ha ha. Very funny.

Yes, quite the funny one there Tikanas, ha. Tomatoes & snow tipped me off early on.
As for the real world :
My tomato seedlings just popped up indoors, hope to plant in ground by early May.
Broccoli & cabbages are looking happy, temps here have been ideal so far, no freeze for about 3 weeks now and none in sight for at least another week - hopefully that's it for a frost threat too.
Radishes, spinach, lettuces have broke ground, waiting on the carrots.

Rainy though with 2" last week and another 1.3" over the weekend. Need to do some tilling when it dries out enough, maybe by this weds as good dry spell predicted this week.

Trying an experiment with pine needles this year. They worked extremely well when I mulched my strawberries and those are still working as mulch a year later as they still surpress weed growth and hold in ground moisture. My neighbor has tons of pine needles (he usually burns them) but he said I could gather all I want from his raked up piles. My plan is to surround my garden plots with a thick mat/line of needles to keep the bermuda grass and other weeds from creeping back in. That will amount to a wall/barrier of pine needles 15" wide, 10" deep, and a total of 600' long. I've collected 40 leaf bags of needles (and applied 10) so far and he has that much more to rake up.

If this works out, in the long run all my plots will be raised (with a lot of soil/compost) using a wall of needles for containment. I'll just refresh the needles each year. We'll see how this does....it looks pretty at least.

Vgkg, I really like pine needles for mulch! I have been using neighbor's pine needles over my strawberries for several years.

I collected even more last fall and used them to winter-protect my roses. Worked really well as they don't get wet and mushy. Now that I've pulled the mulch back from the roses, I'm going to spread it in my perennial garden. If I had as good a source as you, I'd use them to mulch everywhere and in the paths between veggie beds. They also last a long time vs. leaves, grass clippings, even bark mulch.

Before you lay all that mulch, why not try a layer of newspaper on the bottom first? That should stop the b. grass. I would worry the b. grass would eventually grow up through the pine needles. Not having dealt with b.g. before, though, so maybe I'm wrong.

Snow finally melted off of all garden beds. Still a bit of snow on back lawn. May be able to plant some seeds for greens, carrots, peas today (finally). Onion seedlings are being moved to greenhouse today. Eggplant seedlings growing fast under lights, peppers coming along. Trying to decide if I should start tomatoes now, or wait til we get back from vacation later in this month.

Now that things are drying out a bit, I think I'll pick the first salad from the garden this year--mache that overwintered under 3' of snow.

--Veilchen, who's getting a late start this year due to snow, but is happy to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hi Veilchen, yes my neighbor has ample pine needles to cover every garden path (probably every garden in the neighborhood). As thick as I'm putting it down there may be no need for newspapers but thanks for the idea. Last season's strawberries had no Bermuda Grass problems and those were less thickly mulched. It does look good with pine needle borders and I'm only 1/4 of the way there.

Yesterday I mowed the grass for the first time and anticipate doing that another 15 times before Oct,,,ugh! Even with the riding mower it takes about 3 hours + another 1.5 for the trim & street side since I live on a corner lot.

Plan to till up the squash plot later today and break new ground for some tomatoes & late cukes. It's so nice to have daylite till 7:30pm or so now, + gaining a couple of minutes every day too.

Today the yard is brightly yellow with all the daffodils, pansies, and forsytheia bushes in full bloom. Days don't get much better than this....

Greetings, finally been able to catch up and the snow has given up--at least for now.
Got out the end of last week to pull back leaves over the garlic and perennials.
Sweet peppers and tomatoes are looking great. Am going to be setting up the cold frame between the raindrops so will be able to get the lettuce outside along with the onions.
Broccoli never came up, maybe old seeds. But along with all the other things going on, getting plants will work out fine for this summer. Just set up 2 more aps for marigolds, alyssum and basil. Once the flowers are up, I'll move them outside.

Finally got to go play in the dirt this evening. Got the Beets Lettuce Spinach going. Also planted transplanted Brussel sprouts, first time for them. And Brocoli. We may be a bit late here but we'll see what happens. Put in one row of taters and 3 rows of onions. (50')Still have alot to do, tomatoes squash and making trellis's for cukes this year. And the collection of stick fruit tree's still have to go in.

This only our 4th garden here and learn more every year. I hope to learn this year to write things down, like maybe 150' of onions is way too many onions?

wanna be farmer (me too BTW ;o). You may find out like I did that no matter how many onions you plant there's never enough to last thru the fall much less winter. Onions are the Only veggie that I don't give away, it's too darn versitile in the kitchen.

Expecting another 1" + of rain here again over the next 48 hours, glad I got several plots tilled and prepped for planting. Weeds are very generous so far and are contributing to the compost machine. Tomato seedlings are all up now indoors but the weather has been so good that no need for indoor lights so far.

April is looking good for the most part. We are picking lots of lettuce and onions, arugula, chard and herbs. The peas are coming out of our ears! The asian greens are a little slow and there was abig problem with all of the brassicas: none of them set heads! Not a ONE! So up they all came and we used the greens as we were able.

Most of tomatoes are in as well as eggplant, tomotillos and peppers. The artichoke are 3 ft tall. Pre soaking beans and squash to plant on Saturday. Leeks get transplanted out this weekend too.I'll wait a bit longer for cukes and melon. I can get 1 or 2 more sowings of lettuce before it heats up too much.

I agree with the above: you can never grow too many onions!

How's your pig problem, Darlene? Heh, heh,heh...

Happy Gardening!

Tikanas

Really nice here today. I planted Karoda carrots for juicing and set out 4 watermelons.
Vgkg, My onions don't keep all winter so I give many away. I have set out Walla Walla, Candy, and Texas Super Sweet...plus I have some seedlings of Alisa Craig....none long keepers, but for raw eating I don't like the extra hot ones. Years ago I raised a variety that was a bit hotter, but had so much spicy flavor. I don't remember the name...perhaps Southport or Danver's Globe.

My broccoli seedlings will be ready to set soon......Arcadia, Green Goliath, and Triathon.

I started my early seedlings March 22 and they are doing great. I plan to plant the rest of the melons and such about the 18th.

I really like pine needles for mulch. I get most of mine from my sister in norther Indiana [wintering in texas].

Wayne, you may be surprised how long Ailsa Craigs keep. I still have some from last year in my kitchen. They kept well for me 2 years in a row in my cellar, no signs of sprouting until late Feb.

VgQn uses onions mostly in cooking so we grow those simple "bulb" types (shame on me) that do keep well. Once retired (my favorite saying) I'll start some of those sweet varieties you listed Wayne. I like those so-called "Valdalia" types too but just can't find the time to babysit too many things from seed other than tomatoes and melons right now.

Goodness-where to start.

I planted 15 tomato plants and 2 tomatillos on April 2. So far all seem fine. Planted out 3 yellow pear Saturday and they don't look very healthy just yet.

Put out 2 half rows of beans 4/2 and have had only 1 sprout so far. No sprouts yet on the Little Marvel and Sugar snap peas planted at the same time.

Planted 36 crowns of Purple Passion asparagus on 4/2 as well and crossing my fingers for them. Harvested some from the bed I put in last year and they are good. But that bed needs to come out as I did not put much thought into it and put it in a terrible spot in the garden. New bed is a little separate from the garden...fence in between for climbing things.

Onions and the spring planted garlic look nice too. Mom wants me to send her a couple bulbs of the Shantung when I harvest as she likes the hot taste of them.

Plan on planting more beans (pole and bush) as well as the melons and watermelons this week.

My Morris plum tree is loaded with a couple hundred fruit. Burbank never bloomed. Santa Rosa had a few blooms and now has 3 plums. Green gage just got done blooming..about 30 blossoms.

Moorpark apricot did not bloom. Mature apricot tree had 1000+ fruits on it. heavy winds all last week managed to thin some for me. Now if I can try and keep the OFM away this year. Apricots are the size of a thumbnail now.

Last sour cherry tree(Montmorency) is dying. Seems I may have killed it by overwatering. 3in1 sweet cherry is doing great. Rainier bloomed first (March 31) and is setting fruits. Then Bing bloomed 4 days later followed by Kirsten, about 4 days after that.

Old peach tree bloomed and set nicely as did the Belle of Georgia. I need to thin it and take all the fruit off the new tree.

Bartlett pear just got done blooming. Hope it will set a few fruit this year.

Newly planted 4in1 pluot is doing great. Flavor King is loaded with blooms, and the other 3 are leafing nicely. New Shinseki Asian pear is blooming and the Hosui is leafing nicely. I am trying to spread a branch on the Shinseki.

In ground fig trees still look dormant-or dead. Potted ones doing great.

Grapes have all leafed out but one. I am giving it another week before I write it off. I can swear I see buds on it.

Blackberries putting on new growth. Thorny ones getting ready to bloom!

And the best news (for me) my currants and gooseberries are growing very well. Two of the gooseberries (Invicta and Hinomaki Red) are blooming as is the Pink Champagne currant. My mouth is already watering for the fruits.

Perennials are all awake and growing rapidly. Irises look great and there will be many many blooms in this, their 2nd spring.

Now.....if Mother Nature would just cooperate and bring some nice gentle rains. Our total in March was under a half inch and have not seen any for April yet. *sigh*

~Heidi

Still no rain at all. The gardens and yards could sure use a nice long drink.

I now have berries on my Hinomaki Red and Invicta gooseberries...maybe 8 or so on each. The Pink Champagne currant has 5 clusters of blooms and one cluster has formed a berry already. The taste of those fresh fruits is almost there. Guess I need to do some reading on long they take to ripen.

Veggie garden is almost complete, other than a few more toms to be planted and some odds and ends that I will do later. Straw is around the tomato plants (which now number 22 for me!) Six varieties of cukes planted, 4 of watermelon, and 14 kinds of melons. I placed straw alll around the toms for weed control. My husky and my big boy each have a tomato. Yippeee! I started making garden labels yesterday using the mini blind method. This does look much nicer than the popsicle sticks I always used before.

DH ran into my BofG peach tree with the lawnmower the other day. I don't know how badly it is damaged, but he did put black tape over it and I'm afraid to look. :-(

Peas and beans have sprouted, but I think there is a rabbit eating my sprouting plants as I can not believe that such a great percentage failed to germinate. May need to get a fence up around part of the garden and take down the "Free food" sign.

I have 5 stalks of my Purple Passion asparagus already showing in my new bed. Now to wait for the other 31 to show their "faces."

Now where is my rain??

~Heidi

Was a nice weekend to plant the early corn (Bon Apatite') and Bush Beans (4- Royal Burgandy, Purple Princess, Contender, and TenderCrop). Also prepped some melon beds and tomato spots with manure. Squash & Cukes seeds will go out tonite and time to start melon seeds inside. Tomato seedlings are looking Great.

Asian Pear trees in full bloom, peach tree blooms are fading now, a few blooms on the cherries. All other young fruit trees are leafing out (apples, plums, reg pears, hazel nuts), figs still asleep. Blueberries are budding out as are the grape vines. Tulips in bloom as the daffodils sign off. Irises are looking good, expecting buds soon.

Really Busy here for the next 2 weeks getting things prepped and planted. Compost piles cranking up...
vgkg

I finally had beautiful weather on a weekend. I found a local source of corrugated poly carb greenhouse material leftover from a nursery construction project and was able to buy some for making cold frame lights. I'd like to have about 20 by 3 feet of cold frame by fall to begin winter gardening under protection, a al Eliot Coleman's Four Season Harvest.

I planted peas, shallots, beets, carrots, fennel, swiss chard and parsnips.

The peas I planted a couple weeks ago are up, as well as spinach, kale, arugula, endive, lettuce and radishes. The raspberries and strawberries are greening up and putting out new growth. No sign of asparagas yet. The apple and pear buds are still tight, bloom will be later this year-last year the apple was in bloom by now. I'm hopeful there will be bloom on the pear this year, the third since planting.

In the greenhouse all my seeds have sprouted, except the sugar chile and habenero peppers.

I bought a tree rose in bloom on impulse the other day and potted that up. I've carried it indoors for a couple of cold nights.

I'm still waiting on a fellow to come till and level ground before I can begin making up the rest of the vegetable beds and flower/herb beds and a rose bed and put in a small gramma grass lawn. The length of my wish list for this year is daunting, but I'm taking it one weekend at a time.

Showers are forecast for much of the week. Next clear spell I'll put in collards, tah tsoi and potatoes. As soon as I finish the cold frame I'll move the artichokes, cabbage, brussel sprouts and broccoli seedlings in to harden off.

Ellen

I just got back from vacation to Plymouth, MA and Marthas Vineyard. Not a good time to leave for 5 days, but I had a good friend coming by to water, etc. and he seems to have done a really good job. Dashed out to my greenhouse and garden soon as we got home, and although it was nearly dark, things looked ok. Seedlings inside under lights seem to have survived my absence and caretaker had them well-watered. Was nice to come home to my own daffodils in bloom, as they were all over Martha's Vineyard.

Thank goodness those bareroot roses and daylilies didn't arrive while I was gone!

Now it's raining and not supposed to stop til sometime tomorrow, so I guess I won't be able to work outside all weekend like I had hoped. Will go buy my seed potatoes, I had wanted to plant them before we left but the local suppliers didn't have any in. I did manage to plant my onions outside before we left. I think my peas were finally up, from what I could tell in the dark.

Someone had shut the doors on my gh and the min/max thermometer registered a high of 134! Hope it wasn't shut up like that all week. Those eggplant out there have really been through the rigors.