The Garden

Things have been so nuts after I started working. My poor flowerbeds are still completely wild. My grand plans to have most of my garden dug up and planted have been thwarted by rain on my available evenings to veg with the veggies.

But I persevere. I'm good like that, yo.

So THIS weekend was nice, because I am very nearly caught up to where I thought I'd be at this time of spring:

My beds are mostly dug. I have one more that I will be putting sweet potatoes and yellow straight-neck squash in that has not been started yet -- the sweet potatoes grow below the ground and the vines on top deter squash beetles. Companion planting at its finest.

I was trying to figure out what to do about peppers and tomatoes, because my neighbor's bad kitties got into our sunporch area and knocked all my pots off of the windowsills. So much for seedlings. God blesses over and abundantly, however, because even though we never said anything to our neighbor, he showed up this afternoon with six pepper and six tomato plants that were leftover out of his garden. He didn't have room for them, so he gave them to us.

As of today, my peas, turnips, onions, potatoes, carrots, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, and early corn have all been planted, along with some mammoth Russian sunflowers. I plan to add some late corn, okra, canteloupe/muskmelons, pumpkins, some bush and pole beans, and some winter acorn squash to the mix, as well as the above-mentioned sweet potatoes and yellow summer squash.

Most of my herbs are also started, although I need to plant the sage, summer savory, and chives in their permanent home. The dill, oregano, and parsley are gaining momentum. But I'm having a dickens of a time getting any rosemary to grow! I must have gotten a bad seed packet or something, because none of the seeds I tried to start early in pots have sprouted, and neither have any of the seeds scattered outside. I might have to break down and buy some rosemary that's already started.

We're supposed to be getting rain for the next three days, then a short break, and rain again next weekend so I think my planting days are over for a little while. All that good rain will just make everything that's already in shoot up.

All I want now are two or three hens, and I'm good. I just need to convince my husband that hens are a good thing. (You don't need a rooster for a hen to lay eggs; you do need a rooster if you want chicks). : ) Maybe if I promise not to give them names like Queen Latifah or FifiTrixieBelle, he'd be more apt to consider it...