Time to Plant…Doughmesstic Gardening

Luckily the weather has held out and the garden is IN. Even though there were a couple of nights of frost a weeks or two ago, our plants have survived, thanks to the man of the house covering the troops up with tarps. Whew.

Thanks to Burpee Home Gardens, we are gardening in style this year. We have good looking plants we didn’t have to start from SEED! So, in our garden we have 2 types of tomato plants from Burpee, 2 varieties of Basil (are they psychic and know that Jon is from an Italian family?), two types of pepper plants, and the coolest seed packs of lettuce I have ever seen! They are like capsules of multiple lettuce varieties! Here’s a look at my boys digging the trench for that very lettuce – Seven LOVES helping in the garden!

All of the plants are doing great, chugging right along. In fact, the lettuce is actually starting to come up! Thanks, Burpee!

In other sections of our garden we purchased plants from a nearby greenhouse. I have to support our local farms! We picked up some golden oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme to round out out herb bed. Our old herb bed had gotten out of control, and the boards were old and rotting, so Jon rebuilt the small herb bed. We started a larger herb bed with all of these new plants (including the Boxwood Basil & Italian Basil from BHG), and after the original small bed was rebuilt, we planted 4 tomato plants there – like Yellow Bells and Cherry Reds. Seven will trot up to the garden in late summer and just chow down right from the vine! I wish I could eat tomatoes like that, but sadly, I’ve become pretty allergic to citric acid as I’ve gotten older, and it really hurts my mouth and throat. Sometimes it’s worth the pain though!

We also have a bed (let me rephrase, HAD a bed) of cucumbers. 6 plants, all gone. Whether it’s too wet, or too rabbity, we no longer have a single cucumber plant. Jon claims he’s going to put a couple more elsewhere in the garden tomorrow, so, we’ll see what happens. I LOVE cucumbers, and pickles, so I really want a few good vines going.

We have an asparagus bed that produces fairly well, but it’s about done for the season. it was good while it lasted! We did have two, but one of the beds just didn’t produce, so Jon tilled it up and planted other things instead. Okra and Zucchini took it’s place, and we have carrots and onions in the line up. Soon!

Lastly, we have a backyard full of fruit! Blueberry bushes (which you see here with our house behind), 3 varieties of raspberries (also from Burpee, these plants are going on 3 years old now), Strawberries, Blackberries, a Grape arbor, and giant Blackberries. Next door there is a great apple tree, and our other non-fruity neighbors have a delicious pear tree. I can’t wait! We LOVE fruit around here, as you can see! Once the season gets going, you’ll be seeing a ton of recipes coming from here that center around the fruits of our labor! (pardon the pun!)

Just thought I’d share the beginning of the season, and I’ll keep you posted as the summer wears on and the rabbits get hungrier! Wish me luck!