Late April/early May has been mild, windy, and sunny. Yesterday, the temperature reached 27 degrees C. The day before, it was 22 degrees. The next week's daytime temperatures have returned to warm-but-not-scorching norms of mid to high teens.
It feels strange, but nice, to be so far ahead of things with garden prep. R. has two of the three main garden plots tilled and the main raised beds turned and purged of quack grass. He also filled dozens of pots and large containers with soil, so they are ready to be planted in the coming weeks.
Some of the containers along the north fence, ready for transplants:
A combination of abysmal energy levels, vanishing muscle mass, and a sprained ankle has left me less productive than usual in terms of schlepping/garden work. Weeding, tending to transplants, planting new batches of seeds for later transplants, and planning the garden layout have been my tasks these past two weeks.
Oh, and relocating the volunteer garlic that has been popping up in the north and south gardens! More than 20 volunteer garlic and 7 volunteer onions have come up. I believe that is a record. They have been relocated to various raised beds and are thriving. Between what's growing in this year's garlic patch and the volunteers, our harvest this summer should more than make up for last year's Garlic Apocalypse.
Planted in the garden so far...
April 17
- Carrots (Scarlet Nantes, Cosmic Purple, Jaune Obtus
du Doubs, Pusa Asita Black, and Amarillo)
April 23
- Dill (Bouquet)
April 24
- Potatoes (AmaRosa fingerling and Kennebec, left over from last Fall's harvest)
- Gold Harvest dry cooking peas
April 30
- Transplanted the leeks outside (Giant Musselburgh)
May 1
- Swedish Red dry cooking peas
- Dahlia tubers
New transplants started:
April 14
- Calendula (Pacific Mix)
- Lavatera (Pink Blush - Dwarf)
- Dahliettas (Unwin's Mix)
- Shasta Daisy (Alaska)
- Epazote
- Parsley (Italian Flat-Leaf and Curly)
April 25
- Swiss Giant Pansy
April 23
- Marigolds (Queen Sophia and Janie Bright)
- Cosmos (Sensation Mix)
- Summer Savoury
May 3
- Chinese Cabbage, (Hilton)
- Pansy (Burpee hybrid - Springtime Mix)
The kale and cabbage started in the milk jug greenhouses are doing well, and the daisies have germinated. The calendula, dahliettas, lavatera, epazote, and a few marigolds (all started in mini pots) have germinated. Still waiting on the parsley, cosmos, and summer savoury (which is notoriously slow to get going).
Some of the smaller tomato transplants:
...and some of the leggier ones:
LouLou's favourite summertime ritual has resumed. After a hard afternoon of supervising our yard work, she enjoys nothing more than being combed with a lightweight flowerbed rake. R. has the technique down to a science and has begun referring to these interactions (with a straight face) as LouLou's "Rake-y Sessions". She ends up so blissed-out by these sessions. Just look at the last picture - look at those toes!
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