This has been a very productive week for my gardens. It’s Sunday and today Marty helped me finish filling the six galvanized steel 8×2 raised beds.
The garden’s expansion project was a lot of work, everything was harder and took much longer than I first thought.
I had to keep reminding myself that this was the only time we have to do most of these projects. The garden expansion project is 90% done. Whew!
We began working outside and the rain held off until about 1:30 pm which gave us enough time today to finish up this part of the project! Yay!
After doing some more research on companion gardening early this morning, I realized that potatoes should not be grown near brassicas, tomatoes, or squash.
Broccoli & brussel sprouts are in the brassica family, tomatoes, and squash is what is going in the new garden area with the potatoes right next to them.
Marty moved the potatoes for me to a perfect spot that isn’t near anything else.
That’s the good news. There was some bad news this week but I acted quickly and remedied the situation in afternoon.
Aphids invaded the greenhouse this week. Like I said in my “Close Call” piece, I know my seedling plants like I know my own kids.
On Wednesday, I noticed some of the eggplant’s and the hollyhock’s lower leaves were turning yellow and dying. The eggplant was located next to the brussel sprouts and broccoli.
On Thursday morning, I decided to inspect the eggplant closely and then I found those green little bastards.
“Oh, fuck!” I said loudly. Marty asked what was wrong and I told him the plants have aphids. He didn’t have any idea what I was talking about.
I had to wait until after production before addressing this invasion which was difficult for me, but work comes first.
Marty set up a folding table for me and I emptied out all the plants with aphids. Eggplant, broccoli, brussel sprouts, hollyhocks, and bell peppers.
I cleaned the aphids off each plants using the sprayer attachment from our outdoor shower.
Next, I checked all the other plants in the greenhouse and they were all aphids free.
I looked at the weather and decided all the perennials I started from seed back in February were ready to be transplanted especially with 5 days of rain in the forecast.
I also made the decision to transplant the brussel sprouts and broccoli into their new raised beds.
I made sure each broccoli and brussel sprouts sprout plants were free of any aphids before putting them into the beds.
Next, I installed low tunnels to attach insect netting to these brassica beds.
The tunnels and netting were smaller than I thought but are fine for now. I have to get taller tunnels and some bulk shade cloth before the brussels grow taller.
I think the broccoli will be fine but will may need shade cloth as well.
My new first year perennial garden which is located on the front side of our house is a work in progress.
I transplanted lilies to the area in front of the picked fence in the fall when Marty removed the lawn and prepped the area for me.
I grew hollyhocks, lupine, delphinium and foxglove plants from seed and planted them in between the lilies.
I know most of them won’t product blooms this year, but you have to start somewhere right?
After I transplanted all the plants, I used my half-moon edging tool to create each bed. Now, the bed is ready for mulch.
I also planted all the echinacea plants I started from seed in the front perennial beds I created last year and a few in the wildflower garden.
A couple of days later I said, “fuck it” and threw down all of my wildflowers seeds from my own garden and from my friend Ann’s garden into the wildflower garden.
Ann sent me her seeds for Christmas which was such a nice gift. I sent some seeds to her for her bday in February.
We are now both parts of each other’s gardens which I love!
As far as the rest of the greenhouse plants go, I surrounded the eggplant with marigolds and herbs that aphids don’t like.
I am still finding a few on each plant and remove them every morning.
The tomato plants are still recovering from the too cold water incident but will make it. It definitely stunted their growth a bit though.
The sunflowers I started are getting tall and I have noticed with both my tomatoes and sunflowers the leaves change at night.
I never noticed this before because who the hell goes out to their garden in the dark to look at the plants leaves?
The tomato plants leaves close up and inward and the sunflowers turn down. I can’t believe I even noticed it but it’s hard not to.
When I take the girls, Nelly & Roxy out for their bedtime pee I always go in and “tuck in” my plants at their bedtime.
Yes, I am over the top but they are my babies after all.
I planted snow peas on Friday and started germinating two types of beets, two types of carrots, and parsnips seeds.
The root vegetable beds are ready for them as soon as the seeds produce sprouts. It’s very exciting.
This week I am considering planting some of the flowers and herbs into pots and move them out of the greenhouse as well.
There is more room in the greenhouse so I can spread things out a bit as the flowers are getting bigger.
My wave petunias have actual flower buds that are almost ready to open!
This is very exciting especially since the last few years I haven’t been as successful as far as wave petunias go.
Those I got from nurseries that’s why I decided to grow my own from seed this year.
Another week another update. The upcoming week has a lot of rain in the forecast but decent daytime and nighttime temps.
The heater has been turned off in the greenhouse getting the plants hardened off for when the time comes to transplant everything outside.
I go to bed pretty exhausted these days but it’s a great kind of tired. I am getting stronger everyday too.
Building my strength back after being ill for a long time has also been a challenge but I am working my hardest in everything I do.
Just before the rain started after gardening, I went into the pool since Marty installed the stairs.
Swimming? Yes. The water is now 86 degrees and felt great diving under the water and swimming again!
Having a heater for the pool was a must for us and worth every penny. We can swim from now until October! Yay!
Have a great week everyone and local people stay dry. ☔️