Spring is HERE! ~ March 23, 2011

When having the corn allergy it is a good idea to start growing your own food.
My 11 chickens and 2 roosters are 5 weeks old.  My garden is coming along.  Since moving into a new house with virgin soil the garden is going to be a challenge.  My husband was able to purchase a used Craftsmen riding mower that came with the plow and discs, and a wagon.  He plowed a new garden section in the fall.  I was able to get 2 loads of leaves from my neighbor to plow in as well.  He picked them up in his yard with his riding mower.  I planted kale, broccoli, and cabbage.  It CA it would grow all winter.  TN is a new experience.

We put a plastic row cover on it.  We were told that we had an exceptional snowy cold winter this year.   I pulled the row cover off in February.  I had lost the broccoli.  I had 4 cabbage and 6 kale plants left.  I got quite a bit off the kale in the last month.  Now we had some pretty warm weather causing my kale to go to seed, which means the plant is done.  I had to researched and discovered the cause was the warm weather, and they call it "bolting".  Then wouldn't you known it 2 of the 4 cabbages also bolted.  I figure the other 2 will also bolt.  My research also said that the leaves left on the plant will get bitter because the plant is more concerned with making seed than foliage.  It thinks its dying.  Dang it!  Its only March!  I have 4 other kale plants started that I should be able to put out in another week or so.  I might just go buy more cabbage plants today.  I haven't seen kale plants for sale.  It’s supposed to be cooler for a couple weeks maybe I can get something yet.  I also discovered at a glance that at least half of my 8 broccoli plants are developing small heads too, which I am thinking that is also bolting.  I didn't look to close because I am disgusted.

Other plants in the garden are lettuce.  Its an inch tall and will probably bolt too!  Dang it!  :-)  I have 8 brussel sprouts, 4 cauliflower, 4 strawberries, 4 romaine lettuce, 1 regular tomato, 1 cherry tomato, swiss chard, 1 bag of seed potatoes about 8.  Don't know how many that will grow.  1 row of peas (a whole seed pack), some spinach/mustard, spinach, beets, turnips, variegated swiss chard.  I am planning for okra, green peppers, cayenne peppers, banana peppers, zucchini, green beans, 1 package of bush and 1 package of Kentucky Blue pole beans.  I never grew pole beans.  I also have winter squash seeds I saved from the organic ones I have been eating.   

I purchased 4 blueberry bushes, a bartlet pear, and bing cherry.  We need to figure out where to put those.  We are building a chicken coop; perhaps it would be good to put the trees on the west side of the chicken coop for shade.  We are also talking about putting in some grapes too. 

My front flower bed is bare.  It has 6 juniper type yellow bushes.  I covered the whole thing with flower seeds.  I have been keeping them moist for the last week and a half.  I started seeing the cosmos in front of the porch in the back popping up yesterday.  I alternated yellow and orange marigold seeds across the front.  In spots across the back in front of the junipers I placed seed I had saved from the red holly hocks I grew in TX.  I tested the seed because it was at least 4 years old by putting it on a damp paper towel in a zip lock bag.  1 in 4 grew, so I put at least 4 seeds in every spot.  I am crossing my fingers that they will grew.  In the middle I put a row of snap dragons and a few other wild flowers.  I am hoping I will have the prettiest yard on the street.  I do know that I will be pulling weeds.  :-)  I see them coming in already.

I am really excited to have food.  I am planning on filling my freezer and canning.  I figure I need at least around 200 vegetables to get me through the year.  I also hope I will have some to share.  Depending on how this goes perhaps I too can sell at the farmers market one day.