Putting out the seedlings!

Planting the seedlings in PA

We took the seedlings for the cabbages, eggplant, bok choy, and tomatoes with us this weekend so that I could plant them at the farm.  It was dry at the farm, a little too dry for my tastes, but not so much that I needed to water anything - yet.  Anyway, I got right into planting the seedlings because I was afraid of the predicted rain storms catching me.  I had a problem with the black plastic.. not that I ran out but that I didn't have enough sod staples to hold it down!  I used rocks as best I could.  While I was here I got noticed that the staples got delivered to the city house, so next weekend I can reinforce the rocks, as needed.  I have some figures for the garden layout (planned and actual); see below. 

Big patch layout - to date.  Big section in the center there needs something - if not, then at least cover with BP.

Front patches.  Squash needs to go in yet, but the tomatoes are in! and everything else looks good.  I need to start putting down more weedblocking paper or cardboard - weeds are starting to grow fast!

Paw-paw garden.  Beans an pumpkins are up!  Probably need to thin next weekend.  Hopefully, I will have my sweet-potatoes to put in then too!  Sweet-potatoes go on the left.

General overview of front lawn.

General overview of front lawn. 

General overview of front lawn.

front patch - unfenced part.  the tomatoes are in!

you can see the tomatoes!

The potatoes and onions are coming along too

See the little corn plant coming up?

Strawberries blooming!

Big patch

The cabbages are in!

I think I had better put some black plastic down on the center there before the weeds take over!

See the cabbages?  They look like they transplanted well.

Bok choy on the right there.  Eggplants are further down that row

Peas are coming along.  I need to start de-weeding

Cucumbers are up!

castor beans are behind the cuc's.  They're not up yet.

Big empty area in the middle!  2nd corn crop? Maybe?

elderberries showing blossom activity!

I am hopeful of a good harvest this year!

Paw-paw patch

Green beans are coming up!

Lots of green beans!

And shell beans!

Pumpkin!

More pumpkin

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And I made a carpenter bee trap.  No bees yet...

Garden planting starts!

I had a bad gout flair last week and it was still bothering me into the weekend.   It slowed me down but I still managed to get a lot planted. 

I needed considerably more forsythia plants to cover the road bank so I went back to mom's to get some more.   While I was there I grabbed 10 more blackberry plants too.  I  now have a total of 31 blackberry plants and 53 forsythia!  I think 6 more forsythia will be all I need.  This year anyways.   I may extend them all the way out to the other side of the driveway.

Since the weather was dry I was able to get into the gardens and plant.   I peas from let weekend have come up!   No sign of kale or onions yet though.   Nor of potatoes.   I planted shell beans,  2 varieties, and green beans,  from 2013 saved seed.  I planted 4 rows of corn in front patch, the old seed.  I'm thinking I might be able to get a second crop if o plant the new short season corn early enough.

The real pain in planting is actually putting down the black plastic weed block.  I have used all (that I can reach and find) and even started using the new plastic I bought this year. I need more landscaping staples.   I ordered them Sunday I think,  they shipped yesterday,  but from CA... they might not get here in time for this weekends planting.

I also mowed the lawn and trimmed, re-set up the garden fences, added more deer pops to the electric fences and re-baited the pops. 

Castor beans planted on the far end, cucumbers near side.

Peas!

see them there?  Peas!

A panoramic view from top of orchard hill.  Can see all of orchard and vineyard and big garden

Orchard after mowing

Front patch now is fully planted.  Added corn in center 4 rows.

My new blackberries!  31 of them there.  Sorry about the telephone pole shadow.

The paw-paw patch is mostly planted now.    From the far right:  Pumpkins (1 row) , 2 rows of bush beans - accelerate?  2 more rows of bush beans (velour?) then 3 rows of green beans (from 2013 saved seed - fingers crossed!)  The final space on the left will be home to the sweet potatoes plants

Paw-paw patch from above.

Forsythia!  53 of them.  They should look fantastic along here when they grow and fill out.

I found a morel mushroom!  Damn they are hard to find!

I mowed around the spruce that I moved last week.  Here they are in panoramic view.  I really need to put up some stakes for them - they are near invisible.

More planting. Spring is here

Just posting some pics from this past weekend.   I stopped at the farm on my way back from PSU so I got a good bit of work in.  I immediately tilled my gardens and even plowed neighbors garden because I was expecting rain Thursday.   I even planted my onions and potatoes by headlights Wednesday night to be sure they were in before rain.   It didn't rain until later on Thursday though,  so I was also able to plant some peas, kale, and onion seed in the big patch.  Even put down blackplastic before the rain.

I had gout flair up and some tummy issues one day so I stayed close to house and set up the electric fences and closed up the front garden.   I was afraid that deer might get in and eat off strawberries!  I extended the blueberry electric fence to surround the new plantings.   I also extended the orchard fence around the new apples and elderberries.   On the same day I  put wood chips around the persimmons.

Another day I got up and decided to finally move the firewood out of the basement.   It took a lot more effort than I thought;  those basement stairs are steep! Also, I think the pieces of wood leaned to the larger side than the ones I had previously moved from shop.  On that same day I also decided to burn the trash and leftover scrap wood from the woodshed build.   After moving the wood I used a push broom and shovel to get up the dirt in the basement.  

On another day I went over to mom's to pick up the apple wood and fence posts, as well as some blackberry plants and forsythia plants.  I managed to get 21 blackberries and 21 forsythia!   I could use a few more of each to fill out my planting spots.  I moved the spruce trees from the front to the hill across from the sheep.   They looked rough.   The deer really worked them over last fall.   If they don't grow,  no big deal.  I have kinda lost my interest in them.  The forsythia will be much better there!