The Modern Victory Garden

The sun put in an appearance today.   After a long period of too much rain and below average temperatures, it was much needed.  I had some shopping to do in the morning, so I did not actually get out to the garden until around noon.   While I was out running errands, I found a catnip plant that I could not resist purchasing for my cat Sid.  I had it sitting out with the hardening off seedlings and he immediately found it! 

Had to pop the catnip plant into the greenhouse or he would have eaten it down to nothing in no time.   Obviously this purchase met with his approval!  My intention is to plant it into a container and place it on the deck for the summer – bringing it into the greenhouse through the winter months like I do my herb pots.   

I moved the second round of broccoli seedlings outside today to begin their hardening off process.   They will spend daytime hours outside and will then be put into the greenhouse at night.  Will keep this up for about a week and then they will be ready to plant out.   Here’s a picture of them.

The first round of broccoli has been planted out in the garden for a few weeks now but because the temperatures have been so cold and the skies so dark and gloomy, they are not much bigger than this second round of seedlings that have been pampered in the shop (grow light and heat mat).    I have a suspicion they will both mature about the same time – despite the significant age difference from when they were actually seeded.   

While puttering in the garden this afternoon, I watered all the seed beds that are germinating (beets, spinach, and carrots).   The plastic sheeting covering the beet and spinach patch is doing a good job of holding heat.  The soil is considerably warmer under it than outside.   

I found two good news items in the garden today.   The first is that the pea patch has finally begun full emergence.   The warm sun today and forecasted for the next few days should ensure that they really take off.   I was starting to get a bit worried because the patch was seeded some time ago but the soil has been so wet and cold due to the foul weather that they basically just stalled out.   Happily, they are getting with the program.  The second exciting find today was the first asparagus spear to emerge!

The asparagus patch is planted with a variety called “Purple Passion” which is a beautiful purple color that is high in sugar content.   I expect many others will quickly join this lone spear and soon we will be officially into the asparagus harvest season.   I can hardly wait!   

In the meantime, we will continue to eat from the lettuces growing in the greenhouse…

…and from the overwintered spinach patch.   Both of which have been providing an adequate supply of fresh salads for the dinner table.   I watered the spinach patch and the lettuces today with a fish emulsion tea.   The shot of nitrogen to these heavy feeders will ensure that they continue to pour on the production while we wait out the first harvest of asparagus.    

Hope you are enjoying some sunshine and time in the garden too.