Time to transplant?

I've just returned from spring break at the beach, and I'm wondering if next weekend will be a good time to start transplanting cool crop vegetables to the garden. The weather has been nippy the last few weeks, topping out at 50 degrees despite the sunshine. Friday climbs back into the 60s, so I am hoping to transplant next weekend.

I got the beds ready today, weeding and connecting the soaker hoses. I also took stock of the plants in the greenhouse. The cosmos and nasturtiums are ready to be planted, as are peas, beets, lettuce, chard, kale, and broccoli. The beans I planted a mere week ago are sprouting already. I saved my own bean pods for Sunset runner beans and they are germinating!

The cosmos are tall and skinny. I think I will pinch them off to encourage bushier growth.

Some of the Sunset runner beans stand tall.

The tomatoes, especially the ones directly under the grow light, are getting bigger.

The basil is looking great.

The spinach seeds I bought last year (Territorial) never germinated, and again this year they didn't. I bought some new seeds and presto, they came up. Bad batch, I guess.

More of the Sunset runner beans.

The peas are getting tall enough to plant outside.

One sugar pumpkin is popping up. I saved all my squash and pumpkin seeds.

The shade seedlings are doing well. They will be the flowers in the baskets on the back deck and flower bed.

More of the shade seedlings--balsam in front is getting big. 

I planted seeds directly into the basket that will hang outside the kitchen window, which faces north and is in full shade. I mixed the various seeds together.

I had nearly given up on the impatiens, but there are about six seedlings in each basket. I hope they make it.

John cut the stump out of the middle of the garden. Now I have a huge circular bed we plan to frame in with landscape bricks. John installed copper pipes vertically and stuck them into the remaining roots of the stump. The wind chimes hang from one. The other two will have artwork.

Onions and shallots are growing.

\

White icicle radishes volunteered at the opposite end of the onion bed. I consolidated them (after the picture was taken) to one row.

Next weekend, I'll transplant. A week ago, I direct-sowed carrots. Nothing yet. I am pretty sure I planted some collard greens in the greenhouse, too, but I am not certain! Here's hoping for sunshine and warmer temps!

NG Gardener

Seeds update

It's been a busy few weeks. I had a race two weeks ago, and then a yearbook deadline, and now I am leaving for spring break. Never fear! John is staying home with the pups and he'll take care of my garden. All are in good hands.

Last weekend I planted the remaining seeds: beans, squash, pumpkins, and corn. For beans, squash, and pumpkins, I saved my own seeds. For the beans, I just saved some bean pods that I had let get too big. I left them outside under cover on the back porch. Just a week ago, I popped them out of their pods. Despite the moisture of the Pacific Northwest, only a few were moldy. Success! For the squash.pumpkins, I rinsed the seeds and then let them dry on a paper towel on the kitchen counter. Once dried out, I put them in a plastic bag. My mom saved seeds in empty plastic spice jars.

I also transplanted some nasturtiums in front of the garden fence and planted some dahlias and some glads. The daffodils are amazing! The paler yellow ones are just about done and the bright yellow ones are full on now. Plus the tulips are starting. It's really pretty.

All the flowers I planted a few weeks ago are up now. Today, I planted some violas, pansies, and collards. I hadn't thought to plant these until I saw the seeds in the store Thursday (and my mom was looking for collard seeds, so I figured I try them, too. I also added fogger/misters to the drip system so now every flat has water. It was a little tricky to get the pressure just right.

The slug problem seems to be under control now. I expect to transplant more flowers when I get home from Alabama. The cosmos are ready, too.

All for now.

NG Gardener