I've only transplanted wild Jerusalem artichokes, some onions, Wonderberries, Otricoli Orange Berry, Chichiquelite Huckleberry, Armenian cucumbers, Lemon cucumbers, Rattlesnake pole beans, and edible gourds, so far (from those I grew from seed, this year). Most of the stuff is waiting for us to finish preparing the garden. The edible gourds are looking vigorous.

We've moved a lot of onions, shallots, and garlic—and four Green De Belleville sorrel plants, and a few garlic chives plants. They all survived. The rhubarb has been moved and split up into three plants. They all survived. The rose bushes (grown only for rose hips) weren't so fortunate when they were transplanted.

We had radishes, but they didn't bulb much before they went to seed (I think the ground had too much sodium in it for some unknown reason).

The thornless blackberries are looking great this year (if a little pest-ridden on some leaves).

We got all our shade trees taken out, and the stumps ground. So, we have a lot more gardening space.

We also moved the alpine strawberries. They all survived. They were doing very well where they were under the pine trees, but we didn't want them to get squashed when the trees were taken out (like the radishes did). So, we moved them. They were looking really nice pre-transplant. They're getting to that point again.

We've got a giant heap of weeds that are for compost.

I removed the wooden raised beds, and the black plastic that was underneath them (we're doing a regular garden there, now).

I’ve been traveling so much this spring that I’m barely keeping up, much less planting new stuff. But the plants I put in last year (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) are coming in nicely. Grapes are so-so. Asparagus are maturing, we ate just a couple of stalks this year. I did manage to sow peas which are coming up, and some lettuce and chard, which are still alive, anyhow.

In terms of non-edibles, I planted a bunch of young trees and got a great lilac bush from the swap, and am looking eagerly at my vines that I planted last year and can only assume they were working on their root system all season. Looks like only one (a silver lace vine) actually died.

Now that I’m back in town and no more trips till late July, I have lots to do to get caught up, especially in the weeding department.

Each year since 2013 when I bought my home I have embarked on major projects in my backyard - building raised beds, fences, borders, more borders, shrubs, removing stumps and seeding grassy areas - our yard was dirt and weeds when we moved in.

2018 will be the first year I have no major projects and can just ...enjoy what I've already done! That said, I almost feel a little bored.

This week I am planting out the vegetables I've been acclimating, and this weekend my only remaining task will be to sow okra and some additional squash.

Tonight after work I'll see about getting a few pictures uploaded from my phone.

i haven't been to the garden in two whole days!

Tomorrow, will be day #3.

I worked on the steps off the deck in the backyard. Those 5 steps are a source of anxiety. The handrails are ridiculous! I have tried twice before to better secure the posts that hold the handrails. The one on the east was leaning very noticeably. I braced it with screws to the step, yet again. Then decided that what was needed was additional posts set in the ground, in concrete! The rail posts could be attached to those. So, I did it.

Steve

I've officially started planting out! I wanted to do so last weekend, but the weather was really icky, and work has been keeping me very busy during the week.

I've still got a /ton/ more little guys to plant, but at least I've gotten started, right?

You are very brave. It is hot out!

My question is: Did Nick die of heatstroke on the 24th? Hot, hot hot.

My beans and tomatoes went in the 21st. Squash and cucumbers etc on the 22nd. today is the first day of very little wilting in the sun. Not sure if the plants are adjusting or if the light clouds are helping.

I got my tomatoes in today. It was a good day for planting. Cloudy and cool. I'll go cover them in case we get the dreaded "h" word. This year I planted: one Patio, Matina, and Yellow Mama. I got them all from a local grower a couple of weeks ago and they have just been hanging out waiting for their big day.

I also noticed I have one volunteer from last year in the bed. Last year I had tons of volunteers, so many, I gave some away. This year only one. But I tried not to disturb it while planting the others.

I planted my patty pan seeds probably 2 or maybe 3 weeks ago. They are sprouts now. Jerry, I am copying you! Haha.

Hi Jerry (and everyone else)!

My annual Saturday-Thursday hardening off ritual worked beautifully this season, as it always seems to, and I got planted exactly as planned on 05/24/18. I did not die of heatstroke, but it was certainly the hottest week of hardening off I've ever dealt with. Of course, I was also planting flowers and doing other yard and home-related chores, so it was rather exhausting. My plants hardened off faster this year thanks to the very mild nights, but the hot sun scorched quite a few leaves. Fortunately, now exactly a week in, most everything is doing very well. The soil was nice and warm and the plants took quickly to it - I saw little stress except to the plants closest to the house where it is burning hot (full southern exposure). I got most of it done in the morning between 7:30 and 11:00.

I've had to replace two pepper plants already, but my pepper seedlings aren't as strong this year, so no biggie. I also have one or two tomato plants that may need replacing, but we'll see. That's why I always grow plenty of extras.

I have 35 tomato plants and 21 pepper plants. I still haven't planted my cucumber or squash seeds - I should probably do that. :)

Of course, we also had two hailstorms during the week that did some minor damage to the flowers, but my improvised shade cloth canopy over the veggies works wonders to keep out the damage.

I honestly haven't taken many photos yet because the garden area is still an unorganized disaster zone. I still have leftover plants and a bag or two of potting mix to deal with, as well as some drip lines that I still need to run. That's my agenda this weekend - get everything all tidied up and good to go for the summer. Once it's all purtified, I'll post some photos.

Hope everyone else is off to a good start! Glad we didn't deal with a late frost/freeze!

We put things in as we get them, several days after the swap, several days after we got some plants from Jerry etc. It is survival of the fittest here. Did get a nice tasty bowl of strawberries off a plant from last year.

Quite a lot of sitting on a stool and weeding, today. The weeds are tiny so it must be a good time.

My tomatoes aren't looking very good. Maybe, the heat when they went in and now the cool ... with all the wind throughout ... exhausted them. One plant broke! It was still partially attached with new shoots coming out at ground level so gathering a mound of soil around those and the broken stem should work okay. A little less wind ..! Please.

If tomatoes don't look so good, the squash are trending towards, just fine! Pumpkins, zucchini, winter squash ... it's sometimes difficult for me to understand what is going on in the garden. Oh, the potted tomatoes in the backyard look great! It must be an exposure thing.

Steve

Mmmm12, I finally made it back to post a few pictures. I wanted to dig out some ‘before’ shots but there’s just too much to do these days!

These are from the past week or so.

This part of the yard was dirt when we bought the house, with a strip of old carpet serving as a walkway to the garage. I built the garden area over the summer of 2013, digging everything myself. The soil was like plywood and void of worms. We added the fence in 2014.

This is the other half of the yard. The border along the fence was added last summer. The garden area in the forefront was built in 2015, after we had a Siberian elm stump removed. This was right before I planted tomatoes.

Here is the same area from the first photo - this is from last year - maybe March?

Wow! That is absolutely gorgeous. I love your design and how you have filled it in. The pathways are often forgotten (as they were in our design) but are so important for access.

Finished planting the gladiola. There were a lot!

This must not be a very good place for growing these plants. I remember talking to a commercial grower about depletion. He said that it shouldn't be happening but too many of the plants have just an abundance of tiny corms at the end of each season so there would be about 10% fewer plants for the next season after storage. Or, there were tiny plants in great numbers but unable to produce flowers. I blamed our rocky soil.

DW enjoyed shopping for additions each year. After lifting the corms in fall 2017, it was obvious that she wasn't needing to do that. Our planting out yesterday confirmed it! They had an abundance of irrigation water in last year's extremely dry growing season. Growing in the same gravel as usual.

Steve

I think I'm finally finished planting the gardens. As long as I have soil - used and new - I can always find a pot to put a plant into very nicely.

Greg and Annie - the lavender plants that you shared are doing quite well. They stayed under lights for about 3 weeks and are now all transplanted and in the shade for a week. The 'old lavender' garden space has been dug and is ready to be replanted, thanks to Greg and Annie. (No voles in sight lately).

During weeding, I've noticed a few 'babies' that will have to be potted and brought to the next swap. All of my hot peppers and tomatoes have been planted, and I have lots leftover that are starting to get root bound. If anyone may think they want any, please let me know. I have about 20 tomato and 40 hot pepper plants. I just don't have land!

Tomatoz1,

I planted the ghost pepper and scott brain from you. They got hailed on but recovered fine. I would be interested in a couple of tomato plants and probably some hot peppers.

gardenchloe,

Great! I'll get a list of the plants I have tonight. I'm glad the other peppers recovered from the hail. They are pretty resilient.

Ours got hailed on also but also recovered! Thanks for bringing them!

tomatoz1's leftover tomatoes and peppers: (most tomatoes are larger heirlooms)

Tomatoes

Pink- 1 African Queen, 2 Pink Pioneer

Red- 1 Gallegos, 2 Grosse Serge, 1 Brutus, 4 Roma

Black- 3 Dana’s Dusky Rose, 2 Daniel Burson, 2 Ruby
Surprise, 1 Owen’s Purple, 1 Negrillo

Cherry- 1 Pink Princess, 2 Gardener’s Sweetheart, 1 Sweet
Orange II, 2 Orange Ball, 1 Rose Quartz

Peppers

Yellow Bhut 4, ‘15’ red
4, 7 Pot Orange 1, Red Bhut 2, Reaper x Red Douglah 3, Pineapple
Rocoto 2, Fresno 4, Ralph Thompson’s Squash 2, ‘9’ red
point 5, Scotch Brain 1, SR7 x Red Douglah 2, Rezha
Macedonian 1, Peppadew 1, ‘6’ red bhut 5, Biker Billy
jalapeno 3, Yellow Brain Strain 2, Sweet Pickle 2, Scorpion
xxx 1, Peach MAMP 2, Peach Wasp 1, Anaheim 3, Yaki
Blue 1, Bhut Orange Copenhagen 2

(The numbers in front of some of the peppers, 6, 9, 15 are the # of the picture I took, so the name stuck.)

I am interested in

Tomatoes:

African Queen, Grosse Serge and Gardener's Sweetheart tomatoes. I would like to let others pick first if they have desire on what they want.

Peppers:

Reaper X Red Douglah, Pineapple Rocoto, Peach Wasp... Or you can pick out the hot ones for me to try. I like hot and cute looking peppers.

I can come get them from you sometime this weekend. Just let me know when.

Hurray, glad the lavender is working!

I've got many things planted, but like tomatoz1 I'm running out of space! And it doesn't help that the mosquitoes have been rather successful in discouraging me from spending time outside... I'm hoping to get just about everything else finished this weekend, and somehow find space for everything. I'll let you all know how it goes...