A Look Into My Garden - Starting From Seeds

To celebrate Spring, here is an early look into my garden and greenhouse.
I have planted around 52 tomatoes of various types of heirlooms and 18 basil plants of 2 varieties, sweet and lettuce leaf (in the picture below).

 In the tray below are several kinds of peppers, hot and mild, heirloom and standard. There is also 2 pots of thyme I am going to add around the herb bed when they get bigger.
The copper wire laid across the tops of the pots are to keep the snails away. I also wrapped the same wire around the legs after one of those slimy  things climbed in and helped itself to all of my cabbage seedlings.

 The bottom shelf has 6 more pots of the same varieties of basil as above. I will use them when I create my small herb gardens I will be selling at my at home farm stand.  The 3 little pots have cayenne pepper seeds.

 I planted these potatoes about a week early for my zone. This picture was taken last week. I went out to the garden today and the sprouts are double the size. I can't wait for home grown potatoes

 I transplanted the strawberries into a container and moved them into a sunny location. I hope to get strawberries this year.

 And lastly, my blueberry bush.
This little twig has been hanging on for about 2 years. It was passed on to me by my mother in law who didn't want it anymore.
It has given us one blueberry. I am also hoping it will produce a few more. I just have to learn how to grow blueberries in my zone. (I live in zone 8 Northern California if anyone has any tips on growing blueberries).

 There are several lavender plants, oregano, rosemary, garlic chives and my grape vine has started to bloom. My garden is starting to thrive and it makes my soul happy to be out in the yard playing in the dirt, especially when the kids can join me.

Happy Planting!

Spring Planting has Begun

Today is about 12 weeks before the last frost so I decided to sow some cabbage seeds. Not many, since last year, or maybe the year before that I had a horrible infestation of cabbage moth caterpillars.

I have a feeling there is a technical name for them but I call them cabbage moth caterpillars and encourage the kids to chase and catch as many cabbage moths as they can.
Year to date: Kids 0 - Cabbage Moths 100

We have also been busy emptying out the raised bed because some how a mole got through the mesh wire stuff at the bottom and ate all my Piment de Padron peppers and some jalapenos and I think it took out my lavender plant and a bell pepper. We will not have that problem again.

I plan on turning the raised bed into a permanent herb garden. Oregano has taken over an entire corner. That stuff is like a weed or peppermint. It roots itself overnight and the next morning it's everywhere!

Here is a picture of last years garden.

Which turned out OK considering I lost my entire collection of starts and nursery stock.
Because me and my vast knowledge of gardening decided to roll my green house out into the garden where it could warm up. Not bad right, until I heard a crash and discovered you shouldn't move the greenhouse let alone move it in the middle of the garden on a windy day. It blew over and everything was a pile of dirt and seedlings. I cried.

But my mistake will surely help someone else, at least I hope.

What are you planting this year? Have you started your seedlings?

Happy planting,
Heather