In The Spring Potager

Lovely warm weather brings on the chicks ...

 

Also, need a burst of colour  out back ... this little teal blue birdbath is one of the few pops of colour until the blooms come out... along with the peeling, more shabby than chic, table and chairs...

The birdbath also serves as Little 'Lilah's water bowl ; )

 

 

In October last year, I planted up three beds of garlic... Legacy, Red Russian, and Music.

The weather had been so hot and so dry for months that the soil was like planting in sand or dust.

I took the sprinkler and placed it on each bed for an hour, at a slow soak, to try to penetrate the super dry soil. a couple of weeks later the rains started, so I only had to super soak twice to get them off to a good start.

It must have worked as they are all up about 8 inches now and going strong.



In the back you see two of my three, sturdy, new pea/bean trellises! So excited!

I have tried some of the cute and rustic ideas for the shelling peas to scramble up, only to have them beaten to the ground each year with the vigorous vines!
Tried the cute twisty branches/twigs idea ... but the peas just bent them to the ground and into submission!
The following year,  I made a lovely, creative trellis by criss crossing bamboo stakes ... yep, again, bent down and beaten.
Last year I tried rebar posts with wire mesh. However, as my beds are only 12" deep and built on rocky hardpan, the rebar also only goes down 12 inches deep! Fared somewhat better, however, still leaning towards the sun, heavy with vines.

These new ones are securely screwed into the sides of the bed. They are on the far side of the garden (north side) so as to not shade any of the other beds or veggies.

The Sweet Purple asparagus is coming up!

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