Summer Preperations

The next waxing moon is April 30 - May 14. So far planting by the lunar cycle is progressing smoothly.

Here is the plans for bed 4, 5, and 6.

Beds 4 and 5 have peas along one edge.
Bed 4
Tomato
Basil
Peas

Another friend that gardens around here suggested planting basil and tomato together because basil keeps the bugs from eating the tomatoes.

That's all the time I have to write today. I will update this as I go. 



Bed 4: May 2, 2014
Tomato
Basil
Cucumber, farmer pickles
Peas, Progressive 9

Tornados, Rain, Flooding

Photo taken by husband

I am thankful our yard drains well. It's sorta at a slant. Either way, I am supposed to be planting the summer garden seeds, but am thankful I put it off yesterday. We had tornados, rain, and flooding around the area with more expected today.

Within 15 minutes our property was a yard of flowing water. If I had planted my seeds yesterday they would have been washed to the other side of the yard!

Exhaustion and Relaxation

Spring Blooms

Once again the business of life has gotten in the way. I have not stopped gardening or planning, but I have stopped recording. I am thankful for April showers. We live in an area that receives a lot of rain, as well. This relieves my workload of daily watering the plants. It also increases my husband's workload of mowing more often.

 This is my favorite time of year at our house for the front yard. It's misting outside this morning so it's not quite as breath taking as in the sunshine, but it is still beautiful.

Update on Garden Bed 2 and 3

Before I move on to Summer Prep posts, here is an update on the Spring prep. You may recall Garden Bed 2, I planted back in March 15 and I added to Garden Bed 3. You may recall Garden Bed 3, I planted back on March 2.

My first discovery the seeds had actually survived was last week. Now for the progress photos!!!! *drum roll*

Romaine Lettuce

Celery

Spinach

Peas

The Beauty of it all

I couldn't resist snapping some neighborhood pics from my front porch. My flowers only receive the afternoon sun so they are not quite ready to bloom.

Beautiful Purple

Beautiful Red and White

My Yard is too Small

Spring Morning

We live on just over 2 acres. People mistakenly believe you must have more than 1 acre to have an operating homestead. For those of us who enjoy just vegetable and herb gardening, you can have no yard. Trees become vital in a large yard: for their shade (to prevent burnt grass in the heat of summer), minimize your mowing time, and provide a breeze. Here are some aspects to consider when opting for a bigger yard:

• How much money do you want to spend in gas for mowing?
• How much of your free time can you invest in maintenance?
• How often do you receive rain? This will definitely determine how fast your grass grows and how often you will have to mow your yard.

Here are some aspects to avoid when keeping your lawn mowed:

• Keeps bugs down. (They have no grass to live in.)
• Keeps your yard from shifting. When you just have dirt for a yard, any type of heavy rain will shift the layout of your land.
• Lowers the amount of dirt tracked in the house (but you will track in grass, lol).

 Gardens can grow vertically, in gutters, in pots, indoors, ect. There are a lot of good ideas on Pinterest on how to maximize the space of your yard. The only type of "space" you would need to consider is if you have larger livestock such as: pigs, horses, cows, and goats.

April Showers

Hearing the rain fall every few minutes, make me happy. Sometimes I will garden in drizzling rain. A few things to keep in mind when plants are wet.

• Wear gloves, for your plants. Plants do not like the oils of human skin.
• Assess the spots that are retaining water. The puddles can be slightly amended with wood chip mulch.
• Save your money and gather free mulch from your local tree cutting service.
• Avoid fancy mulch that uses chemicals to dye their mulch pretty colors.
• Incorporate crushed egg shells as your top layer to discourage crawling bugs from devouring your plants.
• If you have a rain barrel, make sure the netting is secure over the top to discourage mosquitoes.
• Remember standing water attracts mosquitoes. Either plant citronella and bright flowers such as marigolds, or find a way to rid the standing water.