Sunday, March 25, 2012

Opening day

Today was officially opening day for our vegetable garden! We had decent, dry weather, 60 degrees for only the 3rd time this year (mom and sibs, stop laughing). I wanted to see what I had out there, especially in the perennial bed, and start a spring clean-up list. Mariposa is always up for an adventure so she joined me. Here she is digging a hole to China:


So I got going. The perennials look nice, and I see some that can be divided, always fun. I have some plans for our octagon deck but I think those are on hold this year. Today I found that it is not that easy to garden when one is entering one's 7th month of pregnancy. But it was nice outside, and even if I was very slow I still got some stuff done. Here is Mariposa, bringing a bucket of compost in for me:


Other than the perennial bed inspection, my other goal for today was to prepare 2 spring beds for lettuce and peas. This is one area, next to the kale that overwintered and the strawberry bed that is double the size it was last year:


The second small bed, one that dad made for me a few years ago, with a trellis for peas. More kale that I just can't bring myself to tear out yet. I covered the bed with trays/scraps after seeing our outdoor cat, Catnip Nudge, come THIS close to using my new soil as a litter box.


I have a nice little list of what I can do in the next month. We do our "real" work in May so I only have to putter around for now, which is fun for me. Top on my April to-do list is to get the strawberries looking good. I will keep the large strawberry bed in the vegetable garden one more year, and border it with annuals later (I love looking out my kitchen window at the colorful flowers). I also need to divide those perennials and possibly add some, add some chicken wire to under the decks to keep the visiting chickens in and the cat out, and if course plant the lettuce and peas. Nice manageable tasks, things I can do while Gemma is playing outside. Looking forward to this very easy-going gardening year.


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2 comments:

  1. Mariposa is such a good helper. She is going to be a great gardener like her mother!

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