Garden tasks for this coming weekend

It sure has been a cold start to spring.  Regardless, I am hoping to get my peas planted next week. Tasks for this week include incorporating finished compost into the raised beds and cleaning up any mess from last fall.  

I am going to plant some flowering sweet pea along with the sugar snap peas this year.  I just love fresh peas. 

Happy Spring! 

I met my deadline! Seeds planted before April 1st.

Whewww I didn't think I was going to make it but the seeds are ready to go!  

This year, with a new baby, everything is behind schedule.  I ordered my seeds two weeks ago from Johnny's, Baker Creek Heirloom, and Burpee.  Here is what I planted in 4 flats yesterday:

- A variety of peppers, including Ace F1 (dependable, I grow it every year), Carmen (a sweet pepper that turns red fast), Ancho San Luis hot, and Romanian red (left-over seed from a few years ago, I have not idea if it will germinate) and a purple hot pepper that is mostly for color in the garden.  This family loves peppers!

- An assortment of Asian eggplant, once again leftovers from a few years ago... germination will be sketchy.  

-Purple hyacinth bean that I plan to grow in one pot on the deck (I know I will have extras!)

- Radicchio, this should be fun and interesting, I have never grown this before. 

- Beets

- Bianca Di Maggio onions

- Red long of tropea onion

- Carentan leeks

Now I just wait and hope for good germination.  

A Victory Garden at the White House, Finally!

From the New York Times:  

Obamas to Plant Vegetable Garden at White House

Spring is almost here and it is time to order seeds people!

Here is the start of what I will be ordering:

1. Hybrid Pepper, Ethnic Sweet Carmen F1 from Johnny's (the best!)
2. Hybrid Pepper, Green to Red Bell Ace F1 from Johnny's (another good one)
3. Cucumber, Specialty Diva from Johnnys (I WILL pickle these this year)
4. Hybrid Cucumber, Asian/Burpless Tasty Jade F1 from Johnny's (so yummy)
5. New varieties of carrots.  I loved growing carrots last year, need to order more seeds but I not sure what variety yet.  
6. More lettuce and spinach.  
7. Rainbow chard
8. Zinnia seeds, I am going to try to move all my flowers to a new bed this spring.  
9. Maybe eggplant.  
10. Maybe edamame.         
11. Maybe green beans (I didn't like the selection at the farmers market last year)              

P.S. I don't bother growing tomato seeds anymore, I just buy the seedlings from the St. Paul Farmers Market.  Same with all my herbs.  

Seeds to share!

It is about that time of year, I always order my seeds at the beginning of March.  This is my current seed collection:

Onion....yeah I kind of went crazy 2 years ago when ordering all these different varieties:

1. He Shi Ko-Bunching (Baker Creek Heirloom, a very nice bright purple scallion- sorry none to share of this one)
   
2. Onion, Bunching Deep Purple from Johnny's 
3. Crimson Forest Bunching (extra to share!)
4. Carentan Leek (extra to share!)
5. Onion, mini red purplette from Johnny's
6. Onion, bunching evergreen hardy white from Johnny's (extra to share!)
7. Onion, red bulb red long of tropea, Johnny's (extra!)
8. Bianca di Maggio onion (extra!)

Lettuce:

1. Romain/Cos Winter Density from Johnny's (love love this lettuce variety, will be ordering more of this one)
   
2. AllStar Gourmet Lettuce Mix from Johnny's
3. Spicy Mesclus Mix
4. Green Butterhead Ermosa MT0 from Johnny's (very lovely, will grow lots more this spring)

Beets

1. Bulls's Blood- really pretty dark red leaves
2. Chioggia (Bassano) a lovely candy stripe beet

Carrots

1. Hybrid Carrot, Early Napoli F1 from Johnny's- carrots did so well in my garden last year.  I recommend them for beginner gardeners.  
2. Hybrid Carrot, Specialty Rainbow F1 from Johnny's- these carrots were so cool, they came in many different colors including white, yellow, and a couple different shades of orange.  

Kale and other greens

1. Dwarf siberian (extra to share!!)
2. American purple top Rutabaga (extra to share!!) 
3. Blue curled scotch (extra!)
4. Kale- Russian red (extra!)
5. Five Color Silverbeet Swiss Chard from Baker Creek Heirloom (almost out need to order more)

Cucumber

1. Cucumber, pickling H-19 little leaf from Johnny's

Radish

1. Easter Egg 
2. Bartender Red Mammoth
3. French Breakfast

Peas- all from Johnny's

1. Peas, Shelling Type Premium from Johnny's
2. Peas, Snap Sugar Ann
3. Peas, Snow/Sugar Oregon Giant

Other

1. Costata romanesco summer squash (don't grow this unless you have room, I have extra seeds)
2. watermelon tendersweet from Baker Creek Heirloom (extra!)

New blog about urban gardening coming soon

This is going to be good.  Details coming soon.