Succession Planting

Have you ever thought you knew all you needed to know about a subject, just to figure out in the midst of it that you still have much to learn?

Picture this...

It is February and you are in the midst of a cold spell. Feeling the need to do SOMETHING warm weather related, you begin to collect seeds and supplies so that you can begin to start some vegetables indoors that you will be able to plant when warm weather finally arrives. You read directions, 3 books and 10 websites about how to start them correctly.

Finally, a few days later, you see the first few shoots. So exciting! Green!!!!! Oh how you missed seeing GREEN! Shortly, the small shoots develop into seedlings and the countdown to spring begins. Being in Zone 5, May 15th is the no frost date. That is a long time to keep seedlings alive and thriving.

The day comes and you can finally harden off the plants and plant them in the garden. You water and fertilize. Then, well, they die. THEY DIE! Not all of them. But sheesh!

Fast forward to June 17th. I have peppers that are starting to look alive, lettuce that is also trying. Tomatoes that I don't think are going to make it. What's growing well? The bush beans, squash, broccoli and swiss chard are doing very well. They of course were plants where the seeds were sewn directly into the soil outside. Thankfully, I'll have SOMETHING to show for my 2011 garden adventure. It's a good thing we have wonderful farmer's markets in the area as well as a few orchards where you can pick your own fruits while also offering veggies.

At this point, I'm already starting to plan for next year. I'd love to build some raised beds for my veggies and herbs. However, I don't know that I'll get around to it. The yard is almost tamed, but this fall I will still be busy tilling and getting grass planted and started. I'll have to see how things look in the spring. What I have figured out is:

• Considering the poor soil condition this year due to the vast amount of weeds competing for soil nutrients, I am going to have to get some great compost and till it into the garden this fall and again in spring.



• I will most likely NOT start tomatoes from seed next year. I'll simply buy good heirloom plants from the nursery and call it a day. I did that with the broccoli and it was a great decision.
  


• I need to fertilize the rhubarb in the fall to help insure a better early harvest next spring.



• Once I start the garden next year, I am going to have to be on weed patrol pretty much every other day to stay on top of it.

So, now it is time for you to share. What gardening lessons have you learned that the rest of us can learn from?

A snow bunny I am not!

I promised some funny pictures of my trying to tame the great snowy back yard. And, after the Raven's loss, I needed to cool off after all that yelling at the television. I put Ray's snow suit on and outside I went!

Even from the start, it was pretty deep. For some reason our back yard is a prime place for all the snow to drift to. Probably because the house is higher and the yard slopes away from the house. Ray, by the way, is warm and toasty inside while taking these pictures. Sheesh!

I'm not kidding, this snow is deeper than my waist! I can't imagine how much potential snow we are going to get this year considering we are only 2 weeks into winter and we have had 2 blizzards so far.

I did get my legs stuck. So I had to kick them straight out and up so that I ended up laying down on the snow. While I was there I figured I should go ahead and make a snow angel. It is still the Christmas season after all!



Yes, that is me standing on the seat of a bench. And, as I prepare to jump back into the snowy abyss......

....I get stuck AGAIN! I do have to say that playing in the snow was fun. Since rolling helped me get out before, I tried it again. The only problem this time? My arms got stuck too.

As you can see, I did eventually tame the Nebraskan Snowy Wild West Back Yard!!!!!!!! I should get a trophy or something. The weather man keeps saying we should be snow free for the next week. At this point, I'll believe it when I see it.

Thinking of Spring!

....Twas the night before Christmas and all through the town, not a vehicle was moving except for the plow.....

....and on Christmas day....and on the day after Christmas.......


Who ordered all this snow???? I bet it was the farmers. Lots of snow in the winter with a slow melt is ideal for the wells and for the produce. But two blizzards in three weeks is a little much. Although, it is pretty. And, if I were a kid, this would be the perfect snowman, snow fort or igloo snow. Tomorrow, I plan to jump into the massive snow drift in our back yard. Don't worry, Ray plans to video it and take some pictures. I'll be sure to post them for you to laugh at......


Now for spring.....

I still have this big old yard of garden and I plan to not be here for a few months this summer. So, I need to make some decisions about what to do with it when I'm not here and the yard tends to week up fast. I suppose I'll need to hire someone to take come over once a week, mow what little grass is here and tend to the copious amounts of weeds and grasses that tend to choke out my flowers and other plants. I'll have to think about that and do some research.

However, it is going to be months, as you soon will see, until I see green again under all that white. So, in the mean time, I think I'm going to grow some herbs indoors. I always have a winter project and I think I'll make it my project for this winter.