April is half gone and today I determined to put some seeds in the ground outside. I already have some heirloom tomato seeds sprouted and growing in little pots in my sun room. I have four different types, red, yellow, orange, and purple. Most of the extra seeds have been given away as I will want new types next summer. Growing any color but red is a new experience.
Early this morning I did some watering for the blueberries and then hopped in my old work horse (golf cart) and headed down to the raised bed area. I had one of the largest asparagus spears I have ever grown just waiting to be cut. No simple knife for this job. I used my asparagus knife which I order from the Jersey Giant Asparagus farm two years ago. All along the three rows I saw purple looking shoots coming up, all fat as could be. Unfortunately I also saw the asparagus beetles hard at work on one lonely spindly asparagus. I made a race to my cedar house to get my home made sevin dust shaker (an old hose which covers a small plastic cup with the sevin dust in it). I shook it all over this aggrieved spear and also shook it along the ground. They had not yet made their way to the healthy thick spears so perhaps I headed them off at the pass.
With this chore behind me I went to the east side of the asparagus bed and along the side I planted some white Thai eggplant. This is new for me so I am going to have fun with this one. Next I made a hill for yellow squash, then another hill for more yellow squash and lastly a hill of zucchini. On the west side of the bed I repeated the same planting pattern. The three rows of asparagus will just grow on and by the time they have stopped bearing this spring the other plants will be ready to do some serious bearing.
The middle bed I plan to cover with plastic to hopefully kill any nematodes which are lurking in the ground. They got into my green beans big time last summer. So, while this bed is resting and trying to cure itself of the root nematodes I am making good use of the lower bed. Since the beds are separated by a row of fencing I planted burpless cucumbers along the north side of that bed. then in the center I planted Ky. Wonder Pole Beans. Bending over bush beans is a back breaker so why not reach up to harvest instead of reaching down!
It feels good to get back into gardening mode. I think the birds are all glad to be out and singing and flying about. Even the black snake visited my garden while I was there. He skittered away when he realized I was there. Last year and the year before I had little lizards which lived among the concrete blocks lining my raised beds. Hopefully they will reappear.
I am anxious for the praying mantis egg cases to give up their beneficial gardening friends. Two are tied up in the vineyard and one is just outside my window. How they know just when to come out I am not sure. I do not think it is the heat alone. They need a certain amount of time to develop. I would love to see them hatching. That would be a bonus indeed.
Even if I never see them hatching I will be sure to see them all about outside. It is just one more exciting event to make life interesting in the garden world. It will be a wonderful harvest if all of the expected fruits and vegetables will yield all that I hope for. Well worth the time and effort I use with that hoe and shovel. For there is nothing as tasty as fresh asparagus or squash, or beans or berries straight to the table from mother earth.
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