Saturday, March 26, 2011

Instant garden

I broke today -- after a morning coffee with the eldest child, I headed for the local nursery to pick up an early birthday present for me. Seedlings! I got two six packs of leeks (with 2-8 leeks per pot), two six packs of lettuce mixes, two six packs of asparagus, and a single potted artichoke. The front yard artichoke was split but the transplanted half thrived and the original half dwindled to almost nothing, so I figured a jump start was in order.

I've been so behind with the seedlings downstairs that I wonder if I'll ever see seed-started lettuce! It's just been a bad winter, garden-wise.

So the jump start seemed to be all I needed. In a break in the rain, I raked smooth the bed infested with potato scab, and put in, with many incantations to the spring goddesses, a dozen feathery asparagus babies.


It strikes me that planting asparagus is a really optimistic gardening move. It says that you're going to be around for at least the next few years, just to coax the plants along. Since these were seedlings, not large crowns, it may be up to four years before I get to eat anything. Oh well, it keeps me busy!

The leeks filled a small bed and half a large bed. Before the lettuce could be sited, the rain opened up again and I headed inside. There a flat waited, so I seeded two kinds of kale and about eight different kinds of lettuce. My version of succession planting -- nursery seedlings AND home-seeded ones! Whatever gets you eating, I suppose.

In distressing news, the garden kale is going to seed, and I didn't succession seed well enough to have more at the right point. So I may end up (gasp) buying kale to eat. Now I wish I'd frozen some!

6 comments:

Annie*s Granny said...

We're finally getting rain tonight, so my beds are receiving a much needed watering. I've neglected planting more seeds, as I've had to use a watering can and house water for everything. I have two more beds to form, then I'll be ready to add the compost, level them and start planting! I'm too old to gamble on asparagus ;-)

Lisa said...

Our kale is just about done, and I ti totally failed to start seedlings this winter.

We can commiserate...

Unknown said...

Nothing wrong with purchasing seedlings. I have grown my garden for six years with purchased seedlings before trying to start my own. I still look at them as a backup plan in case my seed starting is a failure.

Julie said...

I adore the opening buds of the kale plants...I just keep picking and eating them ...which makes them produce more until they finally give up. Yum.

Daphne Gould said...

Every year I've bought some kinds of seedling. Who knows what it will be this year. Maybe I'll have the perfect indoor growing season, but that never happens. I'm always hoping though.

kitsapFG said...

It's all good! The asparagus starts are definitely a vote of long term optimism. Such a reward for longevity in a location they provide!