And we're off and running....

The snow has melted and the first of some of our perennial garden items in our own yard are popping up. This rhubarb is from the garden of my surrogate grandparents. I grew up next door to Elizabeth and Henry and think of them each time one of their plants pokes its head up. I also have their garden bench that my younger brother and I used to sit on when little. I may move it to my garden area…just because.

The first of the seeds have been started. Warm, sunny space for all of them is a real issue. So I purchased some grow-lite bulbs and put them in some adjustable lamps I already had on hand. I will keep them in the living room for a week or two, then place them in the enclosed porch of Kilburn Place. It is south facing with lots of windows.

I’ve started all of the following from seeds gathered last year:

* black seeded simpson lettuce

* flame lettuce

* broccoli

* Italian flat leaf parsley

* pumpkin (jack-o)

* acorn squash

* butternut squash

* straight neck yellow squash

* zucchini

New seeds purchased this year are:

* sweet Italian basil – for summer use and for drying

* roma tomatoes (Burpee)

* long-keeper tomatoes (Burpee’s Organic)

* baxter’s bush cherry tomatoes (Burpee’s)

* italian frying peppers (Hart’s) - very tough seeds to find!

* oregano (Burpee)

* cauliflower (snowball – American Seed Co)

* dill (Burpee)

* black beauty eggplant (Burpee)

* swiss chard (Ferry Morse)

* white Lisbon bunching onions (American Seed)

* pumpkin (jasper – Ferry Morse)

I’m really excited about the jasper pumpkin. I think something about a white pumpkin will make the front porch or our tables look very autumn-like, come that time. I also ordered some seedless tomato seeds from Burpee. They are supposed to be a very juicy and meaty tomato. We shall see.

We have decided to burn off the overgrowth where the garden is going. This is a good week for it since it is damp out and we don’t have to worry about a huge brush fire spreading. (Nothing worse than the Fire Chief having an out of control brush fire.) The tilling shall begin soon afterwards.

So now that those seeds are started, I have to plan a raised bed for asparagus and another one for some root crops. Also planning what type of fencing. Anyone with some good ideas on either of those? Tips are appreciated.