These are my tried and true rules for planting in the Spring. I have them pasted in a garden book, but I get them out every year. ~When the snowdrops are in bloom, plant peas, onion sets and lettuce ~Blooming Crocus let you know you can plant radishes and spinach ~Vegetables like beets, carrots and chard can be planted when daffodils bloom ~When Maple trees begin to leaf out, perennials can be planted ~When apple trees blossom, plant bush beans ~When the lilacs are in bloom it is safe to plant annual flowers, basil, cucumbers and squash ~Peppers and eggplant can be planted when the iris bloom ~Tomatoes can be planted when the lily-of-the-valley is in flower ~Corn can be planted when oak leaves are the size of mouse ears ~Wait to plant melons until the peonies are in bloom.
Country Tips:
Look at nature before you plant!
Autumn
There is a six word personal story contest going on at Pinecone Books. My six words are "Something big is about to happen!" I can feel it.
Doc had another run in with Jock Larson today. I wonder if they will ever settle their differences. Doc's six letter story would have to be "Damn Jock, gimme that parking space!"
I have trimmed and mulched all of the gardens at Holliday's Blueberry Acres. We are almost ready for winter to settle in. There's just one more thing I need to do. Plant garlic!
Country Tips: How to Plant Garlic
Garlic should be planted in the fall in colder climates. Separate the cloves from a bulb of garlic. There is no need to peel them. Plant the cloves four to six inches apart and four to six inches deep. Plant with the pointed end up. Mulch with leaves or straw for the winter. In spring, remove the mulch. The garlic should be ready to harvest by late summer. Dig it up when the stalk is about 50% yellowed.
Summer
It's harvest time at Holliday's Blueberry Acres. With all the rain -- 17 inches in the last two months I heard -- and now two weeks of sunshine, it has been a
great harvest.
As always, we have to thank our friends for helping in the fields, and what better way than with blueberry pie!
Our vegetable garden is not doing as well as we had hoped, but I do have some amazing egyptian onions growing.
I went to Gumm's Hardware yesterday to buy chicken feed and ran into Solomon Hatch. What a hermit he is! He lives in the woods all alone and loves to be around the birds. He said he mixes ground walnuts with seed, and then sits and waits for the birds to come eat out of his hands. If you hear a birdcall in the woods, you won't know if it's a bird or if it's Solomon.
Well, back to the farmwork!
Country Tips:
Egyptian onions -- also known as a walking onion. It is edible and ornamental. The 'mother' onion is underground, while the stalks form clusters of little onion bulbs that can be used fresh or stored. The bulb clusters bend from the weight, eventually touching the ground and taking root. You can use these as onion sets in the autumn. The stalk is also edible, much like a chive.
Summer
It's officially summer! Cape Willington looks festive for the 4th of July with banners hanging from every building on Main Street. Maggie said Amanda helped to hang them up this year.
It's been raining every day for what seems like weeks. I'm glad that I have the chickens now, since they're eating all of the snails and protecting my garden. Otherwise the snails would eat and ruin all of my plants.
We won't be picking our "pint of blueberries by the 4th of July" as the old saying goes. If the rain holds, it will be a late harvest at Holliday's Blueberry Acres.
Let's hope for sun!
Country Tips:
Chickens and ducks are good for natural garden pest control since they will eat snails, slugs, and other insects.