Self-sufficient for salad

On Monday evening, we harvested two of the radicchio that overwintered, filling an 18 quart container. We also harvested two of the lettuce plants that overwintered along with some beet thinnings and arugula which filled a 13 cup container. We are now self-sufficient for daily salad greens for the foreseeable future (savings through October ~$130).

This morning, I found that three of our raspberry plants had been nibbled to a nub, so I quickly improvised some protection with chicken wire. I suspect that this was the work of the two bunnies I saw last night, it was the foliage near to the ground that was damaged.

Yesterday, I started some cherry tomatoes, parsley and basil inside using the baggy method and planted nine chard outside. This is a very late start, but better late than never.

Another sunny weekend

I gleaned more lettuce from the garden on Friday. I believe that we are self-sufficient in lettuce at this point, so that should save us at least $5/week. The kale is quickly approaching maturity, while the chard has quite a way to go. The peas are about 18" tall and on schedule for a June harvest. The strawberries are amazingly abundant this year. I can see how one may actually harvest a full quart from each plant.

We received two plum trees (Green Gage and Big Blue) and fifty more strawberry plants (Tristar and Honeoye) from Miller Nurseries last week. I will have to get those planted soon. I also need to get some tomatoes, parsley and basil started. I should probably just buy plants, but...

Our first iris bloomed on Mothers Day. We spent the afternoon working in the front yard, planning a new patio, and planting geraniums, poppies and gladiolus.

Sunny weekend

Not much to report for this past weekend. The weather was beautiful and I watered the garden on Saturday. The peas will need frame extensions soon for climbing. The iris are beginning to put up flower stalks, ants are working on the peonies, yellow celandine and forget-me-nots are flowering, quince and forsythia flowers have past and ornamental cherries and apple flowers are fading.

A pair of robins are nesting on the rain gutter and there are three eggs. Hopefully, this nest will avoid detection by the blue jays.

Update 5/14: There are actually a few quince flowers still blooming, but the major bloom is past.

Planting and harvesting

Last night, I harvested enough lettuce and radicchio to fill another 13 cup container. This was all from two lettuce and one radicchio plant that survived through the winter. I will definitely try to overwinter more salad greens next year, they are so much further ahead than anything I planted this spring. I also reseeded about 64 carrots (Laguna) and 32 beets, broadcast some spinach due to poor germination from the seeds that were planted in March, and started some marigolds inside. The cherry trees and tulips are in full bloom in Buffalo.