Monday, March 24, 2008

Vegetable Garden Update-March 08


I plan to post a monthly update on my vegetable garden. If readers grow something I am not growing and would like to share, then by all means, let me know.







Rhubarb, planted two weeks ago has sprouted and is showing its sweet little red self above the hay. I used to have rhubarb growing great in my garden until last year. It succumbed to the drought. What the drought didn't get, I did when I moved the vegetable garden. Back to square one.


I had started with a package of three from Wal-Mart. All three sprouted in the garden back in 2003. I then transplanted two to some ornamental gardens. Both perished, or so I thought. While digging in a front garden recently, one of the original rhubarbs had sprouted. I am not impressed. It will never make it as there is not enough sun in that garden. Probably should never have planted it there to begin with.


About 80 onion bulbs were planted the same time as the rhubarb. These are growing under a trellis in preparation for a summer crop of gourds. The onions have also sprouted. You can just make out a few of the green leaves through the hay.

Many people plant their onions in the fall. This works as well. I chose to plant mine in the spring and only garlic in the fall. The garlic is still doing well, though it has not shown any new growth.

I have a few ornamentals growing in the vegetable garden as well. One is this white peony, cultivar 'Immaculee'. I purchased a bunch of the bareroot plants last spring when Wal-Mart marked them down. Never did I imagine the dozen or so I bought would all grow. But grow they did. A few even bloomed last year. I am looking for some good white peonies from these plants this year. I love mixing ornamentals with vegetables because it makes the garden so much more pleasant and attracts pollinators.

in the garden....

14 comments:

  1. Good morning to all and hope all has a good day.

    Hope all had a good Easter and did'nt eat too much candy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good morning Tina:) I hope jury duty doesn't keep you all day --it is still a tad bit too cold for me to be totally happy, lol. Your onions look great --mine are up but it's one of those things where I have to actually get down and look for those cute lil green tops:) The blueberry bushes are sad looking --the ducks keep getting at them --pulling on them. It's all okay with me --sort of trial and error --if they work or not:) And, the duckies are so cute. The tulips on the other hand are very noticeable --not the flower part yet but they have grown so much taller --very exciting. I guess I better get some work done -didn't even do laundry yet --ah --spring break:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jean --tag your it :0) we posted so close together this morning.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I kept meaning to put some garlic in the ground somewhere but just never got around to it. I have plenty of the wild stuff though! I hope to get my beds filled this week. It's driving me crazy seeing the empty beds just sitting there. Have you ever tried ornamental peppers? I started some that are a variegated variety. They aren't coming up yet but should soon. My Brandywine and cherry tomatoes are coming up good!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tina,

    Great post...I bought one rhubarb plant at HD! Wanted to see how it would grow in a container! I look forward to your monthly updates!

    You're it! I have tagged you with the infamous blogger chain mail! See my latest posts for details.

    Your pal?

    Gail

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Sunday! The Saint and I drove out to the lake and sat in a swing while watching the water roll by. Can you believe that some people were actually in the water splashing around? It was only 70 degrees and a bit too nippy for me to put my toes in the water! Tonight they are calling for temps below 32 so I fear for the plants, flowers and veggies already coming up! Nothing I can do for them as tomorrow is my surgery. I will just have to let Mother Nature do as she pleases. And temps to be in upper 70’s there after…. Gee, southern springs can be so confusing…

    I will be MIA for a while as I recover but will be back soon. I think the Saint will be kind enough to read me the Blog each day.... Plus he has orders to transplant my seedlings as they pop up! Oh, that should be interesting…. LOL…

    ReplyDelete
  7. Just realized it's afternoon already. But Happy Day to all. Hope all had a great Easter.

    Anonymous, shouldn't the blueberries do ok even with the duckies? Glad all else looks good for you.

    Dave, will be interesting to see your veggie beds after. Good luck with them.

    Gail I too bought one rhubarb to see what it will do here. I love the stuff. Wish I could get it started here. Maybe.

    Skeeter I'm with you on putting my toes in that cool water. Not for me. The swing idea I really like. It's rather cool here this morning also. Was cooler earlier.

    Great blog Tina. Looks as though your garden is right on. It won't be long till everything is blooming & producing. Then you'll have to hurry to gather all. I hope they didn't keep you all day at court.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Lola, I'm not sure about the blueberries because I just planted them and they only had a few tiny green leaves. The "cute" lil duckies grab the leaves and pull on them:( Maybe it'll toughen up my blueberry plants:) It is very brisk outside today --just filled the bird feeder and checked on the onions and flowers. Hubby brought home a truck full of firewood --ahh it will feel nice:) Catch you later --Hi Skeeter --hope all goes well -we'll be thinking about you and a quick recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Guys,
    Well, I got it, the spring bug. We went to wally world and purchased alot of house plants. Yeh! And only tried for the eye glass case once. The vendors were on sight! Rearranged and uprighted things, Jack of all trades could not resist.
    Yes, they had gone by bulbs in planters, they were 1/2 priced, boy! I would of bought the calla lilies but lord knows when I would be able to get them in the ground, pretty foliage.
    Got a new thistle feeder for off the family room, need to hang it high 'cause of the cats. Many birds singing this a.m.
    I like rubarb too. It is good in jams, mine won't grow either. Everyone else has too many! Full sun is the secret I believe.
    Good luck with your surgery, Skeeter. Make the saint hold your hand all the while your in the hospital. (that way he can't leave) :?)

    ReplyDelete
  10. good afternoon all!

    mom, i am still eating chocolate candy at jury duty, which will also occupy me tomorrow. it is so awesome! sworn to secrecy though...

    the courthouse has a neat feature though. you can pull anyone's name up in the court system and it will tell if they or even yourself have ever had a charge against you in all but one court. amazing how the same people keep getting the same charges. just amazing. (not me!!!)did you all know these are public records??

    more general notes. the leaf's new website is up. i am trying to find out if my blog is already anchored. once i find this out or even it is going to be, i will post further instructions to access it. i have been posting on there already and had a comment there this morning. that surprised me since i did not know it was already live. i expect you commenters will get some more people to talk to as maybe it might have more exposure? not sure. anyhow, i am not so happy with it to be totally honest. as of now it does not display the ENTIRE post for you readers. it also does not allow me to set preferences or to even see the entire post. i will, with you all, suffer some growing pains. like i said, further info will be coming. jury duty and school will be occupying too much the next few days but i will still be on here (of course).

    anonymous, jury duty DID keep me ALL day. maybe tomorrow but i can't promise. need to see your blueberries with the ducks eating.

    dave, glad to hear your tomatoes are popping up! yes, i too have some wild garlic but nothing beats the homegrown fresh garlic. you need to plant in the fall around here. hope you get your veggie beds ALL done in prep to get those transplants. i have grown ornamental peppers and actually overwinter them. they can easy last three years! love em!

    gail, i will check the famous blogger chain thing. i think i have to tag other blogs? not sure but will soon check it tonight! i don't think your rhubarb will do well in a container but if it large and you give it lots of sun it might survive one year. they have long fibrous roots which like to spread out. good luck!

    lola, my garden is not right on because i don't have any fresh carrots to pick like you do!! maybe soon. court definitely kept me! fun though, so fun. there is a trial coming up soon i sure would've like to have been on...

    dawn with peaches, i used to be one of those vendors. at home depot. my friend geri still does it. it was so great to see all the new things and good exercise!! lost some weight that way. i would love talking to folks coming in for info. did these vendors talk to you?

    your rhubarb should do wonderfully up there! but yes, i bet you need more sun there than here. i started some calla lilies down here in pots along with the tuberose nina gave me. i am not sure which one is coming up now. i am so bad with marking things. shame on me! calla lillies are hardy here and said to spread. but i also wanted to tell you i have tons of houseplants and am happy to share when we come. bulb planters half off are a good buy tell jack of all trades i said go guy!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Tina,

    Thanks about the rhubarb I thought as much I am going to look it up on line, it might land in my perennial bed!

    Gail

    ReplyDelete
  12. i am going to get my post up about you tagging me tonight and will post back on your blog once i do. i just read it on your blog.

    put the rhubarb in your perennial bed. it is SO beautiful. needs space though.

    still pals....:)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh dear Anonymous I am not good at playing tag but I sure will try and catch someone. Darn you and I thought you were so sweet. Maybe I'll have to rethink that! :)

    Tina I knew that court stuff was all public record. There is a site on the net that you just type in your address and it will show you all the people that have been convicted of crimes in your neighborhood. By neighborhood I don't know how much it will show in a city but for my town it shows it all. Different crimes have a different symbol and you click on it and the name and address pops up. It is great, esp if you have kids and wanna know just who to really watch out for. I will email the link to anyone that wants it or I guess if you think it would be usefull I could put it here in the comments.

    Skeeter we will miss you and will be thinking of you. Good luck and do not push yourself after. Just take it real slow and easy. Surgery is harder on us as we gain in years and if you push too soon it will take longer in the long run.

    ReplyDelete
  14. we have the same thing down here too. public record can be a good thing. open society and all that. but i find it amazing it how people continue to be charged with the same crime and still think they can get away with it. our justice system is the best and it is what we have. it works most of the time. it is interesting.

    ReplyDelete

ALL SPAM WILL BE PROMPTLY FRIED. PLEASE DO NOT LIFT PHOTOS OR WORDS. THANKS!