Garden is planted!!

Mostly.....
Anne I went to Heemans last Saturday (May 12) and I bought a bunch of plants for the garden.  Mom gave me three of her Brianna heirloom tomatoes (an amazing beefsteak style tomato), so I had those already.  I bought a mix of heirloom tomatoes (4 plants), 4 pie pumpkins, 4 sugar baby watermelons, 4 sweet yellow peppers, 4 red peppers, 3 pickling cucumbers and green and yellow bean seeds.  It cost less than $20!

I had already been over to Dad's and planted the peas and nasturtiums, and I had a bunch of marigolds left to plant.  I planted the pumpkin and melons on four mounds, two plants to each mound.  I think I probably did not need to mound them, but we'll see how it works and make adjustments next year.  I planted the cucumbers in a triangle to the side of the melons and pumpkins and put large tomato cages around them to grow up.  I planted the peppers behind the mounds and the cucumbers... they will get afternoon shade from the fence, which should prevent them from scorching.  I planted the tomatoes here and there; same with the marigolds.  Anne planted some herb seeds I had in the front corner of the garden in front of the peas and the nasturtiums, and I planted the beans in front of the potatoes.  There are still some empty spaces where I might plant some mixed pole bean seeds that Stacy recently gave me.  I also need to plant beets throughout the garden... beet tops and roots are so good.

watering the garden after planting everything

marigolds, sugar baby melons, pie pumpkins and tomatoes

rows of peas, peppers, tomatoes ... grow my little darlings!

Compost and potatoes!

Last weekend I got up early and called Dad ... it's compost time!!

We went to Try Recycling (awesome place!!) and bought 2 yards of compost for $40!  Not bad!  2 yards was 2 big scoops from the front loader and filled the entire back of the pickup... so much lovely, lovely compost.  As the fellow was scooping the compost into the truck, it was steaming and hot.  Excellent!  The compost is a deep dark brown/black and had pockets of ash in it... I assume because it was catching fire a little bit due to heat?

It took about 1 1/2 hours for Dad and I to unload the compost into the garden.  Wheel barrows really are a wonderful invention.  The weather was absolutely lovely and we could not have asked for a better day.  There was enough compost to give a good 6 inch layer all over the garden.

go potatoes!

The potatoes were starting to pop up, so I piled the compost around them.  Some lettuce was also coming up, but I just chucked the compost on top of it.  It should grow through the compost, and if it doesn't, oh well.  I have LOTS of lettuce seeds.  I also gave the rhubarb some nice compost to feed it.

Woo hoo!!1  Go compost!   Things should really get growing now!

Next post: potatoes, peas, nasturtiums