A Trip to the Greenhouse

This past weekend, I visited my local greenhouse.  Like me, it appeared the owners were a little late getting started - there were fewer flowers; or, more likely, I missed the rush and came in at the end of it ;)

Still, smaller selection aside, a trip to the greenhouse is almost as delicious as a trip to the candy store.

 

For the flower beds, I purchased Bonanza Spry Marigold, a larged crested, orange flower with maroon edges.  They prefer full sun and grow up to 12".  I will tuck them in, here and there, among the perennials and at the edges of the kitchen garden where I am growing Peas (Burpeeana Early), French Breakfast Radishes - an elongated and white tipped variety - and Leaf Lettuce, to ward off insects.  For the mulch bed by the front porch, I chose Pinto Red and Pinto White Geranium.  Geranium are drought tolerant.  This area gets the full midday through evening sun and is next to the sidewalk and driveway, so it is typically drier than the other flower beds. 

I bought a flat of annual Easy Wave Blue Petunias, a deep blue almost purple spreading petunia with a sweet fragrance.  To get me in the 'gardening zone,' I made up a couple of planters combining the Pansy, Coleus, Petunias and Marigolds before heading to the main vegetable garden; because the stars of Saturday's visit were the three vegetable starts. 

I chose the creamy skinned Butternut Squash, which I have never grown; Ichiban Eggplant - which promises long, slender and heavy yields all season long - and Red Cabbage.

  

Along with the red cabbage, I planted over twenty of the green Earliana Cabbage starts I had started indoors at the end of March.  In order to space out the harvest, another twenty smaller green cabbage starts will go in two weeks from now. 

Needless to say, I was finally on a roll.  I also planted three rows of Bush Lake 47 Green Beans (a compact, bush variety which harvests in 58 days), and one row of Mellow Yellow Beans (a bush bean maturing in 60 days). Both varieties are very productive and freeze well.

One row of yellow Saffron Squash - a straightneck summer type, one row of the prolific Sweet Zuke Hybrid Zucchini, and a half row of Vegetable Spaghetti Squash also went in.

In the main vegetable garden, the yellow, white and red onion bulbs are sprouting shoots.  In the potting shed garden, the corn, a sweet Burpee variety called Peaches & Cream, is up and growing thanks to the past few days of rain.  This is my first time growing this variety.  I typically plant either the Silver Queen or yellow and white bicolor, so I am eager to see how it does.

Progress has definitely been made :)