Category Archives: spring

Veggies 5.0

spring, Urban gardening, vegetables

With spring running a few weeks behind, we planted the cold weather crops today in the 4’x4′ vegetable beds in the backyard of the Lot. I had ventured out this past week to pick up some new vegetables to try. Those are marked with an asterix below.

The Cold Crop Lineup

Here is what the first round of planting included:

  • Melting Sugar Snow Peas
  • Oregon Sugar Pod II Peas*
  • Hollow Crown Parsnips
  • Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach*
  • Evergreen Long White Bunching Onion
  • French Breakfast Radish
  • Baby Bok Choy Pak Choi*
  • All Season Butterhead Mix Lettuce

From Lot to Pot

This season we will be growing some of the veggies in pots. I picked up some Bright Lights Swiss Chard to plant among the pots and even in the perennial beds because it is so pretty and colorful. It’s a bonus we get to eat it!

Since we love snow peas so much, two different varieties were planted. I also planted a large container with a tee-pee trellis with snow peas. When the snow peas are finished for the season, this large pot will be the home of a tomato plant.

Spring 2014 Has Arrived

backyard bed, front bed, gate bed, pruning, southwest bed, spring, spring cleanup

Today at exactly 12:57 ET the center of the sun passed over the Equator and the first day of Spring arrived. We usually have slightly warmer weather within the Lot’s micro-climate than the remaining Zone 6a outside of the city. The temperature reached a whopping 37 F today, which is an improvement to the very chilly winter we’ve experienced this season.

Lot Update

Here are some photos of the Lot from two days ago. A lot of snow has melted away from the edges of walkways, along paths, and from the house foundation. It seems the yew (yes, those are holiday lights that still need to be taken down) and newly freed rose in the South bed did not receive damage from the ice storms and heavier snow.

yew in south bed

The monster rose (aka my Other Half’s nemesis) seems to have made it through as well.

rose bush

The East bed is quite a soggy mess along the pathway to the gate. Several new perennials (foxglove, toad lilly, barrenwort, and coreopsis) were just added during the past growing season.

East Bed

Here is the main garden area of the Lot. Many of the perennials are still insulated under a layer of snow. This did not stop me from pruning the spirea to the right of the garage door. Usually I would not prune a spring-blooming shrub at the end of winter for fear of trimming off all the flower buds. However, this one has been falling apart over the last few years and I plan to cut it all the way to the ground after it is done blooming this spring so it can restart new, healthier growth.

We often set our Christmas tree outside by the bird feeder after the holidays. It gives the birds another place to tuck themselves away from the winter weather while they eat.

Back Garden

The middle shrub in front of the main garage wall is a burning bush. This species of shrub is too large for the space in which it was planted. When the snow retreats and the weather warms a bit more, I am going to attempt to thin out the branches a bit and bring the whole shrub back a bit in size.

Back Garden 2

Once the snow melts more, I will be cleaning up and pruning back a lot of perennials left up for winter interest. That includes the maiden hair grass and bits of false indigo seen in the foreground peeking up from under the snow.

Back Garden 3

What’s Different?

I looked back at pictures of the first day of spring from the past several growing seasons. In 2009 all the snow was gone and crocus and snowdrops were blooming. The same was true in 2010 with the daffodils swelling and many perennials stirring from winter. In 2011, there were still traces of snow in the areas of the back yard that were in the shade for the longer periods of the day. 2012 brought a very early spring with many trees already blooming which led to a horrible destruction of fruit crops for the state when a late freeze hit. Last year spring seemed back on track with the crocus and snowdrops appearing again and small areas of snow scattered here and there in the garden.

Deep down I know we will more than likely see snow again over the next month. In fact, it is in the forecast for later this week. However, there are chickadees moving through the backyard as they return from winter homes and the first snowdrops are emerging from the beds revealed by the withdrawing snow base.

#springiscoming

 

Brrr, Protecting Plants from Spring Frost

spring, vegetables

Though the cold and wet lingered a bit longer than desired, Spring on the Lot seemed to be more “normal” than last season. The weather has gradually warmed and perennial plants are making their way up out of the ground. Even the balloon flower, one of the last plants out of bed in the spring, has emerged. However, this past weekend called for plunging temperatures and a chance of frost Sunday evening.

Awww Sheet

Time to break out the bed sheets! Around this time the veggie beds have new plant shoots. There are many suggestions to prevent frost damage to a small garden, but the most successful method to date on the Lot is the use of bedsheets.

Sheets for Frost Protection

The 4’x4′ vegetable beds can be covered perfectly by a twin bed-sized, fitted sheet. This traps any heat in the soil of the bed underneath the sheet and around the plants. If the sheet is not fitted, bricks or weights can be placed on the edges of the sheet to create the covering.

Another Option

In addition, we’ve also used empty plant pots for frost protection. In past seasons, late season frosts have zapped some newly emerged perennials on the Lot like the tender fern fiddleheads. By simply placing the pots upside down over the plants so the pot covers the plant and the rim sets on the soil, the same pocket-type of protection is formed. First thing in the morning, all coverings are removed from the plants.

Over the weekend, Ms. A and I gallivanted around the city for our annual nursery crawl. Even though I purchased some great basil plants, the little starter herbs will be staying inside will the Other Half and I for a few more weeks. Plants like peppers and tomatoes will be purchased closer to Memorial Day since we do not have room to protect the plants indoors. Then the growing season will be in full swing!