We are now going on 2 weeks straight of getting the gardens prepared and planted with all of our delicious garden goodies. Opening up the other half of the yard to garden beds, has certainly doubled the work, but I like this better than building rock walls. Plus, the more area to grow, the more food we will have to enjoy and share.

So last week I shared how we had gotten the beds on the left side covered with fabric and had moved the rhubarb into its permanent home on the bottom level on the left side. Our next step was to start working on the right side, but that got slightly kiboshed. While drinking my morning tea on Sunday, I realized that nursery that we purchase a few of our plants from was having a big sale on their canna lilies. We hadn’t planned to go there until the May long weekend, but because of the sale, we decided to take a rainy drive and grab those plants. While we were there, we picked up our wave petunias for our planters and a few flats of strawberries. Probably more than we will ever need…but might as well go big. We love jam, so I don’t think we can have too much strawberry!

Since our little side trip to get our plants, we have been working away at turning beds, filling beds with new soil, covering beds with landscaping fabric, and plucking away at planting. We have also covered a couple areas that we aren’t planting in this year, but will develop next year, likely into a flower bed, but possibly growing food. We will see how everything goes this year and if we need any additional growing room.

Since we started on the right side, I started getting in some of our plants.

On Sunday May 7, after our little trip, we got the strawberries that we picked up into their new home beside the rhubarb. There are 35 plants that went in, which may be overkill, but we are quite happy with them. And so far, they are very happy little plants, already with some fruit on them and lots of new berries starting. After transplant, they have been super happy and didn’t droop or stop flowering. Happy little plants make happy fat berries and I get to make some delicious jam!

On Monday May 8, I started by planting 80 onions. I gave up on the bad soil and the onions I planted from seed and instead found a mix-pack of bulbs that has white, sweet yellow, red and shallot onions. It will be the perfect variety. I did try to stick them into rows together, but of course forgot to write down which rows have which onions, so it will be a surprise. As of today, the onions are happily popping up and growing tall.

On Tuesday May 9, I finished the bottom row with 6 mounds of potatoes, that each have 3-4 potatoes in each. At the end of the bottom bed on the left side, I planted 43 corn. We will see how they do this year. If we don’t get a good harvest, I may pass on corn next year and focus out space on things we eat more of. Don’t get me wrong, we will eat the corn fresh from the plant, happily, but we won’t miss it if we don’t grow it. In the upper bed I did 90 carrots, 125 beets (70 gold and 55 blended) as well as 42 radishes. The end of that bed will get some of the cabbage once I am ready to bring them outside, which is any day now.

On Wednesday & Thursday, we planted the asparagus and turned the left side beds. We then hauled a bunch of dirt and got them filled and topped with fresh soil. For the area where the tomatoes & peppers are, we only filled where the plants are going and left a hard-packed walkway between for me to get in and out of there. We were just about out of fabric, so we decided to hold off covering them until I had picked up a new roll.

On Friday May 12, I covered the small area between the asparagus patch and the garlic patch. I think this fall we will extend the garlic patch so that it covers this area and goes right over to the asparagus. For now, I planted 4 cantaloupe and 1 pumpkin. In retrospect, I should have planted a butternut squash or two, but I completely forgot about them and now have to find a different location for it. Or I can also skip planting it this year and remind myself profusely next year to not forget it.

On Saturday May 13, I had to work a short OT shift, so Kurt headed out fishing for the day. Basil and I started with an early morning bike ride, and then when I got home, I was all energized so I got the left side beds covered. While I was at it, I also weeded the large triangular area where we will likely plant a flower mural in the future, but for now I just covered it with fabric to keep the weeds at bay.

Today, Sunday May 14, I planted 3 cucumber plants and 2 cucamelon plants. We had talked about doing irrigation, but decided to take Basil into the hills to do some shore fishing for the morning. Before we left, I put the fan on the tomatoes to continue to strengthen their stems and roots in preparation of transplanting. It was a gorgeous day and drive and a much needed break from the garden. When we got home, I headed over to my parents house to visit and wish my mom a happy mothers day. Kurt mowed the lawns and checked out stock of irrigation supplied to make sure we have everything to get the irrigation going tomorrow. While we were watering the plants tonight, we enjoyed the view of the onions, radishes, beets and carrots all popping up.

After the nice break today, we will be back at it tomorrow to get the irrigation going so that we don’t have to drag the hose around the yard, and I may possibly also transplant some of my other plants. It looks like this nice hot weather is here to stay, so I might as well get some stuff into the ground. I was going to do it next weekend anyway, so it isn’t that early.

Whew, lots going on to get the garden going this year. Twice the space and twice the work….but still better than building rock walls! I love our walls, but I am so happy we are done building them.