Early Spring - Let's get started!
Posted: 2/27/2009 11:47 AM
64 Square Feet
February 11: Early Spring Garden
We assembled our new Backyard Botanical Oasis Garden a few days ago. Soon after, I was hit with the “gardening bug” and just couldn’t wait to plant it. I missed all of the spring veggies and was especially longing for home-grown tomatoes and fresh basil. Plus, the garden just looked so empty! At this time of year in San Diego, the temperatures generally range from the high 30s to the high 60s. I’ve never started a spring garden this early and I hope I won’t regret it. Several of the vegetables I'll be planting don't like cold weather, so I'm hoping the nighttime termperature does not drop below 40. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
I bought all of the supplies for the garden (such as soil, plants and seeds) at Home Depot. I chose organic items whenever I had the option. Although I'm not an organic fanatic, I prefer to go organic when it's available. But, even when I end up buying non-organic regular stuff, I still know our veggies won't be sprayed with pesticides and they won't be contaminated. That’s pure enough for me!
Before planting the garden, I first figured out where I was going to plant everything. I like to do this in writing by preparing a garden layout. When deciding what will go where, I consider the height of the plant, whether it needs support from the trellis, and the amount of space it will require. I've found it's a lot easier to garden when everything is organized.
Here are a couple of shots of the planted garden.
According to the weather forecasters, a cold front is coming. I’m worried about the low temperatures at night. So, just to be safe, I covered up my babies with frost cloth. Yes, we occasionally get frost here in San Diego! I cut the frost cloth to fit the left side and rear of the garden beds. I didn't cover the right side, since it has only seeds and plants that can tolerate cooler weather.
President’s Day will be this coming Monday. Tomorrow, we are leaving town for four days. I set the timer to water for five minutes, twice a day, at 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. I love a garden that can take care of itself!