Is it time? I have nursed the veggies along in the cold frames for a long time now. Some time I have to get brave, and let them have some real time in the world. Many of the plants are tight up against the glass just bursting to get out. But it is tough to let the kids go off on their own. But then the forecast for the next few days is pretty good. So....
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| 3-11-11 Here we go!! |
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| Salad veggies 3-11-11 |
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There. I did it. The unveiling. More boring pictures to follow, but they are for my record keeping. This blog has become my lifeline to remembering what is happening in my garden. Hopefully to have records to make continual improvements.
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| Bellevue 3-11-11 |
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Left to right: Rouge d'Hivre lettuce, almost the color of the ground. Seems quite hardy as its name implies, and certainly merits future plantings. Territorial Seed's Tenderheart Chinese Cabbage, delicious mild small heads, have to order more seed of this one. Though there is a seed stalk forming, yes, I will try to save seed. The round reddish heads next are radicchio from a mesclun mix planted in this bed last August. Prime deer bait. Maybe I better put a glass panel back over this part. Next is oak leaf lettuce, from the batch that spent time in the plastic container on the porch. Then Beedy's kale from Fedco. Finally, a Cos lettuce given to me from a fellow gardener as she yanked things out last November.
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| Bellevue 3-11-11 | | | | |
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Continuing across, Tenderleaf Hardy Greens from Fedco, certainly worth repeating. Between the two larger rows was Ching Chang, a failure. In the middle is Senposai, also from Fedco. It grew very well at my home garden, and is probably a good shade candidate. The three rows of Mizuna Mustard in this frame were pretty much a bust. Unexplainable, as it did well elsewhere. And finally tatsoi, a beautiful and tasty addition to any salad.
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| Bellevue Box 3-11-11 |
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This box is one of my original cold frames. The three board height allows for plants to grow a little taller without hitting the glass. A very good thing. Most of the plants in this frame are volunteers, including a lot of carrots and celery. I am particularly interested to see how those two progress during the summer.
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| Bellevue 3-11-11 |
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Well that was just the top row, but I am running out of gas, and if you have made it this far, you are probably bored. Maybe I will come back to the second bed later.
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| Alien invaders! 3-11-11 |
As if the deer are not enough, this flock of geese has discovered the gourmet gardens at the park. This morning they seemed to be very happy trashing a neighbors garden of his green cover crop. I hope I won't be able to tell you which salad greens they most prefer. Maybe the glass should go back on? The trials and tribulations of a gardener.
In my zone 5 gardens we'll be waiting until May 15th to be free of the chance of frost, and then hopefully. So nice to see green in yours!
ReplyDeleteUgh, those geese are a headache. I hope they don't find your greens!
ReplyDeleteI've had all my cool season starts on the porch during the day for about a week. I'm thinking this might be the week to take the plunge and put them in the ground. But, they seem happy in their pots, so maybe I won't.... Such a difficult decision!
Thank you Carolyn. Our last frost date is May 10th. I just can't wait that long to get something going. The hardy greens should be fine, and can be covered against any frost threat.
ReplyDeleteShannon, I feel the same way. The starts look great, aren't leggy, and the weather is cool and unpleasant, so just leave them alone.
Your greens are looking delicious! I love your cold frames as well, did you build them yourself? I'm interested in finding out how you did it!
ReplyDeleteKay, I have built my cold frames. Step #1 is to find the glass. Window installation companies probably have a massive throwaway problem with old storm windows or doors. Old slider doors would work as well. Some of my cold frames, due to a shortage of time, are just lean tos, without a fourth side. These are not preferable, as they are short. Whatever greens touch the glass in the winter will most likely freeze those leaves. I scavenged some angle pieces from those older metal shelves, those pieces will make great corners to screw the boards together. Drop me an email if you want more specifics. But it is easy and VERY rewarding. Wish I had done it thirty years ago.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, thanks! I actually know of a local guy who sells old windows (who knows where he got them, he has a huge barn of them) so I think I'm gonna look for glass windows and try it that way. I might not be able to build one for this spring but definitely for fall and next spring.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, you deserve a medal for "Services to Re-Purposing"! Those cold-frames seem pretty effective. I have some over-wintered radicchio, which is growing strongly now after just surviving in the colder weather. i love to eat their slightly bitter leaves with a creamy blue cheese dressing.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, I look forward to your future posts. I am a huge fan of cold frames, have built and used them for many years in a variety of locations and gardening situations. They are simple and so effective! My favorite book on this topic is Gardening Under Cover by William Head, an old standby.
ReplyDeleteI don't think any of us get bored reading your posts. Actually I love that you use a lot of pictures and detail. I'm new to veggies and it's great to see what is possible.
ReplyDeleteErin, Thank you for your kind comment. It really has been helpful to me to compile a written and pictorial record of my gardens. I refer back a lot to my earlier posts. Obviously you are reading back threads as well. Thanks, George
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