HSV Garden Challenge #2

A current photo (sprouts, buds? Or has that snow melted yet?) 

Well, I decided that although worn, our garden boxes had a few more years in them. So, I rearranged them, put them closer together and was able to add 3 more 4x4 boxes and a 3x13 box for a total of 199 square feet in the back yard (231 if you count the strawberry bed).

Here is the garden area, in progress, last week:

So far we have planted garlic and onion sets. . . 

I used the end of the hoe to punch holes in the soil and let the little ones place the sets in the ground, pointy side up ~ 4 per square foot for onions and I originally had 5 per square foot for the garlic, but we had a few extra, so I made room (much to my little ones' delight). I've read that some go up to 9, but I wanted to be generous with the spacing, hoping for larger bulbs.  

I've read that you can plant some seeds outside and they will sprout when the conditions are right. . . let's hope so. :D 

Trying to organize the craziness and decide what to plant.

Indoors, my starts are coming along. These were taken last week ~ I was excited to see some green. =) 

Russian Mammoth Sunflower

Roma Tomato

Last year, I used a light hut on a table in the dining room and it worked wonderfully. This year, I cleaned out the mud room (which has windows on three sides), set up a table and hung a plant light... it does not stay as warm as the dining room because the kids are always leaving the back door open, but it will hopefully warm up soon. And it will be super easy to harden them off ~ all I have to do is open the big windows and the door during the day for a week, and then day and night for a few days ~ no more carrying trays and trays of starts outside and in, over and over again!

Any unexpected hiccups (bugs, rabbits, weather, etc.) 

• We have a known squirrel problem. To keep them away from digging in my onion/garlic bed we covered them with netting and we called the city to have them set traps.  

• We have also had some inclement weather (snow and rain). 

• Jordan's 1-ton broke down on the way home from getting the compost. We towed it home and thought we had it running, so we loaded it back up with our green waste pile (in our town, you can exchange green waste for compost at the landfill), but we never made it.  I need about one half of a ton more compost. Luke's starter is out on his truck up at the property, and our 1-ton (a '72) needs tires. So, we borrowed the Y truck to get the cattle panels for the fence. I have a while before I can plant anyways, so there is time.

• Also, vermiculite doubled in price this year and I wasn't willing to pay $60 for a bag that I used to pay $20 for a few years ago. I was willing to fork out $30 last year, but not $60. So, I'm not using "Mel's Mix." Just compost and peat moss. 

New books/resources I am using:

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
{I'm dreaming over this book}

I thought I'd also mention a few that have been very helpful to me in the past:

• Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners {a wonderful resource for growing heirloom seeds}

• All New Square Foot Gardening 

One thing I have learned so far from gardening (besides it requires patience) 

• That a garden challenge really helps in the motivation department. ;-)

• That buying the trays and inserts from a local greenhouse, is more economical than buying seed starter kits.

Delightful Links: (more gardening posts I've written)

• Starting Seeds Indoors (a homemade indoor light hut)
• Hand Pollinating Squash (a simple way to prevent cross pollination when growing heirloom squash)
• My Adventures in Tomato Seed Saving (and why I am passionate about heirloom seeds)

I'm looking forward to living vicariously through everyone else's gardening posts and dreaming of what sunny days may bring after all this rain!