The sun was out yesterday and with the HH inside sanding the floors, I figured it was the perfect time to get a little work done in the garden. Perfect for Early April Gardening in Coastal Maine.
I pulled weeds and raked the garden rows and paths while trying to figure out exactly where I’m going to plant my seeds this year.
More of My Early April Gardening in Coastal Maine
I think I’ll grow our favorite sugar snap peas along the front of the fence {we already have peonies and chives growing in that bed} and green {pole} beans up the pickets on the side fence with a few summer squash in the bed below.
Canning tomatoes along with oregano {planted last year} and basil in the first raised bed. We have cilantro, peppers and parsley in the middle bed. Last we have pickling cucumbers in the third raised bed with a little dill.
In the bed closest to the house, we have a row of hydrangeas and a boatload of tulips that are just starting to pop through the soil. And I don’t think I’ll be planting anything else there this summer.
The mini daffodils we planted {200+} along the brick path are still nowhere to be seen, but we do have a few popping up on the hillside near the road.
At this point I’m beginning to think the chippys or the squirrels dug up all the bulbs and had themselves a nice feast. I guess I won’t know for sure for another few weeks. 🙁
I think the lasagna garden I put together last summer will be the most exciting part of the garden this year.
I’m curious to see how well the seeds I’ll plant {corn, dried beans, winter squash and sunflowers} will do in a bed. It was created entirely of cardboard, grass clippings, leaves, seaweed, and food scraps. It has also a mulch we shredded when we cleared brush along our property last fall.
“Making” your own soil seems kind of like a radical idea. Until you realize that’s what people did before the advent of home improvement stores. The garden soil being sold in bags or landscape companies started popping up all over the place. People then started buying things there instead of making do with what they had around them.
Gardening is such a cool hobby and I feel like I learn something new every year. Hopefully this year, it will be how to grow a ton of food in a lasagna garden. 😉
What have YOU been doing in the garden lately? I’m sure there are a few of you out there already bringing in baskets of homegrown goodness.
Keep Calm and Carry On.
~Mavis
Diana says
According to the weather channel, we have a few more nights in the mid to upper 30s yet before it breaks, so most of my seedlings are still in their flats. (GA zone 8a)
Snap peas and English peas are blooming, though. YAY!
Onions have been growing since Jan, but will be putting them in their final bed this weekend.
Finishing up a neat project making raised garden beds using cardboard boxes and chicken wire, today, and will plant the potatoes in those. Hopefully this weekend.
Tried sprouting my corn seed in sand and EVERY SINGLE kernel has sprouted. I’m most excited about that. I’m going to experiment with other types of seed and if they all work, I’ll never have to buy seed starting mix again! You can reuse the sand as many times as you like!
Everything’s coming along nicely…
Stephanie Z says
Its that time once again where the 6 raised beds of strawberry plants gets their 3 year old plants ripped out and new bareroot plants get planted. I order 1000 bareroot plants for $200 which is still very economical even though I only end up overplanting 300 or so. I give the rest away to friends, “Buy Nothing” and Gardening Groups I belong to. Win win for everyone. Happy planting everyone!
Diane says
Can I ask what variety you get, and where you order? I’m thinking of re-doing my landscaping over the next year. I’m thinking of outlining most of my garden beds with strawberries.
Thanks
Emily says
I lined my rose bed with strawberries. They filled in the whole bed within a year. Honestly I’ve been delighted especially since the roses still bloom. It turns out strawberries are more ground cover than border plants.
Carole says
Here in South Texas things are really going great. Everything planted is up and growing well. We just need rain very badly. Large garden this year and the greenhouse is bulging as well. Happy days
laura says
moved house in december so the raised beds have been sort of placed and not filled yet but there are five green stalk vertical planters full of baby strawberry plants on the patio!! and six types of basil sprouting in my bedroom (it has the best sunny window!)!! ten grow bags have been placed and five have been refreshed with compost and manure! tonight the other five will be done! i love gardening!!
Margo says
Everything in my garden is growing well. We live in zone 10a, and I’ve been watching my spring peas grow up the trellis waiting for the first pods. But we are expecting a heat wave today and tomorrow with temps hovering around 100 degrees with very low humidity for the next two days. Hope my baby plants survive. The tomato and artichoke plants will love it, but not sure about the cucumbers, zucchini, and some of the newbie sprouts. Going out this morning to give them some extra water this morning (an a little pep talk. Anyone else talk to their plants?)
Mel says
I ordered plants this year since we have too much house stuff going on to set up grow lights. All my tomatoes and herbs just shipped…a full month before it’s safe to plant. This should be interesting.
HollyG says
The fall-planted garlic (about 120 bulbs) is growing well in the vegetable garden. The peas, arugula and perennial herbs are starting to peak through the soil. The chard, kale, chamomile, and bachelor buttons (from seed) are planted in the beds along with the red and yellow onion starts. The tomatoes, peppers, zinnias, thyme, and more greens have made it from the heat mats and grow lights in the garage to the greenhouse to get a little bigger before they go into the garden. A new crop of peppers, cucumbers, and melons were sown in the garage yesterday and the potato bag experiment is underway on the patio. We’re having one of those odd PNW spring weeks…..it froze yesterday morning and this afternoon’s forecast to be 75°.
Annette says
Mavis,
Can you mention the variety of your favorite sugar snap peas?
Mavis Butterfield says
They are the sugar snap snap peas from Botanical Interests.
Katelyn says
Do you have any tunnels popping up in your yard? My mom’s never had success with bulbs because the moles eat them. If you have tunnels, they might be the culprits!
Katherine says
Daffodil bulbs are poisonous to squirrels and other rodents but they will feast on tulip bulbs.
Cindy says
My grandma always used Juicy Fruit Gum in the yellow package, cut up black berries stems with thorns on them to kill moles and she would put moth balls in the holes too. I don’t know if this will help but is worth a try and chemical free.
Susie says
I’m so curious about the lasagna garden. Are you going to churn/turn up the lasagna soil? Are you going to plant your seeds right there where the garden is, or move the soil to another part of your yard & plant there?
Mavis Butterfield says
I’m just going to plop my seeds/plants in. No turning the soil. Just plant and grow!
Bobbi in VA says
Our rhubarb is poking out of the soil, and my fall planted garlic is about a foot high! I planted 400 onion sets, kale, and tons of lettuce because we are having a difficult time finding it consistently in the store here. Also have spinach coming up 🙂
Emily says
I love growing chives but I can honestly say I never cook with them. What are your favorite ways to use yours?
Mavis Butterfield says
I use them a lot of times instead of onions.
Wynne says
Harvesting lots of leafy greens here–spinach, chard, kale, arugula, mache, cilantro, mustard, some lettuce and chives. They’re fall plantings that overwintered under fleece and really started to fill out 4-6 weeks ago. (7b) The new plantings are much smaller for now. I just planted out kohlrabi, rhubarb, and flowers (stock, statice, yarrow) and I’ve been potting up my growing pepper and tomato seedlings indoors. I’m curious about your lasagna bed, too–I bet it will do great!
Laura says
Have you thought about doing a field of Scilla as well? I think they grow nicely along seashores and naturalize so beautifully!
Stacey says
Hi Mavis,
I feel your pain about the bulbs. I planted 100 crocus bulbs last year and have only seen 2 flowers. I’ve had a lot of their green leaves pop up, but the next time I go out to check on them they’ve been dug up and strewn around. My little granddaughters love all creatures, but I have to admit chipmunks are not my friends! I won a battle over a small flowerbed a couple years ago by converting it into a rock bed, but I can’t win this one that way or I wouldn’t have any plants or grass at all. I’m in the process of evil plotting. I will win!
Stacey