Garden Log 4-4-06

It has been so dry that I resorted to watering the garden last weekend after planting parsnip, salsify, turnip, spinach, and kale seeds.

I also transplanted a few heirloom lettuce, spring broccoli, and Swiss Chard plants out into the garden.

Spring Irrigation and Snow Showers

It’s unusual to need to irrigate the garden this early in the spring and of course the following day the rains began falling. I heard a forecast this morning calling for more rain and possibly even snow showers for the area.

I finally cleared all of the leaves and debris off of the herb bed and may apply a light layer of straw mulch to help conserve moisture and keep the weeds in check until the herb plants grow out to cover the bed.

Perennial Herbs and Perennial Vegetables

More perennial herbs are making their appearance in the garden. The chives and rhubarb have been up for a while and are now being joined by lovage, angelica, mints, parsley, tansy, sage, tarragon, oregano, and thymes.

Asparagus shoots are visible and just beginning to push up from the soil. I was also encouraged to see that a couple of globe artichoke plants have survived the winter and are growing. One of the artichokes was sheltered beneath a portable cold frame, but the other one surprisingly survived out in the open garden bed with no protection or mulch at all!

Figs, Blueberries, and Ground Hogs

A bonsai plant and potted fig tree have been moved out of the garage and relocated to the back yard. The fig tree is pushing out leaves and even displaying tiny figs at the tips of its branches. I’ll leave the bonsai plant outside, but may move the fig back inside considering the threat for snow tonight.

Several of the blueberry bushes are showing signs of life and look to be loaded with plump buds. Unfortunately a couple of the blueberry bushes aren’t showing any sign of revival and I hope they’re still alive.

The other bit of disturbing news is that I’ve made a couple of groundhog sightings. One under the deck, the other under a neighbor’s shed, both within easy striking distance of the garden. It may be time to get the Havahart trap out, I just hope I don’t accidentally catch the skunk that roams the neighborhoodagain.