You have to look closely to see the change, but many of our beds were weeded, hoed, and mulched this week.
Just behind Larkspur is her patch of bachelor buttons which will soon be blooming (so early!) Evidently she was right on to sow the seeds last fall. Garlic on the left and right of the weedy path.
Gabe working to clear a big bed for potatoes. Trees in background began flowering March 16.
Keats planting onion sets. Cilantro and red onions planted last fall in the same bed.
We added leftover sand and more compost to one of our beds, raising the soil level and loosening it up to create a bed for growing carrots.
From the garden journal:
March 8, 2012: weeded second garlic bed, added finished compost and mulched with leaves. weeded one onion bed with Beatrix who talked non stop (love.) Seth helped weed the red onion/cilantro bed for a few minutes before running off.
March 12, 2012: weeded both fall planted onion beds and added a bit of finished compost between the rows. prepared two beds for peas (wando.)
March 13, 2012: planted two beds peas and scattered extra in a melon bed (large square shaped beds in middle of garden.) planted spinach in the rows between the fall planted onion beds under the finished compost.
March 14, 2012: planted a few onion sets.
March 15, 2012: Received my new hand hoe in the mail–so glad. My last one was left in the yard by a child and then mowed over. No one is allowed to use it this time. This hand hoe
March 16, 2012: prepared carrot bed, planted yet more onions.
I had planned to plant lettuce, beets, carrots, and radishes this week as well. I have a problem though with cats digging in my garden and disturbing my seeds. In order to prevent this I bought a couple of rolls of plastic garden fencing on Friday, which I will tack across the beds after I plant them, hopefully this weekend. After the seeds have sprouted and the plants have grown a bit, I can remove it. I will only need the fencing on a few of my beds.
**Would you like to share your garden notes? **
This time of the year is so fun outside for us (southern people),since the weather is so wonderful. My garden now is mostly flowers,previous years we had some veggies right now is just a square garden with a few veggie to make my daughter(us) happy. So, is so fun to enjoys yours. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve finally linked up! I love this idea. It is really motivating me to start keeping track of dates and plans. I got my seed order today so I’m really going to have to get moving this week! Thanks for sharing your garden with us.
What great family time! I wish we had a yard.
Dear Ginny, You have one of my most favorite gardens. I am going to show Jason now, and I know I showed him last year too. And I just cannot believe what spring is for you! Our beds are still under snow. The snow has been melting some, and Chloe did start shoveling it out of the garden the other day, but now it is snowing again. So much looking forward to spring planting…
Love to you, Renee <3
Love seeing your garden coming together! We tried to get ours started this week, but it was too wet. 🙁
I took advantage of our unseasonably warm weather and turned over our garden bed, restarted our compost pile and did a little pruning! my poor winter muscles are already sore, but I can’t wait until our last freeze date passes – and it’s not for another month!
So excited to be breaking ground once again. I think your growing season is a few weeks ahead of us, and it is inspiring to see what we have in store! Happy Gardening!
I’ve been enjoying visiting your garden this year! I’m still in the planning stages for ours. The seeds arrived on Friday (YAY!) and I know I want more beds this year (I even did a rough drawing), but nothing is official. I still plan on starting seeds indoors as much as possible. This mild winter leaves me cautious. I’m afraid of a snow storm here in MI in April.
Do you have problems with wildlife with your gardens? We live in the city, and last year the squirrels (and a raccoon) thought our tomatoes were for them. I’d like to try and prevent sampling this year, but am not sure what works best.
Happy gardening!
Your photos of your children working in your garden are just precious! How wonderful to have them working and learning at such young ages. 🙂 Mine always enjoyed it and now have a well-cultivated love for growing their own food!
Thanks for hosting. I appreciate the opportunity to be held accountable to journaling my garden this year!
Blessings, ~Lisa
Your raised beds are such an inspiration — love it! I posted a garden update most Saturdays last season and this year it will be a lot of fun to do so with some other gardeners. Happy gardening, everyone!
Oh, wow, I love the photos for this post – reminds me of my own childhood in the garden 🙂
We’re just starting to trust that it is truly Spring around here enough to begin gardening. I think we’ll join in linking up with you next week.
I always love seeing what other families are growing. Best wishes!
It does look lovely and warm over there, can’t wait for some of that over this side of the Atlantic! I love the way your kids all get stuck in helping with the garden jobs too, mine loves to help but I do usually have to spend more time clearing up after her than she spends making the mess… xx
So fun to see everyone else’s gardens! After a week of balmy weather here in Minnesota I really feel like it is gardening time! Yeah!
What beauty, in all your pictures. Where I am, I am so far from being able to plant (Quebec, Canada) In what area are you, that you can start on your garden? (if you dont mind me asking)
Your garden looks wonderful! Spring surely is in your neck of the woods! I can’t wait to get started here… soon, but not quite yet. Spring is coming though!
Wow it looks good you can see how hard you worked. Love the netting we will have to do that also this year! Spring is so very much in the hair!
Ginny, I must have been sleep walking this morning but I posted last weeks garden update instead of todays. So….I posted a second link. Feel free to delete it if that is a no no. Sorry! I have not been sleeping and quite in a fog.
Aha…I was having a huge problem with my three cats being very pleased with the newly planted beds–soft litter for them. Your garden looks wonderful, and I love seeing your children working on it.
Ginny,
Where did you find the plastic garden fencing? I love that it’s a neat, manageable roll. I usually try to cut down big pieces of plastic deer fencing or wrestle with rolls of hardware cloth— what a mess. I’m still looking for ways to keep pesky groundhogs out of their favorite vegetables and this material looks much better than what I’ve been using.
Happy Spring!
-Heidi
Hi Heidi! Home Depot-in the far back right corner–last aisle with all the wire fencing. The actual bin for the garden fencing was empty, but there were rolls up high. They are 40 inches wide by 25 feet long for ten bucks. It seems sturdy enough that it will last for years.
What an awesome job! I love all the raised beds! It looks so pretty! I am hoping to get outside this weekend/next week to start in my garden. We are in Maine, so it is still a bit early, but definitely ready to get my peas out there!
Lots of good things! We have raised beds too close together and now in too shady a spot. We’re thinking of moving them, but the amount of work seems overwhelming right now. Our garden will most likely be on our back deck. Oh well. I notice that your beds appear pretty deep in the ground. Did you dig a pretty deep trench where the wood goes? Line it with anything? Or just put the wood on top of the grass directly and build up the paths around the beds?
The beds were actually set right on top of the ground and the paths look higher only because they are so grown up with weeds right now. We didn’t line with anything because we weren’t actually creating real raised beds, but enclosed beds to contain the mulch. The soil level within the beds has risen though because we mulch heavily.
Thanks for starting this garden journal. I’m not an outdoors person, but I’m really hoping to help my husband this year – mostly to spend time with him and the kids. I’m hoping that keeping a garden journal will help keep me accountable. Thanks!
it’s looking great! good to know about the netting as cat preventative
Garden is looking good! You have done a lot of weeding. I love the idea of plastic mesh to protect seedlings. I have a similar problem with squirrels eating my newly sprouting veggies and my pekingese tromping through newly planted beds.
Your garden notes are very inspiring! I think it’s time I uncover our garden and get to work too. Happy weekend to you Ginny.
Looks like the kids were having fun helping with the garden. I’m really looking forward to having a garden this year. Mine will most likely be in pots, and not very big. My oldest keeps talking about how the trees are blooming….warmer weather is coming!