Time to Make the Beds

Outside: For the past two weeks, it's been flower and landscape bed cleanup time.

At this stage, it's simply raking up the remaining leaves and cutting back the old growth of the perennials. The leaves and cuttings are hauled to the compost piles at the treeline at the back acreage. Edging will come in another couple weeks. Last night I tidied up the catnip bed. Noll helped but seemed a little disconcerted that I removed some perfectly good catnip stalks ;)

At the end of March, the potting shed garden was extended by another 2 x 4 feet. Pumpkins will go in here. The compost bin was moved to the east side of the shed. One inch of compost was added to the garden to prep the soil for the corn that will go in early May.

This weekend, peat moss will be added to the patio garden, the soil tilled and peas and leaf lettuce planted.

Inside: Some of the starter seeds have sprouted - cabbage, cosmos, alyssum, a few tomatoes. I love to check the progress every day.

The cherry tomatoes I have been growing indoors all year are nearing an end. About 3 dozen fruit remain on the vines in various stages of ripening. The three plants have produced since December. It's been nice to have fresh tomatoes to garish our salads.

The green onions I started in a window sill box are thriving too. Pretty soon, they'll go outside to finish growing. Before the onions, loose leaf lettuce grew in this container. We had fresh lettuce last October/November.

I don't know why I didn't think to extend my "gardening" season sooner. So long as the plants don't require pollination and have a sunny southern exposure, tomatoes, loose leaf lettuce, herbs, green onions, can do quite well indoors during the dead of winter.