Storms Of A Different Kind

It is 2020. It is January. It is 22 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 C) outside. LET US GARDEN!!!

Last year's garden in the cage was a success in spite of everything; storms, dead tree limbs, gophers. Most of that time however, my garden sat unattended. My tomatoes got wild and my peppers often drooped in the Summer heat due to lack of water. Grass grew around the cage and fruit fell unharvested. Alas, not all storms that besiege a garden are Mother Nature's fault.

But all is well. I am back bigger and better as they say. I doubled the cage in size. Now I have 200 square feet to bend to my will. I moved two old raised beds in and added wood chips to the whole thing to prevent weeds and hold on to moisture. This time, unlike last year, I am growing everything from seed.

KASHMIRI PEPPER

Seed catalogs made their way to me and I spent wondrous hours dreaming and scheming. I made my selections and my chosen seeds sit in a plastic bucket biding their time.

I am starting in the Spring with cabbage, peas, carrots, and lettuce. For the Summer, I am growing tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers plus a bunch more.

Because I am growing from seed, I get to grow my favorite Russian tomatoes: Sasha's Altai, Amateur's Dream, and Galina.
This year, I am also trying Kashmiri peppers to make Vindaloo curry. Minnesota Midget melons made the list again (haven't grown them for a while), bush cucumbers, bush watermelons, Napa cabbage, and other exciting plants that I will tell you about as the season moves along.

I will give berries another try. Raspberries, blueberries, goji berries, among others will have a place in the yard. I will prepare a perennial strawberry patch.

The biggest change to the garden however, will be the flowers. I went crazy and bought seeds for many different flowers. I am planning on fencing off a small section of the yard for a butterfly feeding station with Milkweed and Butterfly weed (are they one and the same?) as the center pieces.

I could go on and on but I guess I have the rest of the growing season to tell you more.

Thank you for stopping by and let's get growing!!!




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