When Mrs. HB and I stopped by Wilco this past week to check for onion starts we noticed they got a new shipment of chicks in. It was hard not to pick up a few more and bring them home.
I’m beginning to think baby chicks are like potato chips… you can’t have just one {or five}. 😉
We had originally stopped at Wilco to see if they had onion bulbs in stock. They did! Along with potatoes, garlic and a bunch of other planting goodness. I’ve started onions under grow lights before but this year I got a bit of a late start planning our garden beds so I’m going to plant onion bulbs instead. The end result is the same and bulbs are about a gazillion times faster, with the only downside being there aren’t as many varieties to choose from {usually just yellow or red onions}.
The store also had their first round of plant starts out too. I didn’t buy any though… it’s still too cold. But still, it makes me happy just seeing plants on the shelves again.
If you are wanting to plant new strawberry, raspberry or blueberry plants this year, check your local nursery. Mine had them all in stock.
Asparagus, rhubarb and horseradish was there too.
Mrs. HB’s seedlings under the grow lights in her laundry room. Everything’s coming up nicely don’t you think? It’s her first year using a grow light setup and she’d thrilled with the way things are coming along.
My big project for the week was fixing the pressure washer and then pressure washing the back patio. This week I’ll do the driveway.
And then… it’s time to spruce up the walkways with a fresh layer of pea gravel.
SPRING. I love all the outdoor projects and sense of satisfaction of a job well done it brings. It’s my favorite time of year.
What’s new in your neck of the woods? Are YOU working on any new garden projects?
Have a good week everyone,
~Mavis
Sue R. says
Here in Oregon our spring work is continuing to clean up wood/branches after the storms this winter. We stacked branches and split wood yesterday. Also planted peas and onions–and this morning we are getting a dusting a snow! Hope those little seeds stay warm enough! The forecast for the next two weeks is rainy–hope they stay dry enough…
Mel says
I planted strawberries to fill in gaps in our strawberry bed about two weeks ago, and I harvested all our over-wintered carrots yesterday and made 4 carrot cakes to freeze. I also harvested 3 kale plants that were trying to bolt and made an orange balsamic kale salad with candied pecans for dinner. I have tomatoes, rhubarb, tomatillos, peppers (Tobasco, cayenne, bell, and jalapeno), broccoli rapini, lettuce, spinach, onions (bunching and bulbing), and sweet potatoes under grow lights. Next week, I need to plant peas, potatoes, mini blackberries, and cranberries. We have one asparagus spear up, but we’re having a cold snap, so it’ll probably be a few days before we can cut any. And my indoor Meyer lemon has finally ripened exactly 1 lemon, so I need to decide what to do with it.
Katie says
How do you do the tomatoes like that? Do you pull them apart at some point or do they stay in that until planting? I am seed starting for the first time this year…
Mavis Butterfield says
I cut the ones we won’t use with scissors so I don’t disturb the roots.
Lauren says
Seeing those asparagus crowns made me laugh! Due to an injury, I was unable to do any maintenance on my asparagus bed last year so I bought a bag of new crowns to replace the dead ones. I had a few left over and offered them to the AG teacher at school. She sent a student to get them and, he took one look and said, Why did she send me for a bag of dead grass?”
Rebecca in MD says
Starting some plants from seeds today:
Amish Paste tomato
Slicing tomato (seeds saved from unknown heirloom last year)
Matt’s Wild Cherry Tomato
Cortland yellow onions
Sweet bell pepper (seeds saved from last year)
Cilantro Long Standing
Already in the garden:
Kale (overwintered from last fall !)
Brussel sprouts (overwintered from last fall !)
Garlic
We moved last March, and I am so looking forward to the garden this year and expanding what we started last year 😀
Danielle Diakoff-King says
What is the tomato variety on the far left? I just got my first seedlings up:
Indigo Rose tomato
Orange roussolini (migardener.com)
Blush Tiger Artisan
Pink Tiger Artisan
Silver Fir Tree Tomato
Orange grape of an unknown variety
Listada de Gandia Eggplant
Jalapeño Pepper
Padron Pepper
Amish Deer tongue lettuce
Katherine says
Currently under grow lights are seedling for 8 different types of tomatoes, peppers. Along with those I have seedlings for white and purple coneflowers, bee balm and lavender to add to my garden beds. I direct sowed arugula, spinach and a mesclun salad seeds in my raised bed.
Amy says
I just started all of the tomatoes, peppers and such under the grow lights yesterday. I’m also starting my strawberries from seed so we’ll see how it works. It’s a lot of fun reading how everyone is planting now and experiencing spring now, I’ve still got a couple more months of winter 😉 I was a bit too enthusiastic and also started my pumpkins, melons and squash and then I read on the packages to only start 3-4 weeks prior to planting, I can’t plant safely until the end of May, ha ha! I’m just too excited for spring I guess.
Maryw says
I started my peppers a month ago, transplanted them into bigger containers yesterday, and I will be starting my tomatoes in a day or 2.
SuzieW says
Mavis, I also live in the PacNW, about 90 miles north of you. Do you think it is worth it to start zucchini and snow peas indoors? Or should I just wait until the weather warms up and direct sow?
Crazy La Nina weather we had lots of snow today and then the sun came out and it all melted.
Mavis Butterfield says
I am starting my peas in gutters this year. But zucchini? Sometimes I’ll start it in pots 2 weeks before I plan on setting them out. I wouldn’t put zucchini in the garden until mid May.
SuzieW says
Thanks, I guess I’m getting eager. The last two years we had things done to the house and with workmen here weren’t able to use the raised beds. I like your idea of a couple weeks before setting them out. That will give them a jump start (I hope).