Rocks for Sale

I have to tell you there is not a square inch in any garden on this property that does not have a rock of some shape and size.  Every single time we put in a stake or a shovel or a row cover hoop, we hit a rock.  It does make me wonder how anything can possibly grow in this region of ours.  But it does.  And it does very well.

I also have to share something else with you.  Arugula is not a team player.  It's more of a leader by showiness.  Surely you noticed that your Salad Greens last week consisted mostly of Arugula, that wonderful, spicy and fresh taste of the green which falls into its own category.  It's sort of a cross between a lettuce, a spinach, a mustard and a cress.  But it is delicious.  Arugula has decided to take over the salad space in the little greenhouse.  Once we eat bunches of Arugula, though, the green and red deer tongue lettuces, the tango, the black seeded simpson, the red salad bowl lettuce and batavian endive, the various mustards, mizuna, tatsoi et al,  will be able to see the light and get a little larger themselves. 

   

see what I mean about the Arugula

We built raised boxes in the new Greenhouse on Sunday.  We filled them with garden soil today and planted several cucumber seeds - lemon, marketmore, english telegraph, suyo long, longfellows and national pickling - that should get us started at least.  Think ahead a month or so and imagine climbing vines thick with broad leaves, dripping with cucumbers waiting for a place on your table. 

Some plants are getting used to being outside and are waiting to be transplanted.  We have hundreds of leeks, more kale, bunching onions and some herbs in this holding bay.  

With the recent afternoon heat, our days begin much earlier.  The up-potting, seeding and any constructing in the new Greenhouse get done before 9ish as it's just too hot in there after that.  We then move the operation out to the Salad Garden in the north field where there's usually a lovely gentle breeze blowing across the rows in which we're transplanting and seeding, placing row cover and cutting and laying soaker hose.  By just after lunch it's time to go in, write and answer emails and read much about organic gardening and chickens and make tomorrow's planting plan.   Don't get me wrong, I'm loving this weather, it's just hard to work out in it after a certain point, the body and mind both slow down after about 8 hours of digging, lifting, bending, pushing, climbing . . . you get the picture.  

We're expecting to have three new gardens prepped to plunk plants into in the next week.  Then we'll be getting ready for the Big Plant Sale which begins May 23.  I'll post a list of plants and prices soon.  You can reserve plants for your own garden if you like.  

So if anyone needs rocks, we got 'em.  Actually, they're free.  Let me know what time you'd like to pick them up.  

Until next post, have a great every day.  

Jo