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I planted my garlic shoots and moved some onions that were left from last year.

Worked on the large garden area.

Carol at May Dreams Gardens says to plant peas, spinach and sweet peas on St. Patrick’s Day (tomorrow).  Next week plant lettuce.  On March 30, lant root crops like radishes and onions – the moon will be right.  Should I plant my garlic and potatoes then too?  The garlic shoots are growing but I don’t know about the potatoes, I may have waited too long.

The rest of the week should be very nice weather for garden work.

Seeds started indoors:

• 12 Livingston’s Beauty tomatoes
• 8 Beefsteak tomatoes
• 6 Sugar Sweetie cherry tomatoes

Experiment – I had some garlic that had sprouted, so I separated the sprouted cloves and planted each in a pot of dirt. It has been raining for the last 2 days or I would have planted them outside.

I also have some sprouted potatoes to plant when  I decide where.

Made a garden pathway.

Winter sown seeds:

• morning glory
• milkweed
• sweet peas

I had these morning glories seeds from last years plants.  They are mixed with the volunteer morning glories that came up by the side of the porch.  I would like to get a good amount growing there this year.

More work in the garden today –

Worked on the strawberry bed and expanded it, moving some plants around – hope I didn’t kill them!

Moved over the compost pile so that a new bed was created that I will plant peas and lettuce in. Put up the lattice for the peas.

I left a pile of compost-in-the-works for permanent for this summer.

Raked leaves out from under the shrubs and added to compost pile.

I now have 2 beds ready for planting, and the strawberry bed.

Still have to work on the large bed in the back part of the yard.

Jack wants to go out

Today was sunny and warm (55 degrees high).  Jack kept wanting to spend time outside.  I went out for a little bit with him a couple times this morning, but I told him “I have work to do” and made us come back inside.  He doesn’t do “alone”, he has to have someone with him at all times.

Then I did a little bit of work.

Then I noticed the weather report and that it would be raining the next couple of days, so…I gave in.  We went back outside and I worked on one area of the garden.  We now have one small bed ready for planting.  And one walkway area mulched.

I think this bed will be for lettuce and peas.  Let me check my garden plan I made last month – I am close, I have this bed marked for lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes, onions.  I think the idea was to pick a few, not plant all of those.  I think just lettuce and peas will do, the lettuce kind of takes over and I actually made the bed smaller than I had planned in order to make the walkway which is an addition to the driveway because if we have a vehicle parked there, there is nowhere to walk.

The strawberry bed still has some snow and is quite wet, so I didn’t work on that area, though I would have liked to.  Its going to be even wetter if we get rain for 2 days!

This was in pending posts from 4-28-2009

Look what I found in my garden this morning!

I haven’t been putting much work into this site temporarily because I am learning a new skill – Joomla – and have been working on this site.

But here are some photos: (before and after)

Before – June 26, 2008

After – August 2, 2008

Since I have a large uncontrolled catnip plant and plenty of mosquitos, I am going to have to give this a try!

Grow Your Own Mosquito Repellent

CATNIP MOSQUITO SPRITZ
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

* 2 cups catnip, stemmed
* 3-4 cups mild rice vinegar

Rinse herbs, roll lightly with a rolling pin, then place them in a clean quart jar and cover with vinegar. Seal jar and store in a dark cupboard for two weeks.

Shake jar lightly every day or so for two weeks. Strain into a clean jar, seal and refrigerate for up to 6 months unused.

To use, spritz on exposed skin and around outdoor dining area.

CATNIP AND ROSEMARY MOSQUITO CHASING OIL
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS.

* 2 cups catnip, stemmed
* 1 cup rosemary, cut in 6-inch sprigs
* 2 cups grapeseed oil or any light body-care oil

Roll herbs lightly with a rolling pin and pack into a clean jar. Cover with oil, seal jar and place in a cool, dark cupboard for two weeks.

Shake jar lightly every day or so for two weeks. Strain into a clean jar, seal and refrigerate for up to 8 months unused.

To use, rub on exposed skin.

I had been wondering if I should/could stake my baby watermelons, rather than have the vines laying all over the garden, and I found this solution.

I specifically bought the kind of cucumber that said bush so I wouldn’t have to worry about staking. But my cucumber bushes are sending out tendrils. So I thought I better give them something to cling too and I have put up some short privet hedge trimmings. Nothing very tall. I hope they don’t need much.