Heather, Heather who wants sunny weather
How will your garden grow?
With onions and peas and herbs that will please
And lettuces all in a row
It's aaallllmost time to begin my planting for the summer...but not quite. It's still cool, damp and pewtery out there, with temperatures hovering in the low fifties as the day grows into the afternoon. Thankfully it's not blizzard weather or flooding as other parts of the country is having, but when April rolls around, I start feeling quite ready for the weather to roll into true Spring weather, and then into Summer.
Hopefully it's not going to be like last April, which was awful. It was the coldest, darkest and dampest one we'd had in a long, long time; at one point, I came home so starving for light I turned on every single bulb in my apartment. Due to that possibility, I'm really glad I'm in this new apartment with the big glass doors and the Southern light. It's been very bright in here all winter and less "cave-like" as Jane said.
When the weather finally rolled into the radar blip of a summer, it was well into August; we had decent-ish weather for the "Summertime", but it was more like a prolonged Spring. Bleah. But I did get a great idea for the bit of Summer weather we did have after I moved into my new place that I could grow veggies and herbs in addition to my geraniums.
Last spring I lost my first round of geraniums (they usually did fine, even in my shadier apartment), and the second one was only able to limp along half-heartedly. But when I brought the planters over here, the geraniums and chrysanthemums exploded happily, and continued to bloom with great enthusiasm right up to the day the blizzard blew in.
Needless to say...they weren't blooming any more after that. Nor was anything else. My palm tree had snapped in half and my jasmine plants wilted into a dejected version of their more robust selves. I did bring them in, finally, but three have clearly died, and one keeps pushing out little shoots...which then melt into little brown dead crispy versions of what they'd been.
I have a feeling that one is on its way to the happy blooming grounds, too.
I did find that I had one survivor of the blizzard and freeze. When I clipped back the moldy, mushy 1950's sci-fi monster-like stems of what had been my geraniums, I discovered a tiny little green shoot. I thought at first it was a robust geranium that had weathered the weather, so to speak, but as it grew I realized it was one of my chrysanthemums.
I was going to replace the jasmine, but I think I'm going to wait until next year to do that, and put in geraniums and other plants in the pots for this season. I have other things I want to try this year.
After work tonight, I went to Fred Meyer and bought seeds, planters, soil, and all the things I need to get my little garden going. I spent about 20 minutes chatting with a co-worker today about what we wanted to plant, and it was too much to bear...so I went to Fred Meyer to at least get the tools.
I likely got more soil than I'll need (three bags, in addition to the one and a half I already have), but it always seems like you never have enough when you start. 1/3 of the way through your project, you discover you're running short...so you run to the store to get another bag. But then another 1/3 of the way through, you realize you're still running short. Argh.
I knew right away last summer when I moved in I wanted to plant tomatoes, as the lovely Southern exposure and bright sun was perfect for it, but as I talked with friends, I realized I wanted to try more. Tomatoes won't go in for at least another 6 weeks, but I think I can start a few other things soon.
In addition to the tomatoes, I'm also going to plant bell peppers, sugar snap peas (I even have a nice trellis for them!), green onions and an assortment of lettuce. Kati (my friend at work) said she'd had good luck with lettuce all summer, even in warm(er) weather, despite the fact the packet says "cooler weather". I got a "gourmet blend" -- Buttercrunch, Grand Rapids, and Red Sails, Parris Island Romaine. It says they take 40-70 days to mature, and now would be a good time to get them going. Even if they don't last through the summer, I'll at least have some nice, fresh lettuce from a garden until I can't grow them any longer. I do know I can also replant in the fall.
I also decided to plant some herbs. I got a packet of lavender, sage, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (queue Simon and Garfunkel), sweet marjoram, and parsley. I opted not to get basil, as it tends to get rangy really fast. I love fresh basil, but I can't use it up that fast. Or...maybe I'll try later. Hmm...now that I think about it, maybe I will just do it. I can always take in my "extras" to work. And / or share with family.
I thought about doing cucumbers, but the article I read online said to make sure that "you have at least 7 feet of area to grow"...no thanks. A close cousin, or perhaps step-sibling to summer squash and zucchini. Around late July or August, there's usually a large pile of them, free for the taking, on the table in the office kitchen. I once read -- perhaps it was Dave Berry -- who said that by late summer, people end up dropping bags of the squash and zucchini on neighbor's doorsteps, ringing the doorbell -- then running away. Not that such a thing would help; you'd likely finish up with your dropping off only to come home and find a bag on your own doorstep.
I'm just thrilled to actually grow things out there. I'm anxious to get things started, and some of the herbs and such say you can begin planting in April...but I think I'm going to wait a few more weeks. The lettuce I can do now, I think. I wanted to do things like this at my old apartment, but I had neither the space nor the light.
Oh, and I have some nice garden twine for my rangier plants as they grow, spikes to fortify the tomato cage and plastic "T" labels to let me know what's what for the herbs. I can start those indoors now, so I think I might do that this weekend. Get the itch out of my green thumb.
And Oh #2 -- I'm also going to do hanging cherry tomatoes from a basket, then plant geraniums on top to keep the soil moist and covered. I'm so excited! My father said with all I have going out there, I'll be nice and shady out there. Ha!
I haven't gotten to have fresh veggies from a garden (other than from a farmer's market) in years and years and years (or, at least that's what it feels like). Well, there's been the tomatoes a co-worker has brought in...but it's not the same. When I was little, I used to have my own little veggie garden outside, and I remember growing radishes, carrots, and a few other things. I really liked planting the seeds, tending to them, watching them peek out from the soil -- then grow into adulthood. And they were super tasty.
I did spend more than I thought I might to night...but not too much. And if the garden does well, then I'll get the money back through the food. Plus it's not like I have to buy new planters and such every single year.
And...then when this all gets started and going, I'm planning on finally having a housewarming shindig. I just didn't have the wherewithal after I moved and got settled (I'm still settling in with reorganizing, re-reorganizing, getting things down into the storage unit I finally was able to rent) to have one. Once things get growing and pretty and warm out there again, then I'll send out the invitations.
Here's to tasty fresh veggies all summer long!
