Rejuvenation and Cultivation

Southern California winters, I know, not much in comparison to the rest of the nation.  But, somehow the draw of Spring runs strong, the air becomes lighter, the grasses are green and the trees are blooming.  It is time to get back into the garden to start the veggie garden anew.

Yesterday was the perfect day for spring planting.  The weather was a lovely 70 degrees or so, the sky was clear and shorts and T-shirt the right choice for working in the garden.  I have my new, expanded veggie garden, although the protective fence is not yet built.  I decided to risk the onslaught of bunnies, mice and other critters and to plant now, before the fence is complete.

I developed an entire plan for the new garden, drawing it on a map of the area.  Each group of vegetables or herbs carefully scripted to its precise location to create blast of color, scents and crops.  Then, there is reality, how much space do the peppers really take?  And the lovely herb wheel I envisioned, had to move because the fencing work is being conducted right where I wanted my herb garden.  So, much of the beautiful plan was scrapped and I planted according to my eye and actual space needs.

I spent time in the garden turning the soil to ensure all the compost was properly mixed and as many of the rocks were weeded out.  I then planted from seedlings: Burpless Cucumbers and Italian Cucumbers in the existing troughs I designed for vertical planting of vining crops.  In front of the cucumbers I planted one Edamame plant, several hot Pepper plants, several yellow sweet Peppers, and a Japanese Eggplant.

Next comes the small herb plants, not everything I want to plant because I couldn't find the seedlings in the local store.  I planted Thyme, two Cilantro plants, Lemon Balm, and Dill.  I planted them in a nice 2-1-2 arrangment that should grow in nicely.

From seeds I planted 4 small rows of orange carrots, right in the new center of the garden that I hope will have several feet of soft dirt for the roots to push through easily.  I planted the rows parallell to the major path.  Then I planted 4 small rows of lettuce in rows vertical to the path.  Looks very nice now, but likely the contrast will disappear as the lettuce grows.  I planted Mesclun, crunchy Bibb, Romaine, and Red Leaf.  I will plant several more patches of lettuce in a couple of weeks so that I can have an endless supply of greens all summer long.  I also planted 4 Zucchini seeds which I may need to thin out to one or two plants to avoid them overtaking the whole garden.

To repell pests, I planted a border of mixed colored Marigolds.  I did not get quite enough, so a few more trips to the garden supply will be necessary. 

In the older section of the garden, lovingly referred to as "the back 40", to reflect the 40 feet or so of space, I planted next to the Strawberries (currently starting to bloom), several Yellow Squash plants. I still have Onion and Chives growing in this area that are not quite ready.

I still plan to plant one Artichoke plant, a few more herbs (for teas) and several Tomato plants.  I will also try, once again, to plant some Corn.  I have never had sucess with Corn, but now that I have some area that has mostly full sun, I am hoping I get a least a few ears this year.

The time in the garden flew by.  I had my Ipod on listening to music, feeling the heat of the gentle sun on my back and enjoying the scent of freshly turned soil.  Life just does not get any better than that.

Of course today, even though I hit the eliptical almost everyday, my gluts and hamstrings are very sore.  It is that great achiness that lets you know you accomplished something satisfying both physically and emotionally.  I look forward with anticipation to growth, continued planting and victory over the critters.