Submitted by Sandie Griego on Sun, 04/12/2015 - 11:34
I was able to get an early start on my vegetable garden this year. I guess I felt smug because I had extra frost cloth on hand if it turned off cold again. As soon as I got most of it planted, my life got very busy.
My mother who was living in an assisted living community took a down turn in her health. We had started Hospice care a few months back. I made two short notice trips to Lafayette, Louisiana. Thanks to my sister's wanting to see Mom one last time, we were present when she passed very peacefully. Thank you to all my friends who prayed, sent flowers, and cards for me and our family. She was buried next to my dad in the community where we grew up. The preacher and music for the funeral were wonderful, all friends of the family.
By the time I got back from my trips, my garden had all sprouted.
I planted four tomato transplants in the cages. The big black container in the middle is for watering purposes. Tomatoes don't like to get their leaves wet. I can fill the black bucket (with lots of holes drilled in it) with water and it will water the roots of the tomatoes. Soon I will attach red Christmas ornaments to the tomato cages in an attempt to trick the birds who like to snack on my ripe tomatoes. In the bottom of the picture is green beans (a favorite of my hubbies). I have a couple of tomatoes that came up volunteer. I decided to let them grow and see who they grow up to be.
On the left side is a row of okra. One row usually produces more than we can eat and freeze during the summer. It has to be picked really often. The right side is carrots, a new crop for me.
This is the new bed we put in last year and erected a low tunnel over it. It kept my garlic, Brussels sprouts, kale, and broccoli alive through the Winter. I planted spaghetti squash in the right quadrant. Next to it, I plan to plant cabbage. The next one has the garlic and jalapeno peppers. The left one has the Brussels Sprouts from last fall. I wonder if I am going to get anything from it.
These are my blueberry bushes I purchased last Spring. I have two of these round raised beds I ordered from Amazon which hold my 8 bushes. I am so happy they survived the Winter, leafed out and have bloomed. I was told that blueberry bushes don't like our city water so I received a rain barrel as a Christmas gift. My hubby just got it installed and it already has rain water in it.
This last bed is not exciting yet. It is a flower bed at the end of our patio. I had to dig up rose bushes that became infected with the virus that is going around the Dallas area. A friend ask me what I was going to put in the bed since we can't plant new roses. I told her I was going to plant cantaloupe. That was planted this morning.
I almost forgot about my potatoes which is another experimental crop this year. I used a recycled compost container. They have certainly grown. I hope it produces as many potatoes.
The last item to complete is to redo my drip irrigation system. I have moved the blueberry bushes from last year so I need to do some work on the layout.
Aside from the garden, my hummingbird feeder already is being visited. Some quilting friends gave me some transplants from their yards. I have iris blooming in my front yard. I also have a dove who has decided that the flower bed beside my front door was the place to lay an egg and sit on it. She is now comfortable enough with me that I can go out without making her fly away. Anyone else scares her and she flees. Don't know if she will hatch the single egg or not, but she is sure diligent in her motherly duties.