Spring Gardening Photo Tour

I really wish I had more time to write about all the awesome garden stuff going on and about all the ways that gardening has brought me back to life after such a long, grey winter.  But I'm reading Joel Salatin's book "Folks, This Ain't Normal" and I want to get back to it.  (Not to mention my Mac is telling me that my "startup disk is full" and is acting up.  I feel like screaming, "PC LOAD LETTER?  What the ^(^&&(*^% is PC LOAD LETTER??!?!?")  So this will be a "pictures with captions" kind of post and I will call it good enough for now.  Stay tuned for more in-depth garden posts as the season progresses and I figure out what is up with my computer.

Seed potatoes (ordered from Fedco) are sitting in this box growing eyes.  They will be ready to plant in my Jumbo Potato Grow Bags this weekend.  This is a first for me, so we'll see how it goes.

Oregano after a long winter.  I have serious plans to start harvesting and drying more of my herbs in my dehydrator this year. 

An unusual variety of sage.  I think it's called Striped.  Also struggling after the long winter, but will be full and bushy soon!

Peas already planted and coming up.  This picture is 5 days old, and so the plants are even bigger now.

Kale that survived Hurricane Sandy blowing the hoop house off.  I can't believe how hardy this stuff is.  Good thing we love kale chips around here...I have five kale seedlings ready to plant as well!

With the rain and warm weather the Hairy Vetch and Winter Rye beds are exploding.  This stuff is not going to be easy to till in when it's time.  I might be renting some serious power tools.

Spinach that also survived Sandy.  

The garlic, onion and shallot bed is flourishing.  

This is a game.  It's called "Find the Osaka Purple Mustard Greens Sprouting."   (The dirt in this bed and the pea bed has not been de-rocked very well, so we go out and pick rocks and sticks out as time allows.  The beds I'm prepping for the major plantings are getting a much more thorough clean-up!)

A view of the whole garden.  Split rail fence will be installed in a week...Just in time for planting out my first set of seedlings.

From death to life.  The rosemary.  

And the mint and lemon balm box.  This is my favorite place to come, pick off a leaf and smell.  It's heaven.

Strawberries have been weeded and are gearing up.  Along with greens, strawberries are the first things we get to eat after the long winter.

Compost system and two helpers.  

Sweet potatoes cut, stuck in water with shishkabob sticks, and ready to grow roots and vines.

The kale, brussels sprouts, and cabbage seedlings are doing awesome, even after I burned the kale with a little too much fertilizing.  It has rebounded nicely and I made a note to self not to fertilize kale.  :-)  Also started already are peppers (they are TINY) and eggplant.  Starting seeds has been a really wonderful way for me to start "gardening" and getting back to what I LOVE even while the weather is still cold.  Thank you to Annmarie for all her encouragement and advice and to Ken for assembling the most awesome seedling system in the downstairs bathtub!

These are the chard seedlings.

SPRING IS HERE!  HOORAY!!!