Early spring in Utopia
Those garden maps I posted a while ago are already proving to be flexible, guideline-type things. Only March 16th and already I’ve done some revisions. I had planned to just do broccoli from seeds, but a cute little pack of organic local broccoli starts followed us home from the market today and took the places where the first broccoli seeds were to be sown. (I’ll give the seeds a try for later sowings, as I’m planning to do succession sowing with the broccoli.)
See how cute? How could I not bring them home?
Whatsmore, the map-as-it-was allowed room for four plants, but the pack came with six. What to do? Annex the top two feet of the aisle for broccoli plants. This will mean some acrobatics when it comes time for weeding, but hey…if I screw up my back I live with a great physical therapist, so.
Here’s the garden as it looks now:
Beet, carrot, chard, and spinach seeds under the dirt and hopefully soon to poke their heads out, and the new broccoli starts planted and settling into place. And a strawberry pot.
Ah, the strawberry pot. I ordered Ranier strawberry plants from Territorial and they arrived on Friday. Picked up a strawberry pot on Friday night, got the strawberries into the pot yesterday (Saturday). Territorial sent 25 plants, and there are only 12 pockets on the strawberry pot (I didn’t count the plants before I bought the pot), so I took over part of the ornamental garden on the opposite side of the yard from the vegetable garden, and planted the rest of the strawberry plants on the hill we have there. So a strawberry patch amid the flowers…that pleases me. Though it’s also pretty damn funny that only two weeks into my food gardening adventure I’m already stealing space from the decorative plantings. The hydrangeas are lucky I love them, because I’ve caught myself eyeing their spots too.
About that strawberry pot, though…I decided to trust its design, that one plant could indeed grow in each pocket and because of the vertical nature of the spacings that would give each plant room enough. But if you read the instructions that came with the plants, it doesn’t seem like enough space. So I may have sacrificed 12 of those plants to a doomed strawberry pot experiment. If so, at least we’ll still have the patch on the little hill.
Also, young strawberry plants look like aliens. Totally. Check it out:
Outside of our little yard, Portland is in bloom. A few examples for you that don’t begin to do this city justice. I am so in love with this place:
And soon to come: Actual knitting content. I’m nearly done with the second Trilce sleeve. Should have that sweater done soon.
AND: I bought a big Mason jar today for the sourdough starter, will get that going tonight.
That is all. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
I’m very jealous. There’s no chance of planting ANYTHING for at least another month where I’m at–the snow is still lurking in our yard!
Ohhh, and the strawberries! We have a patch by the side of our house that the previous owners put in which I thank them yearly for. Grown-in-your-own-yard strawberries are the BOMB!
Posted by: Anna
I’m very jealous. There’s no chance of planting ANYTHING for at least another month where I’m at–the snow is still lurking in our yard!
Ohhh, and the strawberries! We have a patch by the side of our house that the previous owners put in which I thank them yearly for. Grown-in-your-own-yard strawberries are the BOMB!
Posted by: Anna
Aren’t those purple plums the best? I have one in my back yard and I’m completely besotted with it. I went bonkers on the rose bushes and put 6 more in my front yard. I can’t wait!
Posted by: Laurie
we have some arugula poking it’s head out of the ground already. no baby carrots have said their hellos yet, but i’m hopeful. i have to plant more, as the packet says to plant every three weeks.
your garden looks great. we really need to build some kind of raised beds, instead of the mounds. josie tends to not realize she shouldn’t walk through them. thankfully she does not relieve herself in them…i watch carefully! 🙂
Posted by: shanny in oregon
All this talk about strawberry plants in the decorative plantings is making me think of a fantastic book: Edible Landcaping
It’s 25 years out of print now (I ‘borrowed’ my parents’ copy) but I think the ethos of it is as valuable as its factual information.
The authors’ basic idea is to make use of as many edible crops as possible, to think of fruits and vegetables as integral, ornamental parts of a garden.
And it sounds like you’re doing that! Yay!
Posted by: Hanna
While you’re roaming the garden centres, you might think ahead a few months and get some stakes and some netting. Why? Because the birdies will love your strawberries too.
Posted by: Sara
great to see the garden progressing, and lovely to see the spring blooms. We are comming into Autumn in our part of the world, and its just so dry, so its lovely to see lush growth, rather than dry and dead leaves.
Posted by: Sharon
Aren’t those purple plums the best? I have one in my back yard and I’m completely besotted with it. I went bonkers on the rose bushes and put 6 more in my front yard. I can’t wait!
Posted by: Laurie
we have some arugula poking it’s head out of the ground already. no baby carrots have said their hellos yet, but i’m hopeful. i have to plant more, as the packet says to plant every three weeks.
your garden looks great. we really need to build some kind of raised beds, instead of the mounds. josie tends to not realize she shouldn’t walk through them. thankfully she does not relieve herself in them…i watch carefully! 🙂
Posted by: shanny in oregon
All this talk about strawberry plants in the decorative plantings is making me think of a fantastic book: Edible Landcaping
It’s 25 years out of print now (I ‘borrowed’ my parents’ copy) but I think the ethos of it is as valuable as its factual information.
The authors’ basic idea is to make use of as many edible crops as possible, to think of fruits and vegetables as integral, ornamental parts of a garden.
And it sounds like you’re doing that! Yay!
Posted by: Hanna
While you’re roaming the garden centres, you might think ahead a few months and get some stakes and some netting. Why? Because the birdies will love your strawberries too.
Posted by: Sara
great to see the garden progressing, and lovely to see the spring blooms. We are comming into Autumn in our part of the world, and its just so dry, so its lovely to see lush growth, rather than dry and dead leaves.
Posted by: Sharon
Strawberries among the flowers sounds like poetry to me.
Posted by: Lizbon
I love seeing your little garden grow. I still have to plant my seeds! You are so far ahead of me. I absolutely LOVE this time of year in the Northwest…and it’s only just beginning. In a few more weeks it will be lush and green and so beautiful. One of my favorite things as a kid was to pick the new growth on the evergreen trees. It’s soft and supple and the perfect shade of new green. I would carry a little spriglet with me wherever I went. Did I mention how much I love this time of year in the Northwest? yeah…I think I did 🙂
Posted by: Stephanie
6 brocolli plants might be enough. you can harvest multiple times from the same plant. After the first head is big enough cut the head at the base of its leaves. More brocolli will grow at the joints of the other leaves. The heads won’t get as big but don’t take as long as new plantings.
You might be able to get a copy of edible landscaping through bookfinder.com. There is also a website but not sure if it based on the book.
Posted by: Rachel
Best of luck with all that gardening. It looks great. I’m a bit envious because we have so many deer in Connecticut that unless we plant Krypton in the garden – they get through nearly every barrier. I’ll have to sit back and enjoy your garden instead – via pictures. Good luck!
Posted by: Jennifer
It all sounds so lovely. I just planted a few things indoors for my Jersey City garden. The things that need a long time to germinate: Parsley, Ancho Peppers, Chinese Hot peppers, & Bell peppers.
I thought eggplant took a long time, too. But that’s already coming, and now I’m scrambling to figure out how to improve on last year’s indoor nursery design. My babies didn’t get enough light, and got way too leggy.
Be careful with your strawberries. A strawberry patch came with our house, and it’s really invasive. We spent a good chunk of last spring trying to reign it in, so that we’d have space for other veggies.
Best of luck!
Posted by: Megan
Hey, wish I could have warned you about strawberry pots before you planted in one. I think they are meant to be decorative rather than functional because in my experience the drainage is horrible (the top plants get too little water, and the bottom plants get too much). Glad you planted some in the good old ground!
Posted by: courtney
Strawberries among the flowers sounds like poetry to me.
Posted by: Lizbon
I love seeing your little garden grow. I still have to plant my seeds! You are so far ahead of me. I absolutely LOVE this time of year in the Northwest…and it’s only just beginning. In a few more weeks it will be lush and green and so beautiful. One of my favorite things as a kid was to pick the new growth on the evergreen trees. It’s soft and supple and the perfect shade of new green. I would carry a little spriglet with me wherever I went. Did I mention how much I love this time of year in the Northwest? yeah…I think I did 🙂
Posted by: Stephanie
6 brocolli plants might be enough. you can harvest multiple times from the same plant. After the first head is big enough cut the head at the base of its leaves. More brocolli will grow at the joints of the other leaves. The heads won’t get as big but don’t take as long as new plantings.
You might be able to get a copy of edible landscaping through bookfinder.com. There is also a website but not sure if it based on the book.
Posted by: Rachel
Best of luck with all that gardening. It looks great. I’m a bit envious because we have so many deer in Connecticut that unless we plant Krypton in the garden – they get through nearly every barrier. I’ll have to sit back and enjoy your garden instead – via pictures. Good luck!
Posted by: Jennifer
It all sounds so lovely. I just planted a few things indoors for my Jersey City garden. The things that need a long time to germinate: Parsley, Ancho Peppers, Chinese Hot peppers, & Bell peppers.
I thought eggplant took a long time, too. But that’s already coming, and now I’m scrambling to figure out how to improve on last year’s indoor nursery design. My babies didn’t get enough light, and got way too leggy.
Be careful with your strawberries. A strawberry patch came with our house, and it’s really invasive. We spent a good chunk of last spring trying to reign it in, so that we’d have space for other veggies.
Best of luck!
Posted by: Megan
Hey, wish I could have warned you about strawberry pots before you planted in one. I think they are meant to be decorative rather than functional because in my experience the drainage is horrible (the top plants get too little water, and the bottom plants get too much). Glad you planted some in the good old ground!
Posted by: courtney
Thanks for a nice infusion of spring.
Posted by: claudia
Yes, strawberry pots can be a pita. They do maximize space and you can ignore the space requirements given on the plants. BUT the drainage is a pain — if you water them enough to get everything, the soil washes out the holes, etc. Someone once told me to put a paper towel cardboard holder down the center and use that for watering, and the water would seep out of it slowly and beautifully for the plants. I thought it was a brilliant solution, but I’ve tried it about three times and it doesn’t work, either. Regardless, all these things are fun learning experiences and will help you with all your future gardens. Believe me, I should know better than to do some of the things I do, but I don’t, and it’s still all good.
Also: Broccoli plants, like zucchini plants, get HEE-YUUUUGE. Hee. Happy First Year gardening. Remember: It’s all good. Whatever harvest you get out of it will be WONDERFUL.
Posted by: Norma
You know, it sure does look like Utopia. We totally picked the wrong place to start a cross-country adventure. 😉
Posted by: Amy
I’m not sure what I’m doing in grad school when what I’d really like to learn is how to live a life like yours.
Posted by: keli
Great spring blossoms photos! – Barbara
Posted by: Barbara
Thanks for a nice infusion of spring.
Posted by: claudia
Yes, strawberry pots can be a pita. They do maximize space and you can ignore the space requirements given on the plants. BUT the drainage is a pain — if you water them enough to get everything, the soil washes out the holes, etc. Someone once told me to put a paper towel cardboard holder down the center and use that for watering, and the water would seep out of it slowly and beautifully for the plants. I thought it was a brilliant solution, but I’ve tried it about three times and it doesn’t work, either. Regardless, all these things are fun learning experiences and will help you with all your future gardens. Believe me, I should know better than to do some of the things I do, but I don’t, and it’s still all good.
Also: Broccoli plants, like zucchini plants, get HEE-YUUUUGE. Hee. Happy First Year gardening. Remember: It’s all good. Whatever harvest you get out of it will be WONDERFUL.
Posted by: Norma
You know, it sure does look like Utopia. We totally picked the wrong place to start a cross-country adventure. 😉
Posted by: Amy
I’m not sure what I’m doing in grad school when what I’d really like to learn is how to live a life like yours.
Posted by: keli
Great spring blossoms photos! – Barbara
Posted by: Barbara
I’m so jealous. Toronto is in melting–that grey dirty snow look.
Posted by: Dr.Steph
I’m so jealous. Toronto is in melting–that grey dirty snow look.
Posted by: Dr.Steph