Sunday, March 20, 2011 First Spring Day in the Garden!

Dirt! Glorious dirt! What is it about you?

The first official day of Spring found me out on my porch cleaning up the mess I left this winter when I simply threw blankets over the garden and forgot about it. I uncovered it a few weeks ago to find the spinach still growing, but in classic headbanging fashion I plowed it all up with my hand rake and started shifting my soil from bin to bin, as I do every year in an effort to keep my soil alive. If I had actual land I'd rotate crops, but here on the porch I just rotate soil. I've got a bunch in a black plastic bag, hoping it creates enough heat to break up all the leftover pepper plant parts from last year. I'll probably add some bunny poop, I know it sounds gross but I promise you it's not. It's perfectly safe to put in the garden and it's a good source of nitrogen, which is good for the plants.

I actually planted some lettuce and carrots in two of the containers today. I've got a few ideas for the garden this year, different colored peppers, romanesco broccoli, peanuts maybe? I have an indoor seed starting kit I plan on using to start most of my plants. And I can never resist buying some plants.

Herbs have always done well in my garden, so this year I'll continue with the herb ice cream garden. Some I didn't really use - marjoram and tarragon, what are they really for? Maybe they just don't fit on my palate, but I'll happily replace them with some other faboo herb I actually use.

I'm looking forward to a great garden this year. And with food prices and gas prices going where they're going I may be eating off the porch more than usual! Works for me!

Bang on, my peeps!

-HH