Readying the garden

It's finally decent weather here. The last of the bitter cold seems to have passed. Plenty of rain heading this way the next few days, so hopefully it will hold off for tomorrow. Lots to do outside. The generator and the mower I was given both need new spark plugs, the mower also needs the blade sharpened and a new air cleaner. The yard, such as the little patch around the cabin as is a yard, needs mowing. The rest is all grass and I am letting it go since there is no way I am attempting to mow five acres or so of thick grass with a push mower, and no one will do it with a rider for a reasonable price. If I can find someone to do a hay lease with, they can have around three to four acres for now to hay out.

The flowers I planted a couple of weeks ago seem to be starting to pop up. Nothing on the lilies, but the rest seem to be showing a bit of germination. I can tell that what is popping up is not grass, but I am not sure what all it is yet. Could easily be clover or something else. We shall see.

I picked up four tomato plants today at Home Depot, as they were having a 4/$10 sale on seedlings that are normally nearly $4 each. I wanted to get a couple of Arkansas Travelers again, but the two that were left looked pretty miserable and limp, despite being well-watered. I got two Rutgers and two Cherokee Purple, which I hope to plant out tomorrow. I also priced out tillers (the cheapest I could find was $139 at Home Depot, but I may be able to make do with a $22 tiller/cultivator from Wal-Mart, where you step on it and twist it out). Like this:



It will take a LOT of time with something like that, but it is better than using the shovel for hours on end for the same job, what with having to dig and break up the soil.

I also picked up a 72-cell mini-greenhouse, which will do triple duty. As it's warm enough, the lid and bottom try will get small drain holes poked in them so I can put dirt in them and use them for drills to start tiny stuff like carrots and onions. The cell packs will be used for tomatoes, peppers and such. Corn, beans, peas, squash, and such will be direct planted. I'll replant every week for succession plantings.

So, other than the flower seeds I already planted a couple weeks ago, what all am I putting in this year, now that I have space?

Flowers in the bend of the driveway, so will be driving around them to get in and out from the front of the house:
Cosmos, Single Sensation Mixed Colors
Helichrysum, Tall Double Mixed Colors
Hummingbird Wildflower Mix
Cosmos, Sea Shells Mixed Colors
Aster, Crego Mixed Colors
Alyssum, Carpet of Snow
Zinnia, Lilliput
Flower Garden Mix
Bachelor Button, Cyanus Double Mixed Colors
Marigold, French Dwarf Double Mixed Colors
Alyssum, Royal Carpet
Forget-Me-Not, Annual Firmament
African Daisy, Mixed Colors
Cottage Garden, Wildflower Mix
Marigold, Crackerjack Mixed Colors
Zinnia, Dwarf Pumila Sprite Mixed Colors
Sunflower, Mammoth Russian

Flowers in front of and around the house:
more Angel Trumpet
Morning Glory, Clarke's Heavenly Blue
Sweet Pea, Royal Mixture
Morning Glory, Choice Mixed Colors

And for the veggie garden, because I gotta eat, and I love me my veggies (plus the additional can be sold, so there's that):
Broccoli, Calabrese
Squash, Buttercup
Squash, Dark Green Zucchini
Garden Bean, Top Crop
Pepper, Grand Bell Mix
Eggplant, Shooting Stars
Tomato, Brandywine Red
Corn, Ornamental Rainbow Mix
Pea, Maestro
Pea, Alaska
Tomato, Mortgage Lifter
Sweet Pepper, Carnival Hybrid Mix
Squash, Straightneck Early Yellow
Tomato, Roma
Tomato, Super Sweet 100 Hybrid
Garden Bean, Bush Blue Lake 274
Garden Bean, Blue Lake 274
Winter Squash, Early Acorn Hybrid
Carrot, Danvers 126
Squash, Mammoth Table Queen/Royal Acorn
Sweet Pepper, California Wonder
Turnip, Seven Top
Ornamental Gourd Mix, Large & Small Fruited Types
Collards, Vales Non-Heading
Tomato, Large Red Cherry
Radish, Gourmet Blend
Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson
Eggplant, Black Beauty
Radish, Sparkler White Tip
Lettuce, Iceberg
Corn, Peaches & Cream
Carrot, Tendersweet
Lettuce, Grand Rapids Leaf
Onion, White Lisbon Bunching
Cantaloupe, Hale's Best
Squash, Waltham Butternut
Cucumber, Marketmore
Cucumber, Straight Eight
Cucumber, Sumter
Spinach, Giant Noble
Carrot, Chantenay
Pepper, Jalapeno
Spinach Mustard, Tendergreen
Pepper, Hot Mix
Watermelon, Sugar Baby
Swiss Chard, Neon Lights Mix
Turnip, Purple Top White Globe
Okra, Emerald
Broccoli, De Cicco
Sweet Pepper, Mixed Mini
Onion, Sweet Spanish Utah Strain
Kohlrabi, Early White Vienna
Pumpkin, Jack O Lantern

So, think I'll have enough growing over this summer? I have plenty of extra seeds for carrots, onions, lettuce and other greens, so I can do lots of successions with those. That is going to be one big garden, but it will make lots of yummy food for me and for sale. Go, me!