Our spring garden is in full swing and Lawson and I are super excited that it is finally "lettuce season" - when we get to eat delicious salads fresh from our garden. I have a few pots of mixed mesclun lettuces like the one shown above which I grow as cut and come again, and I sowed them much too thickly so we had some good salads last week from the thinnings. I am trying to hold off really cutting too much until they have gotten a bit bigger, but it is hard to resist much longer!
I also am growing these adorable baby butterhead lettuces, which grow into mini-heads each of which is just the right size for a dinner salad. I bought the seeds a few years ago and finally used the last of them this year, I will have to get more for next year!
As you can see, while we call this "lettuce season" really our whole little garden is pretty green with spring greens and veggies! In other garden news...
The sugar snap peas are starting to produce. Yum! I'm hoping I planted enough plants (about 15) to get a decent harvest).
The herb pot (with rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme and chives) and the arugula are doing well - I will probably harvest the arugula soon, especially since I have a few pots of it that I planted more recently.
The kale and swiss chard on the back left both overwintered and the kale are finally growing a bit, so maybe they will amount to something before it gets too warm here (and before the cabbage worms take over completely). Next to them are some more mixed lettuces and arugula sprouts, and in front are the radishes. I am not a huge radish fan but Lawson loves them, so I grow them for him and his face always lights up when he realizes that I am growing something special just for him.
I also started some nasturtium and marigold seeds in small pots - I would have just stuck the seeds in the soil but I wasn't sure where they were going to end up, so this gives me flexibility to decide later. Probably some will go in the front garden, and some in with the veggies.
Finally, a few weeks ago I got my act together and belatedly started some seeds indoors, including three kinds of cherry tomatoes (a traditional red, a sweet orange, and a pink striped one that sounds interesting). I also started basil, dill (to make pickles with our future cucumbers), some zinnias, and peppers. Everything has come up except the peppers - they are always slow to germinate for me, but hopefully they will come up soon!
How about you - do you have a spring garden planted? How is it growing?
For your butterhead lettuce, just let one of them bolt and go to seed when the summer heat sets in and you'll have plenty of seeds for next year! Did you still want some cucumber seeds for the summer?
ReplyDeleteI just planted my corn, sunflowers, and zucchini plants yesterday and will be getting my tomatoes and peppers in the ground today. I sure am ready for summer veggies again!
Yay for spring gardens! We just planted one (three medium-sized containers, two small) yesterday, on our balcony. Peas, beans, lettuces, zucchinis, radishes and strawberries. Since we're working from seeds for all except the strawberries, it's going to take a while! But my kitchen windowsill herb garden is doing great: chives, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mint and I just planted hot peppers and oregano. Happy spring!
ReplyDeleteWow your garden is so ahead of mine. When did you start your lettuce seeds??
ReplyDeleteI think I planted the lettuce the first week in march - it warms up pretty early in DC!
ReplyDelete