Crossed Fingers Starting to Cramp

I took the tomato plants from the grow house and planted them today. Yes its a bit early for Region 8A but I figured if they survive, great, if not, I'll buy some more. Anyway fingers crossed as I hope we don't have anymore snow, hail, or frost but who knows this year.

Flower Time 1.0

My thing is obviously vegetables but Jen's thing is flowers so we went out today and picked up some flowers that will be in the flower beds and baskets.Jen still needs 140 hot pink petunias for the driveway but we did pick some some of the other flowers that will go in the beds.

Also I am pretty excited about my 20+ tomato plants ready to go in the grow house when the weather warms. I am also thinking of hooking my 110 rain barrel system up full time soon.

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Mid April Update

We coughed up some money (thanks to an escrow rebate check) and replaced twelve roses (yeah the pictures below show 10 but I got antsy and got two more) that frozen over the fall. Everything is growing well. I moved past the tomato plants that got squashed when the mini green house got crushed in the wind storm and thanked my lucky stars for the 24 that are still in the grow house. I am surprised how well everything is coming up. The following are up and out: hops, horseradish, peas, carrots, onions, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, rhubarb, Swiss chard, leeks, garlic, and cucumbers (in grow house).

I also started growing sprouts inside like a typical Bellinghamite. I made my own sprout jars by cutting out screens from one grease splatted guard and visiting my local co-op. Next thing you know I'll be burning my bras and protesting the NRA.
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Arrrgggh!!!

Jen, Nyla and I went for a brisk walk with the wind howling. When I came back, I walked outside to see that the mini greenhouse had fallen over and crushed most of the plants inside. I spent some time scooping up the plants, pinching off broken leaves, and rushing them into the grow house all in the dark.

I saved (I hope) about four of the tomatoes out of the eleven that were in there. The torch lilies were a total loss. Good thing I have a lot more tomatoes in the grow house that I didn't put out. Here are a couple pictures of the scene I saw when I got out in the wind storm:

Hardening Off and November 2010 Cold Snap Devistation

I've been giving a lot of my starts away so the grow house is getting thinner and thinner but I am still keeping some tomatoes out there in case the ones in the mini greenhouse do not take too kindly to the hardening off process. I plan on giving the remainder of the tomato starts away at Easter so I started hardening them off this week. The cauliflower and brussel sprouts did well when they got outside and in the garden. The rest I'll give away.

I also tested out my 110 gallon rain barrel system to see how well I built it and it worked fine. I was a bit concerned because I made it and well...you never know how those things go all the time.

The cold snap we got in November is showing its devastating results now. Our Spanish Lavender was dead so I replaced it with eight new plants.

Out of 17 nice Jackson Perkins roses, maybe five survived this cold snap. We started looking at various nurseries for the Voluptuous hybrid tea to replace roses in the front of the house. We found a place in Lynden today with the amount we need.

True 1st of April

My tomatoes are really growing well in the shed. They are pretty bushy and not leggy. I'll keep them in there for another month while the cucumbers also get started. I started giving away my hardened off cauliflower and Brussels sprout starts. As usual you can click on the image to enlarge:

(Almost) The First of April

I got a bit crazy today and started planting some of my starts. I mean I did harden them off for a week in the open greenhouse so I think they will do fine. I planted a few cauliflower and brussel spouts in addition to the leeks. I do have a lot of backup starts in case these don't take too kindly to the weather and/or real sunshine.

I also spruced up the yard thanks to my female parental unit donating a lot of great lawn stuff to me. The cucumbers in the grow house also started to sprout. I'll keep those nice and toasty next to the tomato starts. Updated pictures below:

End of March

Outside

The deer netting has kept the raccoons at bay which is always the good times. The peas, carrots, onions, Swiss chard, and garlic are safe (for now). I planted the finger carrots in the raised beds and have mowed the lawn for the first time. The onions have sprouted and are above the soil. I moved the mini greenhouse outside in anticipation for the cabbage and Brussels sprout starts.

Inside

The starts moved from 3” to 5” pots. I also added another light and cranked up the heat just a bit to keep the tomato starts from turning purple. Inside the real house I started the cucumber seeds which will eventually in a few weeks be moved out to the grow house.

I moved the cabbage family starts out to the outside greenhouse. The tomatoes will remain inside for another month or so. Everything is going pretty well but the big test will be to get these great looking starts acclimatized to the outside.

Mid March Update

Inside

Starts are now all in 3" or 5" pots and the first phase of hardening has begun. I added a fan in the shack to move the plants back and forth to promote root growth. The temperature has also been reduced down to 50 degrees so root growth can continue and to get them ready to be outside. Video below:


Outside

Horseradish, hops, peas, onions bulbs, and Swiss chard planted. The damned raccoons love the Swiss chard/ beet seeds and dig it up every year. I wasn't fast enough this year and they came in within 12 hours for the Swiss chard seeds so I had to replant and then cover with black deer netting. This always seems to work well.











































Nyla also has been helping me outside by chewing all the sticks I use to mark the rows.











































Also to note, rhubarb is now up.

True Leaves Out and Hops Growing

The true leaves came out for most of my starts dispute the temperature being near freezing every night. Senior Campbell's hops just emerged from the pots he gave me. That is all...