Monday, May 24, 2010

Starting this season veggie garden

It has warmed in the northeast, enough to feel comfortable that it will not dip below freezing again (I hope). With that kind of weather we surged on to get the veggie garden planted, that included the techniques implanted to keep away the critters. Well, I found Doris (we'll call her that!), check out her missing eyes and the fact she has a stub for her left arm. Drat those rodents who find their way into my storage and feel they need vintage buttons, to what!? Decorate their dens!?!

Anyway, we will try again....I also tattered her skirt, I figure the movement would be more prominent with a loose fabric. Doris is stuffed with plastic grocery bags, it minimizes the mold from the moisture but does nothing to aid her in standing straight. She leans considerably to the front but would almost be laying down if I tried to stand her straight. Who cares as long as she works, my kids call her the "Welcomingcrow", aren't they nice?

We finally settled on the rotation of almost all the crops, the peas will be hard to move as we will have to up the fencing and the carrots, onions have no choice but to flip spots each year. I do like them in the "sandbox", it seems to cut down on the weeds.


Here is hubs prepping for the 'taters. Oh, Doris is standing dead center of the corn. Please work and keep those raccoons away, it will be very discouraging to lose the corn again.

I have to say....I'm proud of my year's compost, black gold it is.


Madame planting the onion sets. She doesn't seem to mind doing these even though she hates onions. Notice the tin plates hanging off the fencing (tied with string) in the background. Yet another attempt to keep the critters away. For the birds it is a shiny movement when the wind catches it, for every other animal, it bangs when it settles back down from the wind. Not much but it may be all it takes, I hope.


Compost cut with rotted manure.

A good drink of water from the expensive (but doesn't wet to 80 feet like claimed) sprinkler.

You can just barely see the tomatoes in the corner and some of the peppers beside the sandbox. Some corn and beans to plant in succession. Lettuce and carrots to do on a less windy day.
Trying beets for the first time ever! C&G Design


Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

7 comments:

tina said...

It is such a pretty vegetable garden. I hope Doris and the tin plates work well. I'd hate for you lose that corn again for sure. Your garden looks very sunny-such a good thing!

Debbie said...

You have inspired me to at least get my garden rototilled and get my fences and noise makers in! I love Doris! You are so organized! Remember last year I planted AFTER Memorial day and lost my entire crop? I am being careful this year. If I DO plant early, I will have to watch the weather closely and cover plants with milk jugs. Those tin plates DO work well. I use them every year....now I need to find me a Doris or a Dave!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Looks like the garden is off to a great start. Let us know if Doris manages to keep the critters away.
Marnie

Jean Merriman said...

It all looks good, love Doris! We have works hard this weekend also. Got 4 rows of corn in and I will fence that off later so the critters do not get mime this year. Also got 2 row onions, a row of carrots and radish in, a row of 1 each: iceberg lettce, spinach, green beans, yellow beans. My potatoes that I planted before our trip are doing well and the 3 rows of peas are also good. Hoping to have them all for the 4th of July!! Joanne got their tickets last week to fly up for the 4th and Sarah is not sure about getting leave since she will be going to her new comand the middle of next week but she is hoping for leave then. Hope she gets it as I would love to have Josh and Samone here at the same time. I hope you guys are planning on coming down as usual!!

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Those supports are great. Look really sturdy. Doris sure has a nice vegetble garden to guard. Hope all your planting do well.

Lola said...

Fabulous garden, Dawn. You all have done a lot of work. Doris will do good on her duties.
I use old cd's to keep birds away from fruit & such. I guess the shiny part helps.

Nukke said...

Rodents was a new word for me. You could take pics about those critters too, if you see them then in your veggie garden ! And butterflies too and do take pics about those vegetables then too as they grove !!! This is very interesting !
(my veggie garden is so small and I have only peas and flowers in it. But I'll take pics about it too later and then about my sisters veggies. They look much better than my :)