have you started

**forestdale** · 03-01-2005, 02:39 PM

your spring garden planning? Ordered seeds, plants or trees? Do you have big plans for vegetables this year? I'd love to hear about what you want to do in your garden this spring.

**jlxian** · 03-01-2005, 03:01 PM

Rhonda, on Sunday I planted beets and spinach. I have gotten my vegetable seed from my mailorder and just need to get those tomatoes started.

On sleepless nights I try to mentally plan a re-do of a flower bed. I would love to incorporate some echinops plants this year and have only found one source of seed -- Park seed catalog. I saw the echinops on a trip to the Chicago area last summer and they were very impressive.

I also need to do some rearranging of existing plants -- some spots have become more shady than they were when I planted originally.

We are also planning to expand our bramble patch (blackberries, and raspberries -- maybe gooseberries). I need to add more asparagus and strawberries to existing beds. And we should get some more fruit trees (plums, apple).

I have never grown rhubarb before but would like to add that this spring. Does anyone have pointers on rhubarb?

**TanyaMT** · 03-01-2005, 04:55 PM

We took out a large pepper tree last weekend. We bought our house with lots and lots of mature trees that are crowding each other so have been slowly taking out a few. This one freed up canopy space on one side and made the area below sunnier. It is where my raised bed will be this year. Yippee. DH is going to put that in soon, hopefully next weekend, and I'll be putting in my veggies.

Herbs I grow year round here but need to prune back and fertilize heavily for the spring.

We have 2 apple trees that are coming along well for a good crop this year. I need to thin the small apples to get larger size this year and protect the branches from weight, hopefully again on the plan for next weekend.

I LOVE spring.

**forestdale** · 03-01-2005, 06:09 PM

Jean, I work out garden beds in my head on sleepless nights too. I agree with you about the echinops, they ar very impressive when planted in big clumps. I hope your seeds bloom spectactularly.

I like the sound of your fruit brambles. I grew raspberries for a while but my son took them out to extend a fence and they died. Good luck with your fruit growing this year.

Here is a good organic site with tips on growing rhubarb:
http://www.organicgardening.com/feat...16-172,00.html

Tanya, I just love pepper trees but they can be invasive. Your property sounds lovely with all that shade. We have many trees here too. There are 27 in the front yard alone.

It's great you'll be growing vegetables this year. It's such a wonderful thing to do and, of course, it's the most frugal type of gardening. Good luck with your crops.

Lucky you having those apple trees. I drove back from Sydney last week and picked apples from a wild tree. I felt great coming home with such a bounty. Don't forget with your pruning that you'll grow many more apples on horizontal branches than on vertical ones.

I like the sound of those raised beds. I wish you good growing this spring.

**Nikmom** · 03-01-2005, 06:23 PM

it has been 50 most days here. So I am getting ready to go. I have a lot of mess to clean up from the winter first. Like leaves, dry tumbleweeds, etc. Then I need to get busy in a few weeks and prune the roses for spring.
I also have some volunteer trees that need to be grubbed out. Oh JOY.
For fruit, I have been planting a dwarf tree every year. I'd like to find one of those apple ones that have 2-3 kinds of apples on different grafts.
For vegetables, I'd like to start with some heirloom tomatoes, and get an early jump on some salad greens, etc.
I am happy spring is coming.

**forestdale** · 03-01-2005, 06:44 PM

Nik, sounds like you've got a lot of good hard work ahead. Spring is such a rewarding time in the garden.

I've seen the dwarf fruit trees around. How do they grow compared to the regualr size trees? I'm thinking of putting in a tropical peach three this year. My fruit trees are mainlky of the citrus variety + some bananas. I'd love to heard more about your fruit trees. This addition of a few different types of apples on one tree sounds like a great one to have in the garden.

And heirloom tomatoes! that's fabulous. What variety will you use?

I'd love to see any photos from your gardens too.

**QuilterMom** · 03-01-2005, 07:43 PM

I have some carrots, sugar snap peas, and black seeded simpson lettuce coming up right now. My coriander should be ready to harvest soon. I have one teeny, tiny lemon growing and 4 valencia oranges (just discovered a new one today).

**forestdale** · 03-01-2005, 10:03 PM

mmmmmmmmmmmm sugar snal peas.

The only one of my citrus producing anything is my meyer lemon. It's full of green lemons that should be yellow and ready to pick in around 6 weeks time. How often do you fertilise your citrus trees, Kim? I do mine twice a year and mulch with compost during summer.

I've never heard of those black seeded simpson lettuces. Is it like a regular lettuce.

Looks like more and more of our village ladies are starting their gardens. It's good to see.

**mom2matty** · 03-01-2005, 11:07 PM

I have big plans but nothing growing yet!! I picked up a bunch of organic seeds a few weeks back and I am waiting for dh to get home at a normal time (he has been working lots of OT) to help me set up the garden in the backyard!! I can't wait to get everything started!!

**Nikmom** · 03-01-2005, 11:23 PM

I am jealous of the citrus. Idaho isn't warm enough for that. I have peach and plum trees. Dwarf trees don't ever get anymore than about 5 feet high. Nice for picking, and nice for a smaller yard. We have about 1/3 acre. I have a friend that has a cherry tree with 4 grafts, pie, bing, lambert, and royal anne. She invites me to pick every year, as it is too much for them. I dry cherries, freeze them, make jam, pies, and just generally gorge on them. It is right during Wimbledon when they are ready, and I am such a great tennis fan, so I sit and pit, and watch the tennis lol.

**bamamomto4** · 03-01-2005, 11:53 PM

We haven't planted anything yet. DH has been working some OT and plus rotating shifts every 2 weeks..he doesn't have much time to do anything.

He's SUPPOSE to be off this weekend,so maybe we can get the garden tilled and plant some potatoes at least,if it's not to late....

**forestdale** · 03-02-2005, 01:07 AM

Blanche and Tammy, please come back to this thread and let us all know what you've decided to plant this year. I'm guessing it will be mostly vegetables. I love to know what my village sisters are doing in their gardens. Photos would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't planted my autumn crop yet. I have the seeds planted in the green house and I'm still two weeks early for the first seed potatoes. I'll keep you posted and take pics when I can.

Nik, lucky I don't know where you live cause I'd probably be there in June to help you with those cherries. When we lived in germany we had a sour cherry tree in our yard. I so loved that tree and made wonderful sour cherry danish for anyone who would stand still long enough to eat it.

**Darlene** · 03-02-2005, 07:49 AM

I'm living vicariously through you ladies, here's a pic of what my garden looks like. Last frost isn't until the end of May so I've a ways to go. Right now Jack & I are haggling with one another as to what to plant. All we know is Dd doesn't want any swiss chard or lettuce, she had enough last year to last her.

*Rhubarb likes to be watered well, especially as it tries to establish itself. I also didn't try to harvest any until it's second year. We are on our third year of our patch and should get bunches.
You'll find the pic in this thread 2nd page. Posted once & don't now how to get this to allow me to post the same pic twice.

http://frugalvillage.com/forums/show...w&pagenumber=2

**Mommy2five** · 03-02-2005, 09:01 AM

Our houseing here is an apartment and we don't really have a yard that is ours. I am doing some vining tomatoes in hanging baskets and a few herbs. I just started today. Mid-Spring I do window boxes that I hang off my balcony. I normally do petunias that vine

I love the way they look!