Planting My Vegetable Garden

Although I’m not a serious gardener, I take my gardens seriously.

In our part of Upstate NY everyone knows that you don’t start planting outside until the end of May. One year I put in vegetable plants early, even though I knew better,  and we had frost which killed half of them.

But today was the first Cambridge Farmers Market of the year.   And I knew when I  loaded the vegetable plants from Happenchance Farm into a shallow cardboard box, that I’d be planting them today.

Today was the perfect day for drying clothes and putting in vegetable plants.   The temperature for the next two weeks isn’t predicted to go below 50 degrees, and if we do get a frost I’ll cover the garden with a tarp and take my chances.

First thing I did was  pick up the cardboard (which I’ll use to start my Summer Solstice Bon Fire) covering my garden and the bricks holding it down.  Then I raked up the hay.   The soil was so dark and moist, I didn’t even turn it like I usually do.

I’m trying to keep things more simple this year.

Last year I thought I’d  plant herbs for tea, but I’m doing more of the things that Jon used to do, like cooking and food shopping, so I need to be thoughtful about what I take on.

I love to garden and  am not giving it up, just making it easier on myself.

I bought starter plants that I know will grow easily in my garden and that Jon and I could eat everyday.

I got two Zucchini plants (I like picking the zucchini when it’s the size of a cucumber), two yellow squash, six mixed kale plants and one cherry tomato (although I have room for one more  tomato which I will get next week).

I took the grid of rebar out of the garden.  I  don’t have much luck growing vines  like cucumber and beans and  when I looked at my garden this year, I wanted to see something different.

Next I took a basket full of dried marigolds that I saved to use for dyeing fabric or yarn.  I was excited about it when I went to the natural dying workshop last year at the Cambridge Historical Society, but I know it’s not something I’m going to be doing anytime soon.

So I spread the marigold seeds between the vegetables in my garden, then scratch them into the soil with my bare feet.

I imagine a few might take.

I had two extra cups of wool pellets and sprinkled them around the base of each vegetable plant.  Then I pulled the hose from the house and watered. I was surprised to see how quickly the wool pellets absorbed the water and grew.  They puffed up like little sponges and I could see how they will keep the soil around the plants moist.

Next I took a rake into the barnyard.

This winters hay had lots of thick stalks in it that the sheep and donkeys didn’t eat.  It is now a layer of straw covering the ground where the animals are fed.  They may not want it, but I do.  It’s perfect bedding for the chicken coop and for mulching the garden.

I gave the garden another good watering once I’d covered it with the straw.

Jon is going to water the garden every morning, which works out perfectly because it’s something I forget to do mostly became I don’t enjoy doing it.

I was considering not having a vegetable garden at all this summer.   We have access to many fresh vegetable, it’s not something we have to do to survive.  But my vegetable garden always reminds me how difficult  it is to grow food and makes me appreciate the farmers who do and the food I eat, even more.

I also love being able to go out the door and pick food for our meals that I’ve grown.

I feel good about my vegetable garden, it’s just right for this year.