Check it out!
The raised garden beds are really starting to fill up. It’s so nice to finally see green in those beds instead of soil. We have 16 raised garden beds and so far 10 have been planted. I’m saving the last 6 for tomatoes {which I’ll be setting out in a few more weeks}.
Garden bed #1 has Chinese cabbage growing in it. We had to replace the broccoli raab that bolted and so far the cabbage transplants are doing great.
Broccoli and radish.
Cabbage and radishes.
Have you read Calvin & Hobbes? Well Lucy totally reminds me of Calvin. Ha!
I think out of all of the raised garden beds, this one with radish, onions and kohlrabi looks the best.
The square foot garden. I think this will look really cool {artsy?} when all the seeds have been planted. I’m excited to see what it will look like once the tomatoes are in and to see how much we can harvest out of this raised garden bed.
Swiss chard. My neighbor planted this yesterday. In about 2 weeks we will thin the transplants and move the extras to another bed {probably over by the chicken coop}.
Artichokes. These are not looking so hot. The ones I planted over in the perennial garden are doing much better and I’m not sure why.
Garlic, Garlic, Garlic.
If you squint really hard you might be able to see some beet greens trying to pop through the soil.
I’m not sure why, but beets always seed to take forever to come up. Does this happen at your place too, or is it a Pacific Northwest thing?
Ahhh yes. Carrots. These are notorious for taking a loooooooong time to germinate. Last week I thought I spotted a few delicate seedlings coming up, but now I think they may have just been weeds.
Here is a view of our 16 raised garden beds from the back of the garden. There isn’t much to look at right now, but we are getting there. One seedling at a time.
How is YOUR garden growing? Have you planted anything yet? Is there one vegetable in particular you just can’t wait to grow?
~ Mavis
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Debbie says
I have potato sprouts, onion, garlic shoots, two green beans sprouts, and lots of strawberries. I have carrots, tomato, and cucumber to put into the ground, but it’s to early here in VA.
I also have blueberries, black berries, and raspberries.
Connie says
For slow germinating seeds, my grandparents from the old country (Germany in this case) told me to pour very warm water on them after planting the seeds. Gives them a boost I guess. I have done this with carrots and they do come up faster.
Mike says
Well it snowed yesterday in west Michigan so I haven’t started anything outside yet…must be nice to be where you are. 🙂
Mavis says
Are you serious? Still snow? Wow.
Ashley says
We still have snow, too. Yesterday it hit 50 for the first time this year and we’re supposed to have a beautiful weekend, so I’m hoping our snow piles will be gone within the next week!
Heidi says
Looks awesome! So many good things to come in the next few months.
Is it just me or does it almost always take longer for seeds to reach maturity then the package states? Maybe they days to maturity starts once the true leaves are visible?
Melissa says
Your garden looks great!
It’s been a cold spring, and we’re going to have two square foot garden beds at our community garden, so we can’t plant until around 5/15. However, I have plenty of seeds that I’ve planted indoors. Can’t wait to get them in the ground!
Penelope says
We have had a very cold spring. So between the weather, and the compost guy not delivering I don’t have anything new planted yet. I have a few sad looking starts in the house. My brussels sprouts from last fall bolted and birds are eating my chard. But the spinach and carrots from last fall are going great and my artichokes survived the cold winter with how I bundled them up.
The things I’m excited for are cabbage and bok choy, oh and the french pumpkins. But I am worried we will miss cool weather while I wait for my compost and go from cold to hot again. It was freezing on Tues, but Sunday is supposed to be almost 80. That makes me think maybe I should just start the cabbages etc in the flower beds where I know they will get some shade.
cptacek says
I’ve got 6 homemade Earthboxes full of 8 strawberries a piece (with one left to plant), asparagus, rhubarb, raspberries and blackberries in the ground. I have hundreds of plants started inside…the office is getting full! Waiting for a load of compost from the farm and the all clear from the weatherman, as we had 20 degrees the past two mornings.
Has anyone thought of pre-sprouting carrots and beets? I have thought of pre-sprouting them in a plastic bag or paper towels or something on my heat mat inside, and then as soon as they show some sign of life, transplanting them into the garden. Does anyone else do this? Would it work?
Lucy says
My artichokes last year looked like that until we got a blast of heat and then they perked right up and grew like crazy.
As for us, we still have snow and below freezing temperatures at night here in Thunder Bay – so please keep the updates coming so I know what I can look forward too soon 🙂
Madam Chow says
That sweet little dog is so lucky to have you – she is growing up well fed, loved, and able to run around and sunbathe all day!
Mary Ann says
I’m in So Cal (Westminster) and got my garden planted earlier than I ever have (February) thanks to inspiration from you!
I’ve harvested radishes, lettuce, broccoli, and cucumbers so far. My beets, carrots, green onions are going strong. Zucchini has flowers, tiny tomatoes on both Beefsteak and container plants, and the first flowers are on the green beans. Grape vines are going nuts, and the new little Santa Rosa plum tree we bought has a bunch of small fruits! Oh, and I’ve been pinching off the first strawberry blossoms to allow the plants to get larger before they fruit.
Things are going swimmingly. Very excited for this years garden!
Marcy says
Can you keep a tally of it’s own for the square foot garden. I’d be curious to know how much it produces.
Susie says
I think Mavis said she’s going to do that. A lot of us are very curious to see that! 🙂
Jane Iannucci says
Ok so I really wanted to pick up the phone and call you for advice when I saw the picture of Lucy running through your yard. Our 8 month old goldendoodle keeps running through my garden and every time he does I want to just throw up. Any insight on how to keep the dog out without putting up a fence yet?
Mavis says
Nope. 🙂
Catherine Foster says
This may not help with dogs, but so far it’s keeping the cats out of the raised beds. I got advice from hither and yon and decided to follow three things–at the same time. So I have:
1) blackberry canes, cut down from the wild blackberry bushes in public space near my house. Laid them down between the rows.
2) those green ornamental hook-together fence thingies, about 18 inches high.
3) deer netting over the top of two white pvc hoops that are there all the time. rocks hold it down on the ledges of the raised beds.
So far, it’s working. Cathe in Ashland, OR
Catherine Foster says
addendum to my #2. the green fencing goes just inside the perimeter of the beds. So the cats (or dogs) would have to get through the netting, the green things before they stabbed their little feets on the blackberry thorns. This is overkill, I know. Perhaps I only need 2 out of 3, but the canes alone and the green things alone did not do the trick.
carol says
We are harvesting full-sized lettuce, chard and purple-sprouting broccoli that wintered over, baby spinach, mache, mizuna, radishes, arugula and top bunching onions, as well as a nice plot of chives. I’m underplanting my new broccoli plants with lettuce to see if I can harvest it even in warm weather, without it turning bitter. I live in western Washington, so what you are doing in your garden is inspiring. And, yes, beets do take a long time to germinate–I thought maybe I needed new seed. But there they are, looking much like yours.
dotsonw says
Mavis, when you plant your beet seed lay a board on then for 7-10 days then just remove, if you are expecting rain especially heavy rains it helps to keep the ground from becoming hard.
Mavis says
Interesting! Thanks for the suggestion.