Garden Update--5/12/2015

Today was the first day I've been to my garden plots in over a week.  Either there was a threat of rain, the fact that I had to work my second job, or the fact that I went out of town this weekend, I have to get back in the game.  Before I went out of town, I saw that the Swiss chard and parsley were looking a bit worn due to the lack of rain.  I knew when I got back, I had to give my babies some water.

I went to work with my garden clothes packed, and don't you know, I left the seeds at home [Doh]!  SOOO, I had to go home, change my clothes, and get to the garden, sow seeds for green beans, water the garden...ALL before The Voice comes on at 8pm.  Here's my progress...

Here are the two beds that I shoveled out today.  The one on the left will have sweet potatoes, thyme, and summer savory.  The one on the right will have green beans, rosemary and petunias.  

This is the sweet potato bed.  As mentioned above, thyme and summer savory will be planted along the sweet potato slips.  I heavily employ the concept of companion planting as a means of gardening organically--in terms of pest control and the improvement of flavor.  Thyme and summer savory repel the sweet potato beetle.  I just shoveled it out, and will plant the sweet potato slips as soon as I purchase them.  Usually, I would start my own slips, but I did not do well with sweet potatoes last year--of which I would save one potato to start new slips.  So, I'll have to buy them this year.

   

The green bean bed.  This is the bed that I worked today.  As mentioned above, I will plant rosemary and petunias alongside the beans--as they repel the Mexican bean beetles.

The  Swiss Chard, although looking worn on Friday, are actually  looking well.  Perhaps, they were experiencing transplant shock at the time, and has now gotten acclimated to its environment. Looking forward to harvesting these yummy greens.

Alongside the Swiss chard is the kohlrabi.  It's looking really good.  I've never grown nor tasted kohlrabi, but there's always a first time for everything.

Here is the parsley.  Some of it still looks a little worn, and some of it looks like it's adjusting well.  Only time will tell.

Here is the oregano.  Some of the plants look like they're on their "last legs".  This is surprising because I was of the assumption that oregano will thrive in arid climates.  We'll see.

The green bean bed...hoed and ready to plant.

Here are the green bean seeds.  Although the community gardens give seeds for green beans for free,  my mama didn't like them when they were grown.  She was insistent that I grew Blue Lake Bush green beans,  So I got these in the winter--way before the garden plots were available to rent.  I got these seeds at The Dollar Tree--4 packets for $1 (there will be another entry on seeds at a later time).  In my hand are 23 packets of green bean seeds.  Out of the 23 packets, 12 were used.  My green beans didn't do well last year.  I am DETERMINED to get some this year.  

So, how did I do for today?  Well, I didn't get chance to water everything.  I hoed the soil, planted the green bean seeds, and watered them.  I also watered the sage, oregano, some of the parsley and Swiss chard.  When I looked at the time, it was 7:50pm, and The Voice  came on in 10 minutes.  I'll just to get up extremely bright and breezy in the morning, and do some watering before I get to work and during my lunch hour.  I'll provide an update tomorrow.  So until then...think thrifty!

Dawn