How Does Your 2011 Garden Grow?

[love2travel]

We're still under several feet of snow with no melting in the forecast but that doesn't prevent me from dreaming about gardening! I'm a Master Gardener and used to instruct horticulture classes so cannot wait to smell the soil. Or even see it, for that mattter.

As I have a serious back injury my husband built me fantastic tall raised beds with seating all the way around each of them to make things easier for me. I made my seed order last week and should be ready to plant at the end of May. Our growing season is so short (average 87 frost-free days per year only) but it is amazing how well things can grow in intense heat! I garden in Zone 1a. Yikes.

Anyone growing anything new or exciting this year? Each year I like to try at least one different thing - last year was asparagus peas, this year micro greens including tiny beet leaves, arugula, etc. I grow between 18-20 varities of herbs.

[ravenwoodglass]

I too am very anxious to get out in the garden again this year. We had two whole days where it was wonderfully warm, well it was in the 50's anyway I have a raised strawberry bed that was woefully neglected last summer and fall cause I was too busy studying. Last fall I figured I would have to take it out and restart but on one of those days I went out and dug up everything in the bed, sorted out strawberries from weeds and took out the heelava roots that one particular weed I have been fighting for years spreads. Bishops weed. Not indigenous to my area. It was imported as a ground cover and boy does it cover ground. Fortunately it has distinctive snakelike roots that grow close to the surface so it is easy to pull. I then replanted all my strawberries. The bed looked real good, at least until it got buried under more snow this week.

I plan on taking out some thyme in my front yard that has been invaded by grass and replant just the thyme in one of my back flower beds. I have about 4 or 5 different varieties of thyme and love the little plants. I often wonder if someone tossed grass seed in the one patch since all the others are grass free in the same yard.

I will not plant any more flowers, I will not plant any more flowers, I will not plant any more flowers....well maybe a bit more lavender and a rose or two.

My hysop plants did real well last year and they put out lots of babies so I am going to transfer them to the border. I love their licorice smell.

My veggie garden will grow a bit more this year. Of course I started it in the one place in my yard with a million little rocks. But I will continue pulling them out on peaceful days and will plant my usual corn, but more of it this year. Bush beans and pole beans are also a favorite and they will likely come up on their own since the garden was so neglected last year and they had a chance to drop a lot of seeds. I do want to give some heirloom tomatoes a try again this year. Year before last we had a tomato blight so all I planted was cherry tomatoes last year.

Gosh I want to get out there. Come on spring!!!!!