On Our Way!

This picture is from Friday. All of the onions had sprouted as had the butternut squash and one of the watermelon seeds. I need to think out the spouts to one per pod, but will wait until I can tell which one is stronger. I went to Flower World (my favorite place) while Princess was recovering at the vet from surgery. I selected 1 blueberry bush and 2 raspberry plants. I want another type of raspberries, but they didn't have the ones I want in stock. Raspberries are my favorite fruit so I'm kind of a snob :) The plants I got are ever-bearing so I will have a crop in the fall and another next spring.

I also purchased asparagus bulbs. This was a great find! I have learned asparagus takes 3 years to grow from seed. The bulbs I found are 2 years old so if all goes well, I will be able to harvest this year! The other bulbs I found are garlic. We will see how that grows....I really have no idea.

I purchased 2 rhubarb plants. I don't know how old they are, but typically you can't harvest until the second year, so I probably won't have any this year.

I found seeds for self-blanching cauliflower, broccoli, sugar pumpkins, and spinach.

Today I planted all of my new purchases. I also checked on the indoor starts again. Here is today's photo....I can't believe the amount of growth in 2 days! The celery seeds have now sprouted as have some of the tomatoes! Things are growing!!






When I was planting outside, I noticed tiny, hardly visible sprouts in the arugula and one of the lettuce squares. I am super excited and I know they aren't weeds because they are popping up right where I planted seeds!

The grid is laid!

The sun came out for a brief glimmer today, just long enough for me to lay the grid in my garden beds and plant some seeds. I used twine for the grid even though the square foot gardener method calls for a "permanent" grid. I just don't know how I feel about the method, but so far it seems easy for a beginner to figure out how much space I have and figure out where to put things.

Despite the wind storm going on I got 2 types of peas, beans, cucumber, several types of lettuce, corn, zucchini and yellow squash. My packet of carrot seeds blew away and it took me about 10 minutes of searching to find them. I eventually planted the first of many carrot squares.

I checked on the seeds I planted Fridays indoors. I was shocked to see some of the onions have sprouted! Yea!

I forgot to post this picture of filling the garden beds (which got me on the couch with a heating pad for 2.5 days), so here it is.

Starting a blog

I've had this blog space for almost a year and I'm finally getting around to starting my first real blog. I don't know that my life is exciting enough to write about, but what the heck!

I've decided to write about my very first vegetable garden. I grew up enjoying raspberries on my cereal all winter thanks to my grandpa's expansive garden in Portland. He grew everything you can imagine and I loved to eat it before it even made it inside. Eventually, my grandpa started planting my own pea patch because I ate so many off the vine that he didn't have any crop left.

The only things to eat that I've attempted to grow in the past are cherry tomatoes. I've been pretty successful, but may be pressing my luck with my new project.

Last weekend I built three 8x4 foot planter beds. I used 8" cedar boards for the project. I filled the beds with a mix of equal parts course vermiculite, peat moss, and compost (several different types). I plan to use the Square Foot Gardening method but haven't laid the grid yet in the beds due to crappy Seattle weather.

Today I planted my first seeds indoors. Yes, I am pretty late, but I concluded late that I was

completely capable of building the boxes by myself. I purchased indoor seed start boxes online so I followed the instructions and have now planted bunching onion, red onion, cantaloupe, seedless mini watermelon, orange mini watermelon, sweet peppers, 3 types of tomato, butternut squash, and celery.

As soon as the weather improves long enough for me to get outside and lay the grid, I will plant a ton of stuff that requires a direct sow. I'm looking forward to experimenting and figuring out what I can grow. I can't wait to eat my first home grown salad!