Wetter-than-usual weather has played hell with spring planting in this part of the country. Farmers haven't been able to get into sodden fields to till the earth, never mind sow their seeds. Yields will be down and prices are sure to rise, even if the first frost comes late.
I finally fenced our vegetable garden last weekend and (optimistically) began putting in our own "crops" late Sunday and Monday afternoon. First I set a variety of nursery-grown plants -- jalapeño and habanero peppers, Roma tomatoes, basil, Italian and curly parsley, oregano, dill, rosemary, cilantro, and chives. Next I sowed rows of peas, radishes, carrots and spinach from seed.
Last I planted several bushes -- raspberry, blackberry and blueberry -- in a new bed behind the garage, just a few steps from our vegetables-and-herbs plot. The soil in that area is wretched, pudding-like clay, and it took some serious work (plus quite a bit of "borrowing" from the vegetable garden) to make it usable.
Everything appears to be doing well so far. This morning I was greeted by radish seedlings, the first sprouts to break the surface.
Ours is a garden of favorites -- that is, we grow what we like. And while it's not a sustenance garden, per se, it allows us to hone our senses and practice the skills required for true sustenance gardening.
That's the big payoff.
We expect to double the size of our garden next year and experiment with other crops. Part of our garage will become a "hothouse" for starting saved and store-bought seeds well before the last frost.
That's a long way off, though. Right now, I think I'll go pick up a few cucumber plants and put 'em in later today.
