New England April 2017

I feel more blessed.  Yesterday we were visited by a pair of Canada Geese, evidently flying north from their winter homes.
One stayed alert and looking for any dangers, still as a statue, while the other grazed the fresh new grasses sprouting on the back lawn.
Happy Easter my dear friends.

Very pretty photo, QB!

Another beautiful day on Cape Cod. I was out and took a couple of walks with my mother's Cadillac of walkers. Then I watered the SFG. Still lots of seeds to plant but  I'm just not feeling moved to do it. It's got to be done today or tomorrow because after that it gets too cold.

Getting a little bored and frustrated not being moved to do the things I want to.   For instance there is grass and speedwell growing up out of some of the boxes.  May feel more like tackling that tomorrow. I did get out to the compost today and dumped a bunch of stuff on then covered as best I could.
Oh, forgot to mention, succession one and two of the sugar snap peas have sprouted. As have the radishes. That's rather exciting! Maybe tomorrow would be good for seed planting and taking photos.

What's everyone else in New England up to? I know you're probably warmer than here.

I always have good intentions to post frequently on this forum, but life gets away from me. So excited for this warm weather. My beds are loving it.

CAgirl! Good to see you again! Cooler here on the Cape but the greens are so happy!

Hi CC. My greens are dancing they're so happy. Anyone planting anything? I seem to be behind from last year. Started my tomatoes too late  They haven't even broke the soil yet (inside)

I need to take the cold frame cover off of this. The plastic was shredded this winter. I planted some spinach back in Nov. & it's doing wonders. I also planted some back in Feb. when we had a couple really nice warm days.



Without the netting.


Winter Density Romaine does really well in my cold frame.

Beautiful veggies in that cold frame! That spinach is remarkable. Maybe I need a frame to grow spinach.

I got a lot of planting done today - finished planting all the rest of the lettuce and broccoli starts, and sowed carrot seeds. Life is good.

+1 on CC's comments on your cold-frame! I had one this year but couldn't use it - I didn't make it myself and it was just too deep for me to reach into, and the lid was too heavy to feel comfortable using - there wasn't any way to secure it open. But I have smaller windows stashed in the garage... now if only I remember and can find time before November...

Wow!  Great looking veggies!  Love your cold frame....needs to plan....want to build a shallow?  Or not too deep front to back, one.  Is your flat or graded?  Taller toward the back...

SR, my cold frame is angled (the top is higher). It's a basic 4x4 box that my husband added onto. He made a top for it with hinges that allow me to prop it open with bricks. It's covered with plastic we found at Job Lot. Nothing fancy overall, but it does the trick by keeping veggies protected & creating a mini greenhouse effect. 


Beetles, I vent my cold frame by propping it open with bricks & also put bricks on top so that it doesn't fly open (does this make sense?). On really warm days, I just open the entire frame so that it's completely exposed. Mine is covered in plastic so it's actually light enough to lift, but tough enough to withstand heavy snow.

Cooler today but still spring in New England, which says it all..

After a walk with some friends this morning I picked this beautiful sweet tender baby kale and a few chives.
That kale is so good that I've been eating it rite out of the salad spinner. They all taste wonderful but the Winterbor seems to be the most productive second year plant.

CA, when you planted the spinach in February and back in November you sowed seeds, right? Not starts? I can put windows over my boxes to use as a cold frame but I have to figure out a way to keep them from blowing off. Even two by fours won't hold them down against this wind tunnel I live in. Maybe eye hooks and bungees. I've just been too lazy to get out there to buy and install the hooks.

CC, that kale looks yummy. Tender. Most of the plants in my cold frame were started inside & then hardened off. I only direct sowed arugula which was gone by December. I have done carrots in the past, but I forgot last year.

Definitely look into something to hold the frame down. I highly recommend having one. Last year I had fresh greens all year. Not so this year because my plastic ripped in Jan. & I didn't feel it was worth it to fix until spring.

CAgirlinMA wrote:SR, my cold frame is angled (the top is higher). It's a basic 4x4 box that my husband added onto. He made a top for it with hinges that allow me to prop it open with bricks. It's covered with plastic we found at Job Lot. Nothing fancy overall, but it does the trick by keeping veggies protected & creating a mini greenhouse effect. 


Beetles, I vent my cold frame by propping it open with bricks & also put bricks on top so that it doesn't fly open (does this make sense?). On really warm days, I just open the entire frame so that it's completely exposed. Mine is covered in plastic so it's actually light enough to lift, but tough enough to withstand heavy snow.

Yes, I get it, thanks!

Sowed purple top white Globe turnip seeds yesterday and then these guys today in anticipation of some much-needed rain this afternoon.
I watered them in well just in case Mother Nature decides to start playing her 'skip over the lower Cape' game again.

As I type this, I hear in the distance thunder....if it doesn't hit me, I will have to water my bed with the lettuces/spinaches....hope we get a bit.  Will also help with planting some stuff in dirt.

CAgirlinMA wrote:SR, my cold frame is angled (the top is higher). It's a basic 4x4 box that my husband added onto. He made a top for it with hinges that allow me to prop it open with bricks. It's covered with plastic we found at Job Lot. Nothing fancy overall, but it does the trick by keeping veggies protected & creating a mini greenhouse effect. 


Beetles, I vent my cold frame by propping it open with bricks & also put bricks on top so that it doesn't fly open (does this make sense?). On really warm days, I just open the entire frame so that it's completely exposed. Mine is covered in plastic so it's actually light enough to lift, but tough enough to withstand heavy snow.

Plastic would certainly be lighter than a large metal-framed glass window and I wouldn't be as worried about either it hitting me on the head while working inside the frame, nor would there be the concern of broken glass if the wind caught it.

Yes, I think I understand -- sort of a sandwich effect on the front corners? Frame, brick, lid w/ plastic, another brick?  My wind occasionally sneers at bricks, but it depends on the orientation and what-not.

How is the plastic secured to the hinged top?

Okay, I think I need to get back to work. I'm getting in trouble. Went to the library today and picked up a bunch of flower seeds from the seed trade section.
Yikes. I haven't even started my zinnias yet. 

Then I went to the Dollar Store and, lo and behold, found my beloved Grand Rapids lettuce seeds for quarter each (lower rite). I've been babying my last 4 seedlings with hopes of having them go to seed for me to collect at the end of the season. Now I don't have to worry about it.

CapeCoddess wrote:Okay, I think I need to get back to work. I'm getting in trouble. Went to the library today and picked up a bunch of flower seeds from the seed trade section.
Yikes. I haven't even started my zinnias yet. 

Then I went to the Dollar Store and, lo and behold, found my beloved Grand Rapids lettuce seeds for quarter each (lower rite). I've been babying my last 4 seedlings with hopes of having them go to seed for me to collect at the end of the season. Now I don't have to worry about it.

I get it! My seed company sent me a 20% off coupon, so I spent another $25 after I thought I was all done for this season.

SWEET!!!!!!!!

So we're on day 3 of this cold drizzly depressing weather. I'm so done with it! All I want to do is curl up in bed and, like this morning, spill coffee all over me.

But, like any good Gardener, I was out early planting beet seeds that had soaked overnight. I'm also experimenting with an early planting of bush beans. I should probably cover them because my hands were completely numb from the cold by the time I came in. I don't think bush beans will like that.

This is the third year that I've used my own previous yrs garlic to plant. They seem to be getting stronger and stronger every year. This year the stems seem thicker & healthier than in previous years at this early time. It's amazing. 

Well, over three days, I got my garlic in. It should have been planted in October, but, for what ever reason I didn't plant then, I could not just "not have garlic". It is so hard to garden when you don't put any pressure on a foot and you use crutches. The key word is slow. I didn't even get soil on my pants or shoe. I have planted in the spring before, but it has been so long ago when I did. Every year since I have been here has been a fall planting for my garlic. We'll see. I had a few gifts from last season, I re-planted them over in the northwest corner (upper right in the picture) of my 4X4 right out the back door.
It felt so good to get out and soak up some sun. So i got my garlic in and left a square open to plant something else. 

Gee, so neatly done, Rock. My incapacitated self just barely got stuff anywhere and sometimes I didn't even clear the debris away first. Half my beds never got new compost in before I planted. We'll both just hope for the best but my spring planted garlic always did well and I'm sure yours will too. We did it and that's got to count for something!

Starting off with a beautiful day today but rain, wind and 40-degree temps on the way.  I'd like to plant out my pak choi babies but I know the slugs will come as soon as I do. Maybe just a few and see what happens.  I can always plant the others into pots on stands.

These Rouge d' hiver and Lola Rosa lettuces are so tiny! But all the lettuce had to be planted out before surgery.


This covered box has collards, kale and mustard greens. Herself, the White butterfly should be showing up any day now.
Last year's kale and collards are in the Box directly behind it.


Carrots planted under burlap.


The peach tree is In Bloom!


And last but not least, 'GUS!

OH crap!  I need to figure out how to cover my container kales!  

Rock, lookin good!  Glad you were in the garden!  

Thanks for the pics, CC!

Scorpio Rising wrote:OH crap!  I need to figure out how to cover my container kales!  

I've stuck those small tomato cages that you buy at the store for a buck into my containers and then can drape netting right over the top of them. But while the plants are small maybe some sticks or branches with netting draped over them. QB cuts and bends metal coat hangers over hers to drape with tulle.

Please do it now. Or we'll be reading about how you wished you hadn't waited.