Hello Thursday!
Yesterday I woke up just before 5 am and was out the door watering the flowers in the front yard by 6. Summer, it has arrived a little early here in Southern Maine and I LOVE IT.
Just look at that forecast!
Things I did yesterday:
- Watered everything {flowers, hanging baskets, garden boxes, flower beds}
- Planted sunflower, cucumber, zucchini, cilantro, bush bean and zinnia seeds.
- Planted 14 cabbage starts along the fence {behind the arborvitae}
The asparagus we planted earlier this spring is up and I’m having a hard time resisting the urge to snip the little stalks.
I stained the garden boxes last week and I think they’re looking pretty sharp. The boxes are about 75% planted right now {I’m still waiting for things to warm up a little more before I plant the cucumber seeds} but all the tomatoes and peppers are in and that makes me happy.
Baby lettuce.
And the French breakfast radish. Aren’t they cute? {FYI: If you need to order more garden seeds, you can get free shipping from Botanical Interests when you use code THANKYOU at checkout through the end of May}.
I started one zucchini seed two weeks ago as a tester to see if it would come up and it did, so yesterday I planted the rest of them. I decided to plant my zucchini along the back of the house this year in between each of the blue hydrangeas I planted a few weeks back.
It’s kind of an odd spot for them, but I thought it might be fun to weave vegetables into my landscape this year as I wait for the perennials I planted {last fall and this spring} to take off and fill in the gaps.
The rhubarb is ready to be picked! I might put some out at the end of my driveway on a little card table for sale. Anyone know what a good price for 4-5 stalks would be?
Hot deal alert!! I stopped by Lowe’s to pick up a rake and took a quick peek in their garden center. They had geraniums on sale for $0.88 each {normally $2.28} so I picked up 4 flats of {what I hope are all} pink ones. I though they would look nice planted out front once the tulips are finished blooming. 48 should be enough, don’t you think?
When we moved from our last place I dug up a single sedum autumn joy plant and brought it with us. I wish I would have grabbed a few more… they are so easy to grow!
Hello chives!
This dog. She never misses an opportunity to nap in the sunshine.
And last but not least, check out this aerial view of the backyard. It’s a little hard to see from the picture the HH took with his drone, but the first round of grass seed {we always seem to do two rounds} is beginning to come in and you can barely tell where the old fire pit was.
I love that there are defined borders for the flower beds now and while the grass in those spots is taking a little longer to sprout, it gives me hope that in another month or so the rest of the garden will be done and we’ll be able to enjoy the tail end of summer without any major garden projects. All the hard stuff is done {well, besides staining the rest of the fence}. And that feels good! 🙂
So how is you’re garden doing these days? Do you have almost all your vegetables planted yet? Do tell.
Have an AWESOME day everyone,
~Mavis
Lana says
Holy smokes! I am going to Lowes and see if they have the geraniums for that price here in SC!
Eliza says
We are also in Southern Maine and my husband has been hard at work on the garden. Potatoes, tomatoes, corn, beans, peas, radishes, squash, peppers… I forget what else. He has also been building an orchard/fruit gardens – 5-6 heritage breed apples, beach plums, honey berries, lingonberries, cherries, cranberries, blueberries, a few varieties of crabapples, raspberries, blackberries, kiwi, pawpaws, and more. Can’t remember all the things he’s been planting and/or tending to. We already had some ancient pears and many blackberries and raspberries to start. Fedco is his FAVE, he was heartbroken the tree sale had to be canceled this year (though he understood!)
Mel says
I’m jealous of the chives! Our onion chives have been a bit sparse this year, and I’m wondering if I should have been more diligent about dividing them. We have loads of garlic chives that I can’t seem to get rid of. I planted one small bunch, but they took over the bed and just aren’t as nice flavor and texture as the onion ones.
We transplanted 24 tomatoes, 46 peppers, and 25 basil seedlings last week. I also seeded nasturtiums, sunflowers, cucumbers and scallions. The nasturtiums are up, but the cucumbers, sunflowers, and scallions are not yet, perhaps because we keep having cold snaps. I also planted 3 beds of pole beans about two weeks ago and had about 75% germination, so I probably need to re-seed some of those, but I think that’s the last of what we’ll be planting until I start fall veggies in July. We’ve also done a lot of weed whacking, mulching, and general yard clean up (one of the perks of working from home), and we’re considering adding another raised bed for next year and laying stepping stone paths throughout the yard now that we have the layout more or less set.
suzanne says
I bought a pack of garlic chives and I’m afraid to plant them after reading a few comments such as yours. You have confirmed that I should just stick to the onion chives. Thank you!
Mel says
Yes, they are very persistent! I wouldn’t mind if they were good for cooking, but we find them too coarse and flavorless, and it’s very difficult to get the roots out. My husband took a flame thrower to them, and they still wouldn’t die. They are fine in pots though, so if you want to give it a try, you could do that and see if you like them.
Jeanie says
They had the geraniums at Lowe’s in Kansas. I pay about $2.00 for 4-5 stalks of rhubarb (about a pie’s worth) in the grocery store.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Jeanie, I was thinking $2 for 4-5 stalks would be a good price. I’m glad you think so too. 🙂 First rhubarb dessert of the year is in the oven right now. Wahooo.
Joely says
Are you providing any cover to your tomatoes at night?
Mavis Butterfield says
I should be, but no, I have not covered the tomato plants. I think we planted them last Saturday. So far so good.
joely says
Thanks! My house has been overtaken by tomato starts. I’ve been to chicken to put them out with the cold nights. I may try tomorrow.
Maxine says
Planted out all my veg unless I can get to a garden center and get sweet potato slips (failed to get slips from one I bought at the grocery store). Now on to the flowers. I had to water everything yesterday and my rain barrels are all empty! Still have some transplanting to do moving things around and expanding other areas.
Your veg is all planted so nice, evenly spaced, great germination. This year every seed I have will be planted out. I usually plant the oldest seed first, and I think that gives me poor germination even if the seed is only a year or two old. Have to double check my storage.
I have a newer bed that I’m planting native plants in and I had so much squash seeds germinate I planted them in that bed as well. The one squash seed I don’t have – zucchini! The over performing wonder plant you could use this year, I don’t have. Yet. Lol
Misty says
I’m hoping to plant out my tomatoes, peppers, and basil today. My mother-in-law swears by not planting out before Memorial Day here (zone 6a) but the forecast looks good and I have frost row cover so I think I’m going for it.
Mavis, do you have any problems with squash vine borers killing your zucchini and pumpkins? I had a pretty frustrating battle with them last year so this year I will probably spray with BT weekly.
Mavis Butterfield says
We haven’t had any problems with squash vine borers, but last summer keeping rabbits away from the pumpkins and squash was a bit of a challenge. 🙂
Jenny says
I can’t get hardly any of my seeds to start! The few that sprouted are growing very slowly. We even replanted in the same spot and still nothing. I’m not sure if it’s bad seeds (ferry morse), or bad soil.
judy says
Hi Mavis, Your rhubarb looks amazing. My rhubarb just comes up , grows about eight inches and stops! What the heck am I doing wrong? It gets plenty of sunshine. HELP
Nanci Fitschen says
Is the stalk without the leaf 8 Inches? Some varities of rhubarb are short.
Diane says
It’s extremely easy to root cuttings of sedums, so you can easily propagate using the mother plant. I’m not sure how quickly they grow into a nice size plant.
Diane Dodge says
Dear Mavis,
Everything you grow looks so stout snd lush. May i ask what you filled your raised beds with? I built beds and filled with a Purchased mix in bulk claiming to be 50% loam and 50% screened compost but the results have been very disappointing. Transplants just sat there and did not grow and the soil crusted over and dried out very rapidly. So I had to order additional compost only and work it in at an additional expense. Your stuff looks so wonderful May I ask what you used in those beds?
Mavis Butterfield says
We used a mix of 50% loam and 50% seafood compost {that’s why you probably see bits of shells in the close up photos}. I think we paid around $23 or $25 a yard {delivered} for the soil. Our neighbors paid $50 a yard {!!!} and while their soil does look better than ours, it will be interesting so see which soil performs better.
Nancy says
Garden looks great Mavis !! We only plant tomatoes and cucumbers but they are all in as of today Too much work for old people!!!! I go to farmers market for the rest unless you do a farm stand good place to have one??? Flowers in front are awesome
Mavis Butterfield says
I think we might do a mini pop up farm stand later in the summer. 🙂 With the same people walking by each day, I would think it would only take a few days for it to catch on and I think a few vegetables out there would put a smile on people’s faces as they go by {just like the tulips}.
Nancy says
That would be wonderful and so convenient you would do well
Emily says
How do you like to use your chives? I received a plant as a gift years ago that grows reliably but I never know what to cook with it.
Mel says
I don’t know about Mavis, but I add chives to soup (either brothy ones like chicken noodle or creamy ones like potato), creamy pastas or pasta salad, egg dishes, homemade Ranch dressing, potato dishes (twice baked, mashed, cheese fries, etc.), garlic butter (along with parsley), and chicken, shrimp, or lobster salad. You can also use the flowers to make chive vinegar or eat them in salad.
Diane says
I noticed your lettuce is Stone very quickly. Do you thin it down to one plant every so many inches or let them grow that way? If you leave them sick like that is it because it’s a particular kind, likely or Romain type?
Also, what do you do with that much cabbage? I can’t imagine two people being able to eat that much cabbage even preserving some as sauerkraut!
Diane says
That should say “lettuceis sown”. and “leave them thick”. Wish I could edit that post!
Diana Kirwan kirwan says
I knew what you meant but you version sounded much more interesting.
Diane says
I tried to use a smiley emoticon above but it posted as a blank. Not having good luck with my posts lately! 🙂
Granny B says
As for sedum (we call it live forever) Just break off a stalk or however many you want and poke them in the ground where you want them. Keep them moist for a couple weeks or so and they will root and you will have more plants. So easy!!
Pauline in Upstate NY says
Hi, Mavis — Sticking my neck out a bit here, so I hope you’ll forgive me if it seems out of line, but I want to throw out another thought for you about pricing for rhubarb and anything else you want to set out on a mini-produce stand on your street. How about free?? Surely in the town where you are living, as everywhere else, there are many people who have either lost their jobs recently or are older and living on a fixed income, and are unable to grow any of their own food. What if, instead of a price list, you put up a donation box and sign saying something like — “Donations are always welcome, but mostly I love gardening and just want to share this fresh food with people. If things are tight right now, please just help yourself and enjoy…”