I have been a busy bee in my garden this month with hardly time to even make regular posts. However I did want to share with you what I have in my March section of my garden journal. Because this was my first year prepping my newly expanded garden I had to prepare my raised rows (which I am doing square foot garden style by making the rows 4 feet wide) and that meant a lot of dirt (and fun for Little Man). I used a pulverized top soil with 30% compost mix and then straw for my pathways to keep the weeds down and give a defined path for myself and the kiddos walk through.
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Seeds to start indoors:
- tomatoes
- sweet peppers
- kale (first of the month)
- chard (first of the month)
- lettuce (first of the month)
- calendula (last week)
After having a fun seed swap with a friend we have acquired a large variety of heirloom peppers, tomatoes, and other veggies and herbs. The kids are most excited about the cosmic purple carrots.
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Little Man has become the official seed starter. He filled all the cups with ourpotting soil mix, watered it down and then later on he placed all the seeds in the cups with a little sprinkling of potting soil and another little squirt of water. After covering and placing in a warm spot in the house he checks on those seedlings every morning, sings them a growing song and then helps to keep them moist. I love to see the excitement in his eyes when he finds another plant has sprouted and he carefully carries it downstairs to place under the grow lights.
Seeds to plant outside in the spring garden (last week of March):
- kale (seedlings from starts)
- chard (seedlings from starts)
- lettuce - succession seed every 14 days until summer begins.
- spinach - succession seed every 14 days until summer begins.
- peas - these will be turned back into the soil for added nutrients before planting summer crops
- garlic (second week of March)
- carrots
Plants that are starting to poke up throughout the garden:
- yarrow
- peppermint
- chives
- St. John's wort
- comfrey
- sage
- lemon balm
- thyme
- catmint
- strawberries
- tulips
- snowdrops
- crocuses
- daylillies
- garlic (from fall plantings)
Other Garden Fun
The Littles and I have been enjoying the Beatrix Potter stories and following along with Strangers and Pilgrims Beatrix Potter project series. It was great fun to take the Peter Rabbit seed packets with us to the seed swap and Little Man had to make his grandma some Peter Rabbit bedtime room spray for her birthday. I also added a new book to my collection, called The Heirloom Life Gardener, I am so excited to read it over spring break this week! Another favorite discovery was Carrots Love Tomatoes, I got this from my library and must add it to my collection. It has a list of every plant, including herbs and fruit, and tells how that plant can help other plants and what plant will help them in growing or keeping pests away. I love it!
Favorite Books and Stories this Month
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