Get in The Garden
Planting early spring’s cool crops.
This is going to a perfect spring for growing crops that thrive under 75 degrees fahrenheit.
It'll be a great weekend to set some time and get in the garden..
A garden is practical. It’s about lifting some burden off your grocery bills. Planting will cost a few dollars. Saving hundreds!
Cool crops grow quickly. Nature does most of the work. Excellent project for young kids. A radish sprouts rapidly.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
It’ Planting Time
Planting early spring’s cool crops.
Green Springing
Green is sprinkling around Ohio.
My instincts are telling me an early spring.
Don't rush and plant those seeds just yet+
But in the next few weeks. You'll want to begin your cool crops outdoors. They can handle some cold days!
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Getting to The Roots
The benefits of growing root vegetables.
I'm a practical gardener. Meaning I am realistic about space and garden costs.
Radishes, beets and turnips are a great way to get the most out of the cool crop season.
Beets and turnips are edible from root to leaves. Making a great addition to salads.
Like my lettuce and spinach. I pick turnip and beet leaves. By selecting leaves. The lettuce or root crop regrows new leaves, without hindering the plants.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Spinach Super-Powerful
Spinach is a superfood.
What makes spinach so good for us?
Spinach is rich in iron, Vitamins C&E.
Full of potassium and magnesium.
Growing this fresh and eating will improve your immune system and tummy troubles.
Might even have anticancer properties.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Remember to Pea
Planting peas in spring.
Starting Our Spring Gardens
It's time to purchase and plant our cool crop seeds.
The very 1st thing that I plant are my peas.
My choices are "sugar snap" and "snow" peas. I don't grow "shell" peas, but they are equally delicious.
Peas must have something to grow up. If you decide to repurpose an item as their structure. Make sure you aid the pea vine by securing it to the structure, with garden twine.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
St Leafy Green Day
Celebrating leafy greens.
Lettuce Lovers
My favorite lettuces to grow are Black Seeded Simpson and Buttercrunch.
We have already learned that when you grow lettuce in your garden. You companion the produce with sweet alyssum.
We need the parasitic wasp to eliminate any aphids ruining your lettuce crops.
The second crop to plant with your lettuce are herbs.
Parsley is not a good early spring companion for lettuce. The herb promotes early bolting of your lettuce.
Dill is my favorite herb to pair with my cool crops. The smell keeps the bunnies away!
Until Tomorrow! Smile On;
Parasitic Wasp Magic
Parasitic wasps are beneficial against aphids.
No romance blossoms more abundantly. Sweet Alyssum and Leafy Spring Greens!!! The magic is the parasitic wasp!
Sweet Alyssum flowers are irresistible to tiny parasitic wasps.
These insects use the aphids as a nursery for their baby wasps. Also baby wasps love to feed on aphids.
The wasp requires the body cavity of the aphids to survive.
No chemicals. No aphids. No garden problems. Thanks to our helpful wasp!!!
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Oh Rosie
Rose of Sharon for pollinators.
Rose of Sharon.
Popular with the pollinator posse!
In my yard it fills up space. Offers me extra privacy. A teaser for all the pollinators to visit, before my gardens.
Each bush is a different color. You can cut them down and manicure for your needs. Their blooms are quite whimsical.
I don't have a substitute plant for the pollinators
Even with all their own problems. It fills a need of nature!
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Great Expectations
Researching your garden.
What we picture in our minds and what actually grows, are going to look very different.
Start seeing those gardens in your imagination.
Research 3 things you want to grow. As simple as Wikipedia.
Can it grow in your region? If yes, add it to your seed/seedling list.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Seeds Bloom Best
The benefits of starting by seeds.
To get a garden like mine. Everything possible is planted by seed.
The idea of seeds can be daunting. Don’t worry
We'll work it out together.
Start planning flowers/plants/veggie and herbs that you'd like to grow.
Together we will figure out the best option for your garden. Not everything is possible from seeds.
I promise you'll have a good time learning about your garden!
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Garden Thyming
The ups and downs of gardening
A garden never grows as you plan.
You will fail as much as you succeed.
Nothing will seem like it is growing. A storm can destroy your Sunflower Patch. Vine borers will eat your pumpkin vines. The deer or other creature always finds your garden.
On the other side.
You're going to have big wins in the garden. Catch that beautiful pollinator sipping nectar from blooms you grew from seeds. Eat a salad you grew!
Life is filled with ups and downs!
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Plant Radishes
Using radishes as a cover and companion crop.
In order to have a thriving backyard garden. You must protect it.
How do you keep away the bad bugs and attract the beneficial?
Plants radishes.
How do you break up the soil at the root level?
Plant radishes.
How do you prevent erosion and create better water paths in your garden soil?
Plant radishes.
Some you eat. Others you allow to flower and protect. A backyard garden needs the radish.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Spilling Lettuce Secrets
Growing garden lettuce in Ohio.
There isn’t anything better than fresh garden lettuce.
A member of the cool crop season. Lettuce is less tolerant of cooler temps and can withstand up to 80F. In my observation of the plants.
I always plant by mid-April. Selecting lettuce tape your 1st year is suggested. All you must do is follow the directions. The lettuce is already spaced out for you in the tape.
You pair with sweet alyssum. I prefer the purple or white. The yellow sweet alyssum had an unappealing scent in comparison to the sweet given by the others.
Buttercrunch and Black Seeded Simpson are fantastic green leafy choices for Ohio gardens.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Popeye’s Grub
When to plant spinach.
Spinach is a “cool crop”.
Meaning it thrives when the daytime temp doesn’t rise above 65F.
Once the spring weather warms, a spinach plant will “bolt”.
Bolting is when the spinach plant recognizes the rising temps. So the plant will “bolt”. Which is the growth of spinach seeds and their spread. The plant’s instinct to continue is to make seeds.
Spinach is best planted 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. A little freeze or frost does not hurt spinach. It is meant to be grown in early spring.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Pea Weather
When to plant peas
If you live in Ohio. You want to plant the seeds on the 1st day of spring. No matter the forecast.
It's Ohio, so check back. I don't suggest a "polar vortex" type of bizarre weather situation.
However, I have planted in snow.
Peas thrive in cool weather.
Don't sweat the freeze warnings or threats of spring.
A pea is conditioned to thrive in these predicaments.
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
Garden Companions
Parasitic wasps and companion planting.
Think the “rule of three”.
Produce, flower and herb.
Each group, makes a companionship in the garden.
In relationships, sometimes we need a good friend.
Enter the beneficial bugs and pollinators.
Sweet alyssum, leafy greens and dill are a great trio of garden pals. When the aphids start causing trouble. Their dear friend, the parasitic wasp comes to the rescue. Not chemicals!
Until Tomorrow! Smile On!
