Garden Update

I’m afraid it’s all a bit sad. The garden is done and ready for the winter.

The cherry tree is bereft of leaves and showing it’s creapy hand once again.

The asters and annuals are done and slowly dying back.

The Spirea is tinged with yellow and it is only a matter of time before she returns to a mound a leafless twigs.

On the up-side, the pachesandra is doing wonderfully and has really thrived next to the driveway.

My little vegitable garden has been piled with leaves which will break down and be turned into the soil come spring. I also used the leaves to attempt to insulate the window-boxes full of my perennial herbs. They should be fine in the cold but the leaves should prevent too much frost heave.

The yard is once again full of leaves so there should be plenty more for insulating the fragile plants.

Stefan has turned off the hose and started up the snow-blower. He gave the grass a final short cut and we are ready for winter. I just hope spring comes quickly. In the mean time, it’s time for planning.

The garden did quite well this year. My roma tomatoes were over-abundant and I had a good slicing tomato plant and one good cherry tomato plant. I think the compost I added in the spring to the area where the carrots went really did wonders for the tomatoes. I’ll do that again to the whole garden this spring. Here’s my list for next year:

Carrots
Leeks
Roma Tomatoes
Slicing Tomato
Cherry tomato
Cucumber
Butternut Squash
Zucchini
Summer squash
Lettuce
spinach
Sweet peas

I’m thinking I might try to plant the sweet peas where the tomatoes will go. They stopped producing so early that I think I can get a sweet pea season done before I transplant my tomatoes out. I’m planning on adding a garden arch to grow the cucumbers on. I’m going to try to start them indoors this year. I had a hard time keeping the seedlings alive – something was eating them. Same with the summer squash and zucchini. The lettuce I grew last year was bitter and not very good. I’m thinking of trying spinach and harvesting the baby lettuce leaves when they are still just sprouts. I may also try a romaine. My mother has had good luck with that.

The leeks are new but I think they will be something interesting to try. I’ve also considered radishes. I read somewhere that if you plant the radishes early and then plant the carrots after them, they loosen up the soil nicely. I just don’t know that we would eat the radishes. They are good in a salad but not my favorite nor Stefan’s.

I’m really hopping for a better cucumber crop and a better sweet pea crop this year. And I’d like to get one Zucchini! I dont’ know about expanding the garden but I’m planning on really packing it tight and doing some work to define the space a little better. Perhaps some plant markers and certainly a wider path down the middle. Getting rid of the giant pile of bricks would help too but that’s probably not gonna happen this year.

I’d also like to do hanging baskets in the front. They are quite shaded so I’ll have to figure something out. I love the look of boston ferns. They hold up pretty well and they look so period I just don’t know if I have enough sun.

I’ll do zinnias, of course, and I have my gladiolas which I’m planning on putting into some large pots. My marygolds did great this year as well so I’ll probably do those again. I think those seeds were from Dollar Tree! I won’t be able to get rid of the morning glories if I wanted to so we’ll have those again. I’m already looking forward to spring..not a good sign 🙂

Sarah