First bed planted.

planted the very first bed.  Cassie helped by writing out the sticks for me.  (those are temporary, looking at some better marker systems as we go forward).  The monkey helped by singing a very, very long song about planting seeds, utilizing the beds as her own personal racetrack/maze/stage from which to sing the aforementioned very very long song!

At the moment it looks like nothing so much as a Popsicle stick graveyard.  I wonder if popsicles get buried do they use the stick for a headstone or is the stick buried with them like some kind of odd exoskeleton?  Yeah, I most likely need to not wonder about such things I guess. 

 I think that I may have overplanted in a few places (small seeds, fumbly fingers).  And one row of peas may take a little finagling   I get overexcited, but was also concerned to get the cool weather crops into the ground.  I am unsure of the soil temperatures, will monitor the cukes for germination as they do have a preference for soils about sixty five degrees.  But a second planting won't be a problem.  

and of course, once the planting was done there was the sudden realization that my hose was about two feet too short!!! so, go into the garage, risk death, dismemberment and disfigurement, dig another hose out from under 14 tarps, 3 coolers and a snowblower.  Detangle said hose, unhook, rehook, and restretch the hoses. And....TADA! we have water again! (Thanks for the detangling Cass!) 

As I get the feel for the beds this year, I am already looking forward to lots of time this winter with seed catalogs and design software so that the beds will be much improved next year.  The addition of our own compost will also be available next year.  

These are the varieties I have planted thus far: 

pickling cucumber
53 days to maturity

Lemon cucumber
(livingston seed)
65-70 days to maturity

Bloomsdale long-standing spinach
40-48 days to maturity
slow to bolt in the heat.  may be able to get two plantings!

Super sugar snap peas
64 days to maturity

Super Snappy Pea
65 days to maturity
"vines need no support" we will see

Mesclun sweet salad mix
30 days to maturity
pretty sure i overplanted this...darn tiny seeds.
can do a second planting.

scarlet nantes carrot
65-70 days to maturity

green ice lettuce
45 days to maturity
may be able to do a second planting.

Early Wonder Beets

Rhubarb chard
60 days to maturity

Swiss chard
60 days to maturity

 and now, it is almost 8pm.  Between trip to the store for things needed for this weekend, general house chores, having dinner with the kids and planting the bed, this is the first time i have sat down! lol.  It is going to be a very very busy summer!