Glad's 2016 Garden

We just entered February. The days are getting slightly longer. Won't be long when we can get out to start preparing the garden plots.

My son has prepared me a small plot between the garden and the southwest side of the house. It is an area that retains water when it rains hard. The area was original a walkway so he built it up with the extra blocks that are all around the garden. The small plot will be for lettuce, spinach, kale and maybe radishes. (not sure yet) For the last two months we have been putting our veggie scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds along with leaves we had over the fall. We put finely shredded paper in the plot also. I will need to purchase a couple bags of soil to add to the plot.

Speaking of veggie scraps.......this is an excellent source of compost for your garden. If you live in warmer climates it is best to have a composting area away from your house because as the material composes it does send a foul odor when it is hot outside. When our temps warm up we will not be placing the veggie scraps near our house. We do have a section at the end of our property that is prepared for composting materials.

I am getting excited about this year's garden. Hope you are too. This post will be shared in most forums I attend that have gardening sections.

Glad, I too anticipate a 2016 garden. As I swept the kitchen floor this morning, I laughed at how I hate housework, but love garden work. Quickly, I put on my jacket and went outside to sweep fallen leaves. All my life, I recall needing the outdoors. As a child, I would venture into the woods alone and commune with nature.

Regarding composting, if the soil isn't frozen, we dig a hole in the garden, dump the peels into it, chop finely and cover. By spring, all will be decomposed enough to blend with garden soil. We save all egg shells, allow them to dry, pulverize in the blender, and most go into the planting hole for tomatoes, peppers. Then as the plants grow, I scatter egg shells around the base.

Thanks Joyous! Sounds like you and I are think alikes when it comes to gardening.

I hope to see some nice pictures of both of your Gardens. I am going to try for a very small one this year.

That is excellent news Windwalker.

I hope to see pictures of yours also.

We used to have a hole dug in the back yard, about 5X5X5 feet. We would dump all organic garbage in it, covering it with dirt from the pile next to it. When the pile is frozen, cover with newspaper.

Sounds good LFF.

We covered most of our garden with plants, cardboard and straw.
When the ground isn't frozen, we dig through the cover, bury the
vegetable matter, recover. The cardboard has almost biodegraded,
already.

Thanks joyous. Good info!

Saturday March 5th we planted onions, radishes, lettuce (2 varieties), spinach and kale. Son placed a make shift plastic canopy over the area for protection from frost or freeze.

Today we are planting potatoes.....rain is in the forecast so we want to get the potatoes out.

We might put some marigolds in a pot.

Don't like gardening but today went out and planted some pot hyacinths to keep the bulbs and then cut back masses of brambles growing in the hedge. This latter surrounds our property and belongs to a farmer and its a real nuisance.
I was out for about half an hour in all and was pleased with what I had done. One bramble had rooted from the tip and managed to pull most of it up. Brambles fight back and got scratched and my clothes pulled.
Have given up growing anything as the rabbits and muntjak deer take the lot. Used to do spinach,courgettes and peas but no more. We have a lot of fruit trees and some raspberries which do OK. Have sprayed the fruit trees for fungus a couple of weeks ago. Always something to do in a garden.

Yep 2Anne there is always something to do in the garden and tonight I ache from the bending over to plant potatoes. The sons helped me too which I am very thankful.

Beccie, get a kneeling bench. I love mine and couldn't garden without it.

I will plant my potatoes on Good Friday, God willing.

I wouldn't be able to get up from the kneeling position. At church I never kneel....but stand to pray.

Checked the calendar. Good Friday is March 25 this year.

Yeah

I'm too heavy to kneel. Even years ago when I was slim I found kneeling hurt so I bend over gardening and this makes your back ache.
Our garden looks nice right now with dozens of daffodils.

Arthritis prevents me from getting on my knees........right I to am overweight and getting down is ok but getting back up is where my knees will not co-operate.

I have to get on bended knee to put my compression stockings on.

Glad, the bench has tall handles which fold for storage, a padded seat or kneeling pad. Please google it. garden kneeling pad or bench. You would be amazed at how much it helps.

Oh why am I unable to do copy and paste.
Amazon has the very bench.

Highlight a passage and right click, choose copy, or highlight, and choose copy from Edit menu on Navigation bar
, or key in Control+ C.
Place the cursor where you wish to paste, right click just to the right of the cursor, and choose paste, choose paste from Edit menu, or key in Control+V.

Like this Joyous?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Step2-Garden-Kneeler-Green/24268584?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=24268584&placement_id=irs-2-m2&strategy=ABTV1&visitor_id=QcOUhTSVAWC8Rf1HCeYxPM&category=&client_guid&customer_id_enc=&config_id=2&parent_item_id=17164784&parent_anchor_item_id=17164784&guid&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n


Not sure why it is so long but is your kneeling bench there?

I don't have a lot of trouble getting back up. However, I usually feel it the next day ! Thus I'm not much of a gardener. But I surely enjoy the neighbors, hers is always pretty.

Right. At our age, we've earned the right to enjoy from afar!

Yes, but I enjoy working in my garden....makes me happy even though I get tired and or sore from the work. I have noticed my blood sugar is always lower after working in my garden so guess that is a good thing.

Glad E Olah wrote:Yes, but I enjoy working in my garden....makes me happy even though I get tired and or sore from the work.  I have noticed my blood sugar is always lower after working in my garden so guess that is a good thing.

Whatever floats your boat, Glad. Personally, I'm tired.

Hope the boat does not spring a leak.

Glad E Olah wrote:Hope the boat does not spring a leak.

Planted peas today and more onions.

Can never have too many onions!

That is true!

Glad, I have no problem growing garlic. However, I could learn from you about growing onions. Some years they turn out large, some years too small. HELP ?

I know with onion sets, we had to get them out of the ground before they got too big.

Last year we had some rather large onions.  Son planted them with sand mixed with the soil.  I did not have any sand to mix with the ones I planted this year but we will eat them small before they have a chance to grow really big.  The ones son planted last year were with strawberries of all things.

I'm hoping for better production this season.

I always enjoy this thread!

Thanks Ladydi!

Can't believe it's that time of the year again. Good luck on your garden my friend. Can't wait to see the pictures of what you all have done to.

Glad, please check your Face book messages. If the video isn't there, check my timeline. I posted it especially for you.

Hope the garden goes well. I'm hoping to get some flowers planted so Addi can help. She loves doing that stuff.

And I want to say, what a beautiful Shout opening page. Thanks. I love it.

Thanks MeShell!

I have the ground ready for planting potatoes Friday. The cuts are scabbing over now.

I remember, years ago, when we kids would come in from the garden, my Dad would say "Your feet are so dirty, you could plant potatoes between your toes"!

LOL LFF Yeah I heard that also!

Our garden is full of daffodils and they look beautiful. Most of the jobs have been done including spraying the fruit trees for fungus.
The gardener will be starting again soon and he's not very reliable. Last year he grossly overcharged for cutting back a small tree. It should have taken 10 minutes but he stretched it much longer and then wanted about $30!! I had to pay him but will take a quote in future.
Neither me or husband like gardening so we have the gardener as have a big garden with a lot of lawn and an orchard.
People who do their own gardens do better.

Speaking of dirt between toes. my older sister scrubbed and scrubbed my three little brother's necks, thinking they were "rusty'. She even used bleach, if memory serves me. Only to learn that their necks were suntanned

I hope that was when they were kids, joyous!

Yes Lightfoot, they were and she was in her teens, but cleanliness was next to Godliness her entire life.

RE: Garden, Good Friday I planted six hills of organic Russet potatoes.
Last evening a huge thunder storm raised the creek level mighty close to my potatoes and garlic.
Oh how I hope that filthy water doesn't reach my garden level.