Today's mail delivery brought a few more seed packages. From Burpee. A nice new marigold (Fireball), parsnips, cucumbers, parsley and Provence Blue lavender. I already received my seeds from Johnny's and Botanical Interests. My Fedco potatoes and onion sets will come in April.
With most of my seeds in, I spread out all the packages, old and new and got out my rubber band jar. I stacked the seeds by their planting date. First pile to be sown 8-10 weeks before frost. Next, 4-6 weeks. Next, 2-3 weeks. Next, direct sown flowers. Then direct sown beans. A separate pile of brassicas. Greens. Onions. A rubber band goes around each stack. Then I lined them all up in a box - and I'm ready to go!!!
I need to update my planting time line to include all of the new seeds I've ordered. But the line up of seeds in my box would do just fine without a time line at all.
Most exciting right now are the seeds that go in 10 weeks before the last frost. Lavender (Provence Blue), thyme (German Winter), celeriac (Brilliant), heliotrope (Marine) and eggplant (Orient Express). My last frost is around May 5 in my side yard, late May in my community plot. Ten weeks before May 5 is the last week of February. Only 4 weeks away!
I have one last seed order I plan to place soon. I waited to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. I'll be adding popcorn seeds to this order. Maybe I'll place it tomorrow. Of course anything else I've forgotten can always be purchased locally.
14 comments:
I have the same thing going on here. I can't wait!!!
I have tell myself to wait - shovel snow and imagine spring.
It looks like you're all ready to go- I just can't wait for spring!
My planting times are close to yours, around early May (zone 6) with a last frost of April 26.... I can't wait to start the planting. Its getting closer....
Which source do you go by for last frost? The "Old Farmer's Almanac" counts it at April 26, Burpee online as "mid May", USAgardener claims May 26, Victory Seed Company suggests May 12..... there's a month spread there! I'm taking the average, but have you found one source more reliable than another?
Oh, that's a great organizing system. I'll have to try that. I just got my first seed order in the mail two days ago, and more will be on the way in the coming days (plus the potato/onion/rhubarb/etc plants I'll get in April and May). Spring can't come soon enough!
For last frost dates, I go by the actual last frosts for the past few years. Micro climates are quite variable in the suburbs.
In my side yard, last frost has been around April 25. I think I'll go with May 15 as a last frost date for my community plot. Only a mile away, but wide open and no cement around. If its later or earlier in the next few years, I'll adjust it.
Last frost date is used only to plan when to sow seeds indoors. A few days early or late doesn't matter too much. For transplanting out, you an go by the actual forecast and moon phase.
I sat down with the seed packets and the students and talked about when and how we will plant our seeds. also had some students filling out my seed stash at my folia site--- tis my hope that I will keep better records this year.
I'm going to send out my orders on Monday. I've reworked my lists several times already, but think I have it finalized now. Here's what I'll be growing (attempting to) this year:
Gold Bantam Corn
Sweet Riser Corn (from '08)
Sugar Ann Snap Peas
Super Sugar Snap Peas (from '08)
Top Crop Bush Beans (from '08)
Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans
Green Arrow Peas
Plum Daddy Hybrid Toms (from '08)
Sub Arctic Plenty Toms
Cold Set Toms
Roma Toms
Early Girl Hybrid Toms
Sweet Bell Pepper Hybrid Mix
Sweet Banana Pepper
Spinach Fiorana F1 Hybrid
Lettuce Blend (from '08)
Buttercrunch head Lettuce
Black-Seeded Simpson Lettuce
Thyme Orange scented
Sweet Basil
Oregano
Chives
Coriander/Cilantro
Italian Parsley
Lisbon White Bunching Onions
Arcadia Hybrid Broccoli
Radish French Breakfast
Oasis Turnip
Carrot Sweetness II (from '08)
Carrot Scarlet Nantes
Straight 8 Cukes (from '08)
Sugar Baby Watermelon (from '08)
Alaska Hybrid Melon (from '08)
Hale's Best Jumbo Cantaloupe
3 Nanking Cherry Bush
2 Our Choice Blueberry Bush
50 Everbearing Strawberry plants
3 Caroline Raspberry
3 Heritage Raspberry
Ordering from Gurney's, Thompson & Morgan and Henry Field's.
The plant and seed list sounds SUPER! Especially the fruits. I bet this will be a fantastic garden.
Wayne, Its so great to do this with kids. I came across a super website here: The Edible Schoolyard. I love yours too: Pathway Horticulture
I'd never heard of Folia, a new way to track your plants and gardens on-line. I love using my blog to track my garden. An on-line journal really helps.
MARVELOUS idea. ~j
that edible schoolyard looks way cool. I wish more students got to experience gardening and cooking. I am truly thankful for what I am able to do for pay.
Hello All,
I found this blog yesterday. I was assigned a community garden plot at the Waltham GROW gardens last year. My first new garden in 30+ years. I have started seeds indoors and had them cover with plastic which I removed this morning as some of the seedlings are sprouting. Some have damped off already in just a few hours::((... I have a fan going now any other advise... Also I want to put a timer on the lights I set up. I have heard 16 hour days?? is this right. Do I want the lights on for more that the expected day length outdoors when I transplant to the garden?? Is the last frost date in the open garden in Waltham MA safe at May 10th???
I thought you might want to look at thisas a possibility.
We've got 2 growing seasons here in Florida so I can't really organize by sowing dates. Instead I organize by types: Herbs, Flowers, Root Crops, Above Ground Crops, Brassicaceae family, Cucurbitaceae family, tomatoes, peppers, etc. This actually does help me when planting.
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