something new

I've been wanting a long time to grow asparagus. Few years ago saw some lovely tall delicate ferny plants in a small local nursery- it was asparagus for sale, in pots! But wrong time of year to plant them (fall) so I went back in spring, and the nursery was gone. Closed. So disappointed. I asked at the other local-owned nursery nearby and they never carry asparagus. So I bought seed.

I should have mail-ordered crowns instead. The packet tells me it takes up to two months for the seed to germinate, to start indoors ten to twelve weeks before the last frost date. My timing is off. Should have done this in Feb. (Our frost date is supposed to be April 20 this year). Well, I have them now so still going to try, even though growing seed that takes a long germination period has usually failed for me. I sowed two small trays, four seeds each (three mature crowns would fit in bed 1). I put one in my usual seed-starting spot, on top of the fridge, and the other out in the greenhouse uncovered. The problem I've had in the past is either the seed simply fails or mold grows on the soil, from me trying to keep it evenly moist so long...

Happy outside to see more plants emerging- columbines, lungwort, cranesbill (wild geranium) and shoots of peony in the front flower bed. My crabapple tree is glorious with blossoms (I think because I actually pruned it some last year). Ajuga is budding, vinca (though I want to pull it all out) making tiny blossoms and turtlehead coming up. 

More growth in my pot of chocolate mint (though the parsley next to it is still very much dead).

All my young tomato plants, dill and green onions are staying in the coldframe now, easier to just put the lid on and off when the temperature shifts. Though they will still have to come inside a few nights before the frost date.

And my coldframe needs repair, but more on that later.

a few more seeds

started today. In indoor trays, parsley (harvested from my mother's plant, many years ago!)

and an ornamental grass. No idea what it actually is, or if it will grow, but I'm just going to see on a whim. 

My kid plucked a stem from a plant next to a parking lot this past fall, brought it home to play with our cats- (they were super excited about that). When I separated it out, 23 actual seeds. An experiment!

I also sowed directly outside, a few leaf beet chard and tatsoi to fill some blank spaces in the garden beds.

last to sprout

My carrots have finally come up! 

and there are more peas emerging in bed 6.

I had planted two varieties- on one side nearly everything has come up, and on the other side only about a third are germinating so far. I thought I would remember which is where but now I don't.

potted up

Dill

rocks and plants

More weeding, cleaning up the edge where fence line will go. Happily discovered that most of the nepitella I planted along the outside edge of bed 4, are still alive! The tiny leaves look velvety.

For years (it feels like) there's been a heap of broken rock on my garden bench- waiting for me to dig them in as a mowing strip around some garden beds. I don't know now, why that was taking me so long. I took a few hours to just sit down and shove them all into the ground, and then tossed the smallest broken bits as a mulch layer. Here on the short side of bed 1 against the house- cleared all the mock strawberry and purple dead nettle- dug in the larger stones to fit patchwork alongside each other.

And here at the end of the path between beds 2 and 3- where it's always muddy and soggy. Very makeshift but already I am pleased to not get my feet wet in that spot, and have a solid place to step right out from under the deck. As more broken rock becomes available (from my rock-collecting spouse) I will extend it.

Few days later I did my usual annual chore of lifting out some edging bricks to re-straighten a row. The left side of this path has been wonky for a long time. Of course it's still not perfect, but much better and I'm not embarrassed to look at it anymore.

Rainy today. I dug up and moved to the front mailbox spot, two borage that were growing in bed 1 (where I want to plant asparagus!) Really they are a bit large for transplanting at this point- with the taproot this is tricky- but I did my best and there are other seedlings coming up in this spot now so if they don't make it, no great loss.

edible

I used to eat the purple dead nettle from the backyard- but now don't make the only recipe I liked it in anymore, so pull most of it. However I took a blurry photo (the little white flower sits high on the stalk above rosette) to identify this plant which is all over the place in spring. When the flower heads turn into dry seedpods, they catapult the seeds everywhere at the slightest touch. 

I found out it's called hairy bittercress and it's edible! 

So I tried it. After plucking off only the cleanest, nicest leaves (no bug holes, mud or slug slime for me, thanks) gave them a good rinse.

I tried some fresh on leftover chicken and rice, some tossed into scrambled eggs and a bit more added to a soup, on different days. The name is a misnomer- you don't even notice the hairs (minuscule) and the taste isn't bitter- it just has a slight kick. Not as tangy as sorrel, and not quite so pepper bite as arugula. I liked it best with the chicken or eggs, not so much in the soup, though I haven't tried doing purée yet.

Oh, and my cat sampled some too:

plans

So we got a salvaged gate.

And have been pricing materials and drawing up an actual plan (because the HOA requires it) to put in a simple wire fence and keep the rabbits out of my garden. It might deter the squirrels and deer too but I'm not quite counting on that.

potting up

the tomatoes. Can't believe they've grown so much in less than a week! There were so many, looking so healthy I only sacrificed a few to the compost (see bottom right corner).  This is the tray that got mixed, but I figured out how to tell the young plants apart. The 'sweetie 100' cherry tomatoes have smooth-edged emerging leaves (at the proximal end of the stem), whereas on the black cherry tomatoes it's already toothy.

I potted up a bunch of extras to either sell or take to the plant swap:

And kept the eight largest/ nicest looking for myself- you can't see them well though because already under the screen box and I didn't feel like taking them out again (it's kinda wedged snug)

Current plant protection measures- for recovery time from transplant shock and cold nights only- after this they will be spending more time outside. I have plants under the short white benches on top of the long bench, shielded by the wire shelf piece, and on top of the benches more plants covered by the mesh boxes I made. And more still, on the floor under the old animal cage. 

Whom I am protecting them from:

I think it's working well- though I can't fit very many more plants in there (and of course they take up more room since now in individual pots).