Spring Garden Fever

Everywhere I look, I see spring. It’s in the awakening tree branches, it’s in the hyacinths peeking up from the warming ground, and it’s in the giant buds on the azalea bush out front. Spring fashion is popping up on blogs and in stores. Easter decorations are everywhere; pastel colored bunnies taunt me in my sleep. However, it’s still early.

The atypical lamb-like warm weather of this March’s start has me itching to get into the garden to do a lot of planting, but there’s only so much a person can do before the risk of frost has passed. (There’s always a chance March will go out like a lion!) There are certain seeds that can be planted as soon as the soil is workable in Spring; carrots, radishes, beets as well as many lettuce types.  I checked yesterday; the soil is most definitely workable, and in desperate need of some working.

The compost looks lovely, and is ready to be worked into the soil to replenish its nutrient supply. But none of that can happen until I’ve removed the field of wild flower weeds that have been flourishing during the recent weather, in my previously empty gardens.  I hope to accomplish many of these things this week.

My garden to do list for this week, includes destroying the weed invasion, readying all the soil by turning it and adding in some compost,  planting what’s plantable, readying the materials to start the tomatoes and eggplants from seed in the house, and hopefully putting the fence back up.  (Those nasty bunnies really enjoy radish, carrots, beets and lettuce, you know.)

There’s a lot I need to do to continue to break in my new rain/garden boots. I’m really happy it looks like the weather here will continue to co-operate. One of my favorite things about gardening is all the planning, dreaming, and hoping that it entails. I’m still a relatively new gardener, although I’ve been helping do it since I was a girl, so the multiple resources and advice found online is very helpful. I thought I’d share some of my favorite online inspiration, tools, and tutorials.

This year I decided to stop growing peppers because they never produce enough to make an impact, but after seeing this advice (found via pinterest), I might have to rethink that.

I might do a variation this diy sprinkler, where it will only squirt water out the sides, that way my plants only get watered at their bottoms, not on their upper foliage where it’s unneccessary.

I think this is probably genius, but unless compostable organic diapers are available for cheap, I doubt I’d do it for any of my plants, especially vegetables.

Have you considered using toilet paper rolls to start seeds? It probably works best for smaller seedlings.

It seems possible that I could make this awesome veggie basket, but knowing myself, I would probably be injured in the process, unless I have help. (Wink, wink, Dad).

A growing vegetables chart is perfect for the beginner gardener, but this website has more in-depth descriptions of more veggies.

I want to make my own vegetable markers; these, these, these, and these are all awesome, but maybe I’ll do my own thing.

This year, I ordered all my seeds from Seed Savers Exchange. They are quick and awesome, and have a vast selection but for next season, I hope to save the seeds from this year.

Have you caught the Spring Garden fever yet?

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