Garden Planning Part 2 & A Spring Memory of my Grandfather

I planted rhubarb last year that I got from my grandfathers garden after he past away. I was so worried that it would not come up this year after all the horrible weather we had this winter. It was so cold outside. I planted it in pots which worried me even more. Because I thought it would definitely freeze and kill them. But I must have had some luck because this year even when it was still chilly outside I started seeing a few rhubarb shoots. It made me so happy! I didn't lose the plants and spring was finally here. I did however lose one. Or it just hasn't started coming up yet. I planted one in the ground because my pot was not big enough for it. It was the largest in the group and I have yet to find it. We finally moved the dirt where I thought I had put it. Because we are moving our garden beds this year. But I didn't find any roots of anything. So I am not sure where I put it. But for the other ones. I am so happy they are doing well. I plan to bring a few more home this year so I can have enough to make a few pies. It is nice to have a piece of my Grandfather right out side. Every time I walk past I think of him. The garden in general makes me think of him. He raised a huge garden every year. He always sent us home with potatoes, corn, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. Yummy fresh veggies. He past away in the middle of march last year. So there was never a garden planted or planned. He had been sick for a while. After he had past spring came and the rhubarb came out of the ground to greet us with the presents of his garden. It reminded me of a time he cut a rhubarb stalk from his front yard and told me to try it. He told me it was a little sour but good. I wouldn't try it. I was alot younger when that happened. So after the rhubarb came up I asked my Grandmother if I could take some of the plants home. And she told me I could have as many as I wanted. We took a few and left the rest. Some other people also took some of it. This year I am going to get some more. And find a big beautiful pot or make a nice raised garden bed just for the rhubarb. So I can make many Rhubarb strawberry pies year round and think of him.

Well made it to the store Thursday. Picked up the most of what I needed. what everything that I needed at that point. I have just recently thought of a few more tings I would like to pick up and plant...

Anyways, Friday I went outside on a bright, beautiful, warm afternoon and planted all the other plants that I intend on growing this year. Except for the few that I am going to direct sow. Soon I hope. Depending on when the husband can get some more stuff in line.

I love planting starters. I hope they work out this year. I am almost wondering as warm as it has been if I should have planted them straight into the ground. It has been strange this year going straight from Furnace to Air conditioning. I hope this summer isn't going to be overwhelmingly hot & humid... yuck.

But the garden is on its way and I am very excited this year to have so many different plants. At this point I have planted 30 different varieties on plants and I am going to straight plant some more soon. We just need to finish moving the garden beds around and decide exactly where they are going. which with the way we procrastinate could be a while but I am in hopes that we can pull it together to have a gorgeous garden this year. So I can learn to can & not need to purchase stuff like organic canned tomatoes for $2.50 to $3.50 a can...

Here is the list that I planted the other day. I still need to count how many I planted.

12. Organic Peppers, Cali Wonders, Burpee,9
13. Organic Peppers, Carnival Mix, Burpee,9
14. Organic Peppers, Habanero, Burpee,9
15. Organic Peppers, Jalapeno Early, Ferry Morris, LYS,9
16. Organic Onions, Scallions, Burpee
17. Organic Head lettuce, Butter Crunch, Burpee,9
18. Organic Head lettuce, Bibb, Ferry Morris, LYS,9
19. Organic Lose Leaf, Flame, Burpee
20. Organic Swiss Chard, Red & White Mix, Burpee,9
21. Organic Pumpkin, Sugar Baby, Burpee
22. Organic Watermelon, Sugar Baby, Burpee,3
23. Organic Watermelon, Jubilee, Burpee,3
24. Catnips, Store Brand, LYS,9
25. True Lanvender, Burpee, LYS,9
26. Organic Basil, Burpee, LYS,9
27. Flower, Snap Dragon, Store Brand, LYS,9
28. Flower, Cosmos, Burpee, LYS,18
29. Organic Eggplant, Black Beauty, Burpee,9
30. Strawberries, Allstars, 10

I have been keeping track of all my plants this year with the quick to print "Seed Starting Worksheet" from the Martha Stewart website. I list organic or not, type of seed, brand, how many I planted, and the date. Then I will go back later and fill in the Planting date and some notes on the weather, what I used on them, and where they were planted, how much sun light they got, etc. I kept notes a couple years ago on one that I actually purchased and I have lost it since. But I really like to know what works and what doesn't and the weather and maybe why something didn't work or why it worked so well.