May 2, 2013 - This Week in the Garden

 I planted 36 sweet peppers along the fence today.  The corn is all planted in three beds on the right, and a few volunteer potato plants were moved to the front edge of the corn garden.

Nine more sweet pepper plants, a tomato and some basil were planted at the back of the north garden.  The sugar snap peas are growing vigorously, but the big packet of shelling peas I bought from Burpee (on line) for $3.99 gave me just 1 (that's one) pea vine.  That's one expensive pea plant, and Granny is not happy about it.  You can't really see them yet, but the bush beans in the foreground popped up in today's warm (finally!) weather.  Three hills of butternut squash were planted up front yesterday, and a bed has been prepped for a hill each of zucchini and yellow crookneck squash.  It's going to be really crowded in the squash bed, so I'm hoping I can train most of the butternuts up the fence.

The Red Norland potatoes that were black and frozen a couple of weeks ago are now green and growing well.  No loss from the freeze!

 The Yukon Gold potatoes are now emerging as well.

 Four of 12 main crop determinate tomatoes were planted next to the shed.  Three more are planted  next to the west fence, and the other five are all against the north fence. I had all of my tomatoes planted too close together last year, so I really cut back and gave them more space.  No buckets this year!  There was too much expense with home improvements (windows, doors, siding, paint, rain gutters, sewer connection, concrete work, etc.) I didn't feel like spending a bunch more $$ on potting mix.  I did have to buy a several bags to redo the front yard planters, so the tomatoes are all in ground, except for the four Patio tomatoes and 4 cherry tomatoes that are in 2 gallon pots.  Another cherry tomato is planted next to the kennel garden.

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Now that the seedlings are finally planted, I'll have to make some shelf adjustments to allow these potted plants some room to grow.  I still have a few smaller pots to fill, probably with a few flowers for color.  

And, speaking of color......

These beauties, zonal geraniums, will be planted in the front yard planters tomorrow.  Costco had them priced at 10 for $18.99.  I need to get some blue lobelia to mix in with them.  I spent most of the morning installing drip lines in the three planters, so hopefully the watering will stay under control this year.  I had bubblers there before, and they were drowning the plants.