Garden Catalogs and Thinking Spring

Seed catalogs are starting to show up in the mail, and I am starting to think about what I want to start inside this year.

Happens every year, when the New Year is here, I am ready for spring.

New Year’s Resolution - This year, 2017 –- I am going to attempt to be a little more active with this blog as the planting and growing starts. Seems like the past couple of years I have been too busy with other projects, like writing a book on gardening. Yep, that’s right, a gardening book. The book has helpful advice for gardeners in the high country, a bit of humor, and every fourth chapter is a murder mystery, set in a garden of course. Should be fun. I will post some excerpts soon.

My Books - Here is what keeps me busy – see all my books here on my Amazon Author's Page

Meanwhile, keep dreaming of planting time.

Flower Time

Lots of beautiful color in gardens this time of year.

We have several areas for flowers and two small vegetable gardens. In the Veggie gardens, the peas and radishes are about done, but that’s okay I needed the room. Tomatoes are turning red, corn is tasselling, peppers starting to set on and the beans are full of blossoms.

But today I wanted to talk about garden color – flowers.

I also completed two of my backyard garden projects this summer, pretty good for me. My favorite is the new fence and gate into our back yard, took a while but is worth it.

I also have been busy writing, finishing up one book and getting ready for an edit on another. When I get tired of sitting that is my therapy/garden time.

With everything growing so well I thought I would post in green – I like it. Now looking at it after posting it looks like dark gray to me - oh well!

Plenty of room for veggies, flowers and to play catch

Flower Time

Lots of beautiful color in gardens this time of year.

We have several areas for flowers and two small vegetable gardens. In the Veggie gardens, the peas and radishes are about done, but that’s okay I needed the room. Tomatoes are turning red, corn is tasselling, peppers starting to set on and the beans are full of blossoms.

But today I wanted to talk about garden color – flowers.

I also completed two of my backyard garden projects this summer, pretty good for me. My favorite is the new fence and gate into our back yard, took a while but is worth it.

I also have been busy writing, finishing up one book and getting ready for an edit on another. When I get tired of sitting that is my therapy/garden time.

With everything growing so well I thought I would post in green – I like it.

Plenty of room for veggies, flowers and to play catch

It's Veggie Time

Picked three pints of red raspberries and almost a quart of peas yesterday. It looks like the hot weather is doing in the peas. Still, have some nice radishes and great lettuce. I am still impatiently waiting for my first tomato - soon I hope. We are starting to pull a few onions when needed, they are golf ball or slightly larger and taste fantastic. 

Next Up - Raspberry Jelly

Green and Wax Beans are starting to blossom, won't be long now. 

Beans and Leaf Lettuce In Our Front Garden

I also see the first of the area farmers markets are gearing up, most opening this week. Love this time of year, fresh veggies, and fruit. 

Sage In The Back Garden

July 1 Garden Update

I planted most of my garden in late May and early June so most of it is a month, or so, into the growing season. So far so good. We have had some hot, often extremely hot days, but they are ideal for the garden. 

I took all of the photos this evening, just before a very nice rain accompanied by some spectacular lightning.

Rain beginning in the west over Laramie Peak

Garden Update

Time for a first of June garden update. Seeds are in, Tomatoes are transplanted, onions are growing, peas starting to bloom and I am eating radishes. Oh - and all is well in the world.

Not getting much writing done, but my books are still selling and the garden is growing. This time of year is when the perennials, the ones that come back every year are starting to look good. Take a walk around my Wyoming garden with me, photos from May 30, 2016.

Garden in the Snow - Yep, It's Spring

Looks like we have another winter storm coming in. This one could bring a foot or more of wet snow. The moisture we need the shoveling of the walk, not so much.

Six days ago and more to come

Just when I see the first flowers of spring. Good thing my garden is inside or in my head at, this time, might be a while. 

Violas, one of the early signs of spring

Onions Up

Onions went in nine days ago. Looks like  a bit over 80% germination so far. 

Will plant another variety this week and start my tomatoes in five-inch pots next week. With weather warming this week It's hard not to get out and start working in the yard and garden, but it is still much too early. I have found some things that I can work on, hardscaping areas, good time of year for that. I will be building a new raised bed and working on garden fencing.

I may live in a sparsely populated state but we still have
 the occasional traffic jam

And sometimes we have to wait at the crosswalk

Have a great week and happy gardening.

Will not be long now

First Onions are Up

In a follow up from the Feb 5th onion seed planting, the first new plants poked through yesterday. I was surprised as four days is pretty quick for onions. Packet information is not always spot-on but four days is fast when it is expected to be 7-14 days. Today is day five and it looks like I have 20, or so, very young plants poking through. They are so small I will wait a day or two before I attempt a photo.

Should be looking like this by the first of June - fingers crossed

Next up flowers and tomatoes. If I plant in the middle of this month it will give me ten weeks after planting to the first of May. I will plant some of my flowers, the ones in five-inch pots, with seed directly into the pots they will stay in. Saves time, and some stunted days after transplanting. I also start my tomatoes in larger pots, 3-5 inches so that they can go from the pot to the garden.

By the middle of July, I hope to have this look again in the garden

More coming soon.

Still looking good - Late September last year

Happy Gardening

Onions Planted - Inside

Happy Days, the garden is in! Not really, but my onions are planted.

Fill the cells, tap down, fill to top and seed, sprinkle lightly to cover

This will give me twelve weeks before setting them out the first week of May. Onions, peas, and potatoes can go in pretty early but my experience is that if they are in too soon, nothing happens. Most garden experts say to plant these three and often radishes are added to the list, as soon as the ground can be worked. Don’t hurry, as soon as the soil can be worked is too early here. Give it another week. I have even resorted to covering the area I want to plant first with painters clear plastic drop cloths in an attempt to warm the soil. Not sure it worked but it kept me out of trouble for an hour or so.

 

I mark the day I planted, these are Walla-Walla, on the seed packet.
Then put it back with my full ones, where I will be able to actually find it. 

Onion sets do well in a 72 cell starter like the ones I use, and they are less than five bucks. For onions, I do not use the soil listed as seed starting soil. I use a good mix of potting soil instead. I use it because it seems to hold up better for the three months onions are growing. And for those wondering, yes I will buy and use some onion plants or sets also, but only special varieties.

 

Water the soil, before planting, sprinkle before covering - don't overwater at this stage be careful

Not everyone understands the difference between sets and plants. Sets are small, dry onion bulbs that have been grown the previous year. They are the easiest for gardeners to grow and you can buy early and store for several weeks.  Plants are what I am producing by planting seeds early, they are young onion plants produced from seed in the year they are sold. The advantage of seeds is one, variety. 

Set in a warm window and wait for them to come up - might take two weeks
After they are up I move them outside into the sunshine when temps permit

With seeds, you know what you are getting. Often, especially in the big boxstores, onion plants and sets are sold as simply, yellow, red or white. I like to know more than that. 

Meanwhile - that's my garden space behind the fence - not yet!