Seedlings

This year in the garden, I planted seeds instead of starts. I got a late start, too, as most seeds went in over Memorial Day weekend. But whatever! I'm a Thug Gardener, so I am not afraid.

 Pole beans were the last to sprout. I thought maybe they never would. Not that they were outside the 10-14 day germination printed on the package....but tomatoes 

and beans definitely both took their time.

  

Unlike these warriors. They sprouted in neat rows not four days after I put the seeds in the boxes. This is the first year I've planted greens, and I'm super excited about it all. This is kale, spinach, lettuce, and a fancy mix too. I was telling a couple people this story, so now I guess I can tell you. These two boxes are in partial shade during the day. I was standing around trying to decide if I should dig out the dirt and move them into one of the walkways, away from the shade-giving butterfly bush, so I could plant pole beans in them. At the exact moment I was contemplating this labor-intensive move, I was also lamenting that these seeds I bought (for the kale, spinach, and lettuces) all preferred cooler climes. The box I was considering them in (below, and in full sun for the whole day) was going to be way too hot for them. I thought maybe I'd wait a cycle, and plant them in the shade of the  squashes that would also go in this box.

I guess it took me 25 minutes or so to figure out what you, undoubtedly, already have....and that's how it came to be that the shade-loving greens went into the shady boxes and the sun-loving beans went into the sunny box. 

Mensa called later that day.

 

  

Summer squash, zucchini, and lots of pumpkins, plus three rows of pole beans. Everything is happy and growing well. In fact I need to thin them all now, though that wasn't clear when this picture was taken.

 

A whole plot of cucumbers. Again, everything grew, so I'll need to thin these out. There are five or six growing on each mound, and it's supposed to be 2 or 3, I guess. There are two varieties of cucumbers here...pickling and I think Armenian. I planted a whole box of tomatoes too. I've never regretted having too many cucumbers and too many tomatoes. The neighbors all know they can come into the backyard and take their fill of any and all, so it has never been a problem.

And of course the strawberries are still growing and spreading.

Hopefully, between report cards, quilting, and the end of the school year chaos, I will have a chance to show the front yard herb garden that I've started. Also planted from seeds, also making my heart sing. Oh spring! I love you.