Finally Dirt!

I was beginning to think that my career as a Victory gardener was to be short lived. We have had a good bit of rain the last few weeks since the raised beds were built and the ground was not drying out in between. The rain finally stopped Thursday night and the wind blew all day yesterday really hard so things dried out a little faster than usual so I took a chance and ordered a 50/50 top soil and compost mix. Several hours of moving dirt later and now we are ready to plant. Here's a picture of part of the new beds before we filled them with dirt. There are four beds that are 12 ft by 3 ft and four beds that are 3 ft by 3 ft. I thought the smaller beds would be good for potatoes and pumpkin. We'll see.

I won't be in a huge hurry though. I understand that there is more rain on the way, which is good, but it is to be followed by cooler temperatures so I will be cautious about what I plant for another week or two. Local wisdom says that the last frost is around the middle of the month. that does vary, but I'll use this as my point of reference for this year.

What about you? What are you planting in your garden right now?

Daffodils

The Daffodils I planted last fall are blooming. This is the very first bloom of Spring.

Raised Garden Beds Under Construction

Today we got the materials to build the raised garden beds I referred to in the last post plus enough extra to make 4 smaller planter sized beds for pumpkin and potatoes. We were able to get the 4 large boxes assembled and placed where we want them to be per the plan I created in www.plangarden.com. The others will get assembled Thursday or Friday. I'll figure out how much soil I need to fill the beds and get that ordered tomorrow or Tuesday and arrange to have it delivered around the weather forecast. It is supposed to rain Tuesday and Wednesday and then the yard will have to dry out before delivery or it will tear up the rest of the yard.

In the meantime I will continue to attend to the seedlings I have started and resist the temptation to plant too many things too early.

Plangarden.com Averts Marital Dispute!

I love gadgets and cool software that is supposed to make things easier. So when I ran across Plangarden.com I decided to give it a try. Their free trial lasts 45 days and what did I have to lose? My garden plot is by no means perfect, but it helped me visualize how the amount of garden space I wanted to add would impact the rest of the yard and adjust accordingly.

When my husband asked me the other day how I wanted to configure the new garden boxes and how much wood we would need, I explained to him that I wanted to add 4 boxes, 12' x 3' each. Three in the back yard and one in the front. He was convinced that the three in the back would take up over half of the yard leaving no place for the dog or the kids to play. I was able to pull out the plan and show him exactly how it would look and assure him that the expanded garden would take less than 1/3 of the back yard. The day was saved.

Please note: I am in no way connected with Plangarden.com except to have taken advantage of the free trial. I also follow them on Twitter.

Moon over Carolina Victory Garden

Earlier in the week last week we had several warm nights
with a mysterious moon. Here it is peeking through the trees and a cloud.

Moon over Carolina Victory Garden
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

Mescalin Sprouts. Radish and Swiss Chard are No Shows so far

Some of the mescalin mix seeds I planted in the front flower bed among the landscaping has started to sprout. We had several warm days to get it started, followed by three days of cool temperatures and rain. The Radish and the Swiss Chard I planted the same day have not come out for the party just yet.

Spring in South Carolina used to mean lots of rainy days but the last few years of drought have faded that memory. With luck, this rain will be just one in a series that replenishes the lakes and rivers, ultimately alleviating the drought.

My OH My What a Wonderful Day!

In the course of a week we have moved from freezing temps and show to almost 80 degrees F. What an amazing, beautiful day! I planted a mescalin mix, radishes and swiss chard in the front flower bed in the spaces between the bushes and bulbs. It is a nice sunny spot and I am hoping that we will have many good salads from this area.

I'll be putting together the new raised beds that will expand my garden in the next week or so. I hope to grow enough food to substantially supplement our supply of fresh vegetables. This in turn should lower our grocery bill and keep us healthier. Now that would be a Victory!