Seed Planting temp plate

I posted I wasn't quite sure about all this square foot planting but am doing some I guess you would say in moderation in my fine bed this year.  I made a temp plate today to mark out the ground where the seeds are to be planted if the plants are to be 3" apart when thinned.

 

The pegs don't show up in the picture but there are 16 of them clued into the board.  I read about this temp plate on someones blog but can't give credit as I don't remember who's.

The Potato Box is done

I am ready to plant.  The dirt is in and the critter fencing is up.  Just have to get some hay and cut the potatoes.  Hope to get the potatoes cut today.

Harvest Monday 5/9/11

I still have nothing planted in the ground as it is still too cold.  However My Aero Garden is produces quite well.  I have 3 pods of basil, 1 pod of parsley and 1 pod of thyme.

 I pick about this amount of basil 3 times a week.  It is just great in my Romaine and radish (both from the store) salad at night for dinner.

 This was the first picking of the parsley and it sure was nice and fresh in my shepard's pie I had that night for dinner.

Is there anyone that does the Monday Harvest that is gardening in zone 4.  I would be interested in what they are doing now in their gardens.

Don't forget to visit Daphne's Dandelions  our great host and see what others have to offer for their harvest this week. 

Some thoughts on Square Foot Gardening

A lot of people have been talking about square foot gardening and wondered if I was missing something that might allow me more plants in my limited space.  I have spent a few days looking at pictures of these gardens and reading about them.


I have come to the conclusion that my Daddy and Grandfather taught me square foot gardening almost 60 years ago but it was just called gardening.  Granted I plant a lot of my fine seed in rows and thin to recommended space between each plant however as far as large seed such as corn, beans etc.  I plant in hills of 5 seed per hill.  It is recommended I think 4 seed per square foot so I have one seed for good measure.  When I look at the spacing on my hills I would be about 1' on center for each hill.  Guess my grandfather knew what he was doing but it just didn't have a fancy name.

The Potato Box

I need to stop reading about gardening.  I find too many projects for me to do.  I had decided not to grow potatoes this year as they take up too much room in the garden.  The more I thought about it the more I remembered  reading about a friend (screen name hopscotch) had planted his potatoes in hay last year.  Now there is an idea.  To find a flat and sunny spot on these 9 acres is not easy.  Looked around and had some scrap lumber so decided to build like a raised bed 4X8'.  I have a pile that is sort of a compost pile but mostly potting soil where I have dumped pots etc. in the fall.  That should make a good base for the potatoes to grow into and then just cover them with hay.


The box is built and it is 8 1/2' by 5 1/2'.  Why cut lumber if you don't have to plus bigger is better.  The lumber I used is leftover scraps from when the house is built.  Am on rain delay right now but this is what I have so far.  Note I can build the sides higher if necessary but it will eventually be fenced to keep the deer out once I plant.  I am sure they would eat the potatoes as soon as they hit the ground.

Newspaper is down

 leaf layer done

To be continued but not today.  Too tired.

The greenhouse is full

Spent most of the day in the greenhouse transplanting today.  I now declare the 6X8 greenhouse full and bulging at seams.

312 six packs, 65 2 1/2" individual pots and 33 flats still waiting to be transplanted.

Monday Morning Harvest

It is a little early for harvesting anything here.  In fact it is too early to be planting anything until the end of the month.  However I am trying a new experiment this year.  Am growing some vegetables in window boxes in the greenhouse.

Beets and carrots.  Not sure why the carrots didn't germinate well

These onions are to eventually go in the onion bed but did not do well at all this year.  Last year they were great.

Second planting of beets and carrots.  The carrot germination was much better

Radishes and leaf lettuce.  Two different varieties of lettuce.  The second on is just germinating but not well.  All was from old seed I had sitting around so that could have contributed to the poor germination.

For more Monday Harvest be sure to visit 

Daphne's Dandelions

Area Flooding

 This is Paradox Lake which is a quarter of a mile from here I used to live.  The Lake is just east of my old house where DS lives now.

This boat house has living quarters over it.  The water is normally at least 8' below the opening you can see for the boats.

This is three lots west of my old house and is normally a field.  The Outlet to the Lake is just to the back of the field and the next few pictures will show the property next to this field to the river.

 

These last 3 pictures are the Camp Site between the field and the River.

This is across the road from the other burned out barn

This is the River itself.  Where you see the equipment across the river is part of the river now as well as a field beyond there.  That parking lot is about 8' above the normal height of the river.  In the summer you can walk across this river here and not get your knees wet.

These next pictures are of Schroon Lake which is right in town.

Boat house on the Island out from the town boat launch.  Yes a boat can usually fit underneath there in fact a paddle wheel boat goes in there in the summer.

 

This is our down dock and boat slips.  At least somewhere under there.

This was the Boat Launch and the Boathouse Theater.  There is a retaining wall at least 4' high on the left side of the building.

This should be the town beach

This is a little further south of the village.  That is a gas pump there and there is a dock somewhere the next picture is the waiting platform and you can see the stairs leading down to this dock.

There is a beach here and I think this wharf is about 6' above the water in the summer.

Walk about 4/28/11

Trouble and I took our second walk about for this season yesterday and things are starting to look even with all the rain and no sun.

 Crazy Daisy

 Egyptian Walking onions

 Alaskan Shasta Daisy self seeded last summer and should blossom this summer

 Large Alaskan Shasta Daisy and Daffodils coming up

 More Daffodils

 More Egyptian Walking Onions

 Hosta

 Hosta

 Tulips and Daffodils

Maybe spring has finally come to the Mountain.  Now if it would only stop raining ad the sun shine.

Things are looking up in the greenhouse

Have been out transplanting in the greenhouse and despite the freeze up just over 1 weeks ago things are looking up.

 Replant of tomatoes 1 weeks ago.

These are Perfection Series Marigolds that survived the freeze up 2 weeks ago.  They grow to about 16" tall with up to 3" blooms

 Cauliflower

 White Cape Daisies

 All replants after the freeze up

 Peppers, Egg Plant, Petunias and Chive

 Bell Peppers and Hungarian Wax Peppers

.One of my favorite to transplant.  NOT  Wax (Fibrous) Begonias.    They have their second and third set of leave believe it or not.