This week in the garden...

Spring has definitely sprung! I am sitting at my computer listening to Leela James and looking out of the fantastic giant picture window my husband installed so that I can look out upon my garden as I work! This is the view of my snowball bushes...

I noticed some honeysuckle weaving its way through my snowball bushes!

So what's happening in the garden and what can we plant? I live in Zone 8a. I have looked at my weather and also the last freeze date and all looks clear! Though we may get some rough weather today, the daily temperatures and nighttime temperatures for the next 10 days are acceptable for planting. This week we will even get into the 90s. I have also been checking my soil temperature. For the past couple weeks the temperature has been in the 50s which is usually the minimum needed to plant many summer seedlings.

I use meat thermometer to measure my soil temp. As you can see, it is well above 50 degrees.

I have been experimenting with a seedling here and there to see how they will do as my rule of thumb has been to plant after Good Friday. This year Good Friday occurs late in April, which is about 2 -3 weeks past when I usually plant so I thought I would see how a few seedlings would do planted in the ground or containers. So far, so good! I have planted 3 of my 40 tomato seedlings.

Beefsteak tomato in the container outside for 2 weeks.

I have also planted a couple of squash and cucumbers. They are all fine and growing well. I knew that if a frost came, it would be easy for me to cover and protect these few seedlings. Next week I see a dip in temperatures for the day and night time temps by about 10 degrees. Still manageable but keeping a close eye out. I probably will not put any more tomatoes out, and definitely not my peppers and okra out until the week after next, closer to Good Friday. So, still, my practice of waiting still holds in good practice.

But many things can be planted now. Strawberries are perfectly happy out now, and many are starting to grow berries. Remember, strawberries do not like to be too wet. They would rather be a little dry. I have a large strawberry bed in the garden with around 50 plants that have survived 2 years now and have started producing. I plant different types of strawberries so that I have strawberries from Spring to Summer's end. These are pictures of a truck tool box we picked up at a salvage shop, that my husband repurposed for me as a planter hanging off of my deck! We are resourceful!

Everbearing Strawberries produce strawberries throughout the summer.

Sweetberry Strawberries produce a nice size berry but do not produce all summer.

Herbs are great in the ground now. I have planted rue, thyme, lavender (which is already blooming), parsley and cilantro (cool weather herbs anyway!), mullein and more. Mint, which never goes away, has been green throughout the winter and has started spreading again. I also have a beautiful blue borage that grew throughout the winter and has really taken off now that temperatures have warmed up. The flowers from borage make it a great pollinating plant and taste like cucumbers!

Getting ready to bloom!

I also pulled up the last of my winter carrots and canned them. I have really started expanding my pantry by canning. I have always been comfortable freezing vegetables from each season but am finding great satisfaction in canning vegetables and fruits.

Last of the winter carrots, canned for the pantry.

Fig trees are leaving now too, some with tiny figs starting to show. Did you know that fig leaves make a wonderful tea? Dried or fresh, "fig leaf and fruit contain chemicals that might help move food through the intestines better. It also contains chemicals that might help control blood sugar and cholesterol levels" https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-445/fig

I have fig leaf tea at least 5 times a week. It smells like almonds and vanilla and has a sweet taste!

So another warm weather growing season is here! Keep an eye on your temperatures, check for your zone and for your last frost dates and look 10 days in advance to confirm the weather in your area. Happy planting everyone!