It is wonderful to be planting seedlings out in the spring garden and watching them take off. Here are some of the vegetables that have been planted out recently:
*Carrots, Scarlet Nantes and Nutri-Red (a red carrot variety). I finally gave up trying to direct-seed carrots in the garden as the tiny seedlings were all being annihilated by pests. I’ve started these last two batches in flats and transplanted them — fiddly work, but it’s very satisfying to see how well they are growing now.
*Burdock We’ve not tried growing burdock before, and I’ve only ever eaten it in Japanese restaurants, so this is a bit of an adventure for us.
*Kohlrabi, a variety called “Early Purple Vienna.”
*Salsify
*Scorzonera (Black Salsify) — Planted with the carrots as it is reputed to help repel carrot fly. We’ve also sprinkled coffee grounds around the carrot beds to help repel slugs and carrot fly.
Dalmatian Climbing Beans — Our favourite green bean variety from last year, with lovely purple streaks on it. We are going to try succession planting the green beans this year, in an effort to get a more staggered harvest. We’ll see how this works out.
Black Beauty Zucchini — Cropped well last year over a very long season, so we saved seed to keep growing it
Bull’s Blood Beet, Jerusalem Artichoke, Yacon, Chinese Yam, Woodland Strawberries, Onions (Pukekohe Long Keeper and Stuttgart Long Keeper), lettuces, peas and heirloom potatoes. The whole garden is filling up and taking off!
In planters by the living room window sit lots of little tomato and pepper plants, along with the first cucumbers, squash and okra. We’ll be transplanting them into the garden as they get big enough.
The vegetable seedlings are not the only things growing on the farmlet. Herman Beefsteak and Henrietta Hamburger seem to be getting bigger, fatter, and cheekier by the day. Coco’s milk supply is increasing as the grass gets sweeter and greener. Grapes vines are greening up and beginning to cover the garden fence. And of course my belly is getting bigger and wrigglier all the time. The baby has been stuck head down for over a month now. Exciting to think that in just over a month a new little person will be here with us!
Becky observing the realm
Coverlet
I’ve been keeping up with sewing and general baby preparations as the belly continues to grow, making more muslins and some baby wraps out of cotton flannel with crochet edging. All but the very last of them are now sewn up, washed, and folded, ready for the baby to arrive. As well as preparing for our own baby, I finished a gift for a cousin’s baby who was born recently — a big, healthy baby girl. I have to confess that I started making that little coverlet for the birth of their first baby (now 3 years old), and have only just finished it in time for the second. Just as well they decided to have another baby!
