Everything seems to need to be done all at once. Rain has still been scarcer than I'd like. So every planting must be followed by the hose, taking additional time. I read some sage words of advice this week. Since you know your ToDo list isn't all going to get done, start with harvesting. Rhubarb has been picked for the second time. A few carrots got picked. Spinach, claytonia, and lettuce got harvested. Tip: if you harvest at night, you will have slugs in your lettuce. Clean it well! The arugula is bolting. Kale too. Almost ready to replant this section.
The purple beans are up along the driveway. The scarlet runners are starting to climb the trellis. Purple beans are useful as a measure when blanching other beans. They change color to green when blanching is finished. Very useful if you are freezing beans. Throw one in with your regular yellow or green beans and you won't even need a timer. The malibar spinach did not come up yet. Crabgrass removal continues. One section at a time. I'm putting in nasturitiums with red amaranth behind it. Not sure how big the amaranth will grow in our poor soil. I like the green/orange against the burgundy. I also picked up some red bee balm to contrast with the coreopsis. The pollinators should be happy. We've borage, lamb's ear, and coneflowers as well. The coltsfoot exploded this year so I need to go and remove some after the crab grass. Not all, just some. It can't hog the whole yard. I threw bachelor button seed into the weeded area as well as another flower right up against the terrace edge. That section needs to look nice as it faces the street. Behind it will go my Italian eggplants.
The window box still needs the second half weeded and planted.
The cinder block garden is moving more slowly. The watermelon did come up! Peas are up too. So far only two potatoes are up. The strawberries are getting bushier and filling in the space nicely. Picture next week, maybe once I get the trellis in. I need more components from the hardware store. Need to give the store time to restock.
The sweet potatoes went outside today to start hardening off. They are still in their jars of water. Not all the slips took root. I wish I'd picked up the slips I saw at Tractor Supply. We won't get anymore sweet potatoes than we did last year.
I made some more blue jean grow bags. All the blue potatoes are planted in seven grow bags. I have one planted in a commercial grow bag for comparison. Zucchini also got planted in a grow bag. It has a real hard time in our soil, turning yellow/white before dying. I have a vision of encircling my entire house with grow bags. I'm content with them lining the walkway for now. The sewing machine is making a screeching noise despite the oil bath I gave it. That is another thing for my ToDo list. I need to take a significant portion of it apart to check for thread wound on the drive shaft.
The French fingerlings are looking good. The bookcase is starting to rot. If need be, I'll stake the side panels in place. It only needs to last until the potato flowers finish blooming.
Every time it is predicted to rain, I put in some of my starts. I have collards, kale and onions in a couple of places.
The fruit bushes came in this week, going immediately into the ground since it actually was raining. Two ligonberries, another blueberry and another black currant arrived from Indiana Berry. Their stock is lovely, strong/hardy, and sent at the correct time. They look happy. Giving them a week to acclimate before taking pictures.
And on my goals list this week, trying my hand at making a trellis for the blackberry. I am pleased! 3/8" x 18" rebar was pounded halfway into the ground. The EMT conduit just slides over it. I already had chicken wire. I need two more of these for additional berry bushes. Looking at adapting this design for the watermelons too. The hardware store is out of rebar as well as the 90° corner connections.
I have a wooden lattice-work piece we bought for a renfaire display. It might be 6' x 8'. I want to put the up against the side of the house with squash grow bags underneath. I need help with that. And more grow bags. Since I'm working tomorrow, it'll have to wait. So much coming up next week, eye doctor appointment, voting primary, gutter folks are coming out to give us a quote on the garage, and soil testing. Wow. Stay tuned!