Spring Cleaning, Seed Planting

Very tired tonight, but it is good tired. As usual, I embarked on two big jobs at once.

First, this morning while it was still chilly out, I started a deep clean in my study. There is so much dust, my poor books. I barely got started but at least it is a start!

This afternoon, I planted seeds in the new raised bed garden. Bed #1 now has chard, Nero Di Toscana cabbage, spinach, broccoli (two kinds), and radishes. "Ced" will put together a frame for floating row cover over this bed. Bed #2 has garlic, planted last October. Garlic suffered much frost damage at the tips this winter, but in the last two weeks has added new growth. The bed needs to be cultivated to loosen the soil. Winter rains really packed it down. There is a mossy green sheen to the soil too, so it needs some ventilation. Bed #3 will get some scallions, more radishes, shallots, carrots a little later, but will mostly have assorted tomatoes at the end of May. Ced will start the warm weather veggies in our little mini greenhouse later this week. Nights are still pretty cool so we will see how this goes. We're planning to fill the garlic bed with peppers after July 4. Potatoes could have gone in a little sooner, but will get the first of three wine barrels full planted Wednesday. The flat ground garden area needs to dry out a bit more before tilling in a few buckets of compost and a bit of lime. Beans, squash, cucumbers there the end of May. The herb bed is ready for planting. True marjoram, French thyme, reseeded Italian parsley, and chives are perking along as they do year after year. I love herbs. Leeks and chervil go in this week. I am looking around for a dwarf culinary sage. Will plant ornamental pineapple sage, an African blue basil, "regular" basil, and cilantro later. Will be nice to have herbs in the herb beds again instead of vegetables. Asparagus tips are showing up on schedule. Slugs chewed the first two but a dose of Sluggo will hopefully keep them at bay. Front flower beds...another day, maybe.

My poor recliner-bound body is feeling today's physical activity. But, it does feel good to know I am tired because I was up and about for a change. Back feels pretty good considering...those high raised beds and my little "bench" really help!

Thank you so much, Ced...