They really are quite easy to cultivate.

Shallots from my 2013 garden

Hopefully, the ones I plant here in NC 

will do as well as in my 2013 Florida garden. 

2013 harvest

You can read about my experience here.

They were spaced about 4 inches apart in this tub.

There are drainage holes in the bottom.

The root system is shallow,

so this plastic tub should hold them nicely.

The seeds are planted about 2" beneath the soil.

They should sit on their root end

and have the pointy side looking straight up.

Don't worry about the papery outside,

just bury the whole kit-and-kaboodle.

Water in well, and wait for the show!

I also took the time to plant some garlic.

It is one crop that I use pretty much daily in my cooking.

Since I hadn't ordered ahead of time,

I simply purchased a few bulbs from the grocery store.

Each bulb was broken up into individual cloves,

which then get placed into the soil, pointy side up,

just as the shallots before them.

I'm so glad I got these in the ground in October.

Less time to wait for all that goodness!

2013 garlic

 

One other task completed last weekend 

was to add some lettuce seed to the sides of the straw bales.

The body of the bales is fairly accessible, 

since it is constantly breaking down (as it is supposed to),

so I merely made a hole in the side with my hand trowel.

 

Some soil was added and then the seeds were sown.

This is the first time I've grown in straw bales,

so I am not sure what to expect.

It's fun to experiment and if it doesn't work,

it only cost me a few seeds.

I'm hoping though, that the lettuce will embellish the sides of the bales

and add some interest as well as offer another spot in which to harvest.

The weather has been picture perfect.

For the first time in years,

it feels like autumn.

Cool mornings,

pleasant days with tons of sunshine

and being blessed enough to be able to enjoy all of it.

Life is good.

May the blessings that have found me 

make their way to you.