Here is my stash of pots that I got at that thrift store. With my three tomato pots from last year, I had 29 pots to clean today. It was a nice mild sunny day so I didn't mind at all!
It was a VERY productive day! I transplanted my nineteen tomato plants (yeegods) and my five pea plants. I just don't have the space or money to give them each their own pot, so they are sharing, two plants per pot. I only have 3 tomato cages, so I'll have to find some more soon. I also made a small lattice fence to go around tomato and pea land.
And I built a frame with chicken wire to keep the curious critters away. When I was at the hardware store, I bought some clear plastic tarp. I set that up too, but it's too dark to take a picture right now. We are still having 10 degree nights and I don't want my plants to freeze, so each night I'll cover them to keep them warm.
Dinner is oven-fried chicken strips. I just use chicken breasts, dipped in egg white then bread crumbs and baked for 16 minutes at 425 (flipped once). I also made a side salad of lettuce, tomato, corn and Feta. Alas I'm eating alone tonight. But that's okay because Alex got to sleep around 3pm, which means maybe tomorrow he'll be awake until 5pm...by mid-week, we should be back to the same schedule!
I decided to cozy-up my porch so I put up a few teeny shelves for tea light candles. I'm outside on the porch right now with the dogs, listening to the Spring Peepers chirping and the rain drops falling! Now I shall post this and close my laptop and enjoy Nature's show. Nothin' could be finer! :)
My Rare One is planting her garden this weekend too. Carrots, parsnips, beets, cukes and beans, I believe. Plus she has a big rhubarb patch that just grows all by itself, of course.
ReplyDeleteOh, and some tomatoes too.
ReplyDeletei see tomato sauce canning in your future! i started way too many tomatoes and peppers this year. i've planted them everywhere and i keep giving them away too. hey...you can make tomato teepees out of sticks from the woods and twine!
ReplyDeleteHi Debra :) I still have my cukes, beans, peppers and all of my flower seeds to plant....and transplant the pumpkins and start new seeds. But I'm going to wait another week to see what Mother Nature has planned!
ReplyDeleteHi Joyce! :) Oh yes, the canning! :) Last year I bought 80 pounds of tomatoes at the market and canned them all, it was my first time and I still have about 8 jars left. I want to start even more tomato seeds indoors too, talk about a glutton for punishment ha ha ha. Thanks for the tip about the teepees, I would much rather not have to buy one more item, but I guess it'll depend on my hands and if they are too sore or not!
ReplyDeleteI like the size of those pots and they are well protected. You are learning a lot for when you get your in ground garden one day.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have been busy. How nice that you will have home grown tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to grow them here, our season is so short.
Thanks Gill, I really am learning a lot as I go, so far I think my decisions have been good ones! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Tammie Lee :) That's too bad about your short season...I started pretty much everything indoors so I"m hoping to harvest lots in a few months!
ReplyDeleteYou have made your little outdoor porch so very lovely. And your continued progress in your gardening efforts is amazing. Can't wait to follow the happenings all summer long. You're going to be an expert at gardening in pots. And why not? Whole books have been written about successful container gardening and I think you've got a fantastic start at it.
ReplyDeleteHi! Love all the pots you got at the thrift store. I understand your need to fence in that area from experience with Coco. Nice that you can light candles and relax on your new porch! Nancy
ReplyDeleteThanks Mama Pea :) I love the container gardening - NO WEEDING!!! :) But then I wonder if the soil will get enough nutrients...I'll have to see how each plants does. And yes, I'm trying very hard to make my porch cozy! :) I can't wait to sit out there on a hot humid summer night watching fire flies :)
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy! :) You know as well as I do, when we have a Coco in the yard...in my case a Charlie! :)) Prevention. The pots were such a find, I got really lucky nobody else snatched them up!
ReplyDeleteYour bounty is going to be huge this year!! And well worth it I would think! I did that too, I planted 2 tomato plants in my pots. They all seem to be getting along so far...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your shelves with the candles on them. That's just fantastic!
I have planted everything now. And even if we are getting cooler at night still I don't care! I needed to get my garden in if for anything but my soul. And it did my soul good to be out in the garden. Now if it would only stop raining....
Hi Dianna! :) I think the tomatoes will be fine two per pot, the ones I have are quite wide and a foot tall, here's hoping for a BIG crop! I know what you mean, it does my soul a lot of good to be out in the garden too. The only thing that really defeats me is that horrible black fly season. They are relentless. It doesn't make things too enjoyable. But usually the sun keeps them at bay so my fingers are crossed, I still have peppers, cukes, ground cherries, garlic chives, chamomile, green and yellow beans, potatoes, strawberries and my myriad of flowers to plant!!! Woo hoo! :) The porch is very cozy right now! :) I just want to find a way to hang some curtains, mostly for the sun because I get direct sun all day and it makes for too much heat when it gets sunny like that. And the side where I have the lattice for privacy? I may put a permanent sheer curtain there for more privacy. So many ideas! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the planters and all the transplanting. It looks awesome. I am slowely but surely making orogress in the garden. Seeded all kinds of different lettuces the other day. I bought potatoes and onions yesterday that will go into the ground tomorrow ... my strawbales are beings seasoned. I havnt decided yet what I will plant into them. I am still waiting for a load of composted cow manure do I can plant my tomatoes into my tires ...
ReplyDeleteYour porch is lovely. It is so nice to have little space for yourself :) I love the candels
Thanks Nik :) I'm so glad you're able to do some gardening after all this year. I still have to get my potatoes in, I'm just waiting for a break in the rain to get out there! The porch turned out so well, a big improvement from last year, though I do miss my porch swing!
ReplyDeleteOh, I used to love the Spring peepers on my farm. We don't have them here or at least close enough where I can hear them. Where did you learn your carpentry skills? You do such a great job! I want to build shelves along my basement steps for a pantry. I need to find the stud finder and then the studs and then just do some simple metal brackets with boards on them. You inspire me! I spend too much time planning and not doing! Love your porch shelves with the candles! You go girlfriend!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam! :)) I think that whatever "skills" I have in carpentry come from need, desperation, a small budget and winging it lol...but I also watched A LOT of This Old House and Ask This Old House. You can find them all on You Tube, we spent most of February and March watching those shows and we learned a lot. If I don't know what to do, I really just look it up and check for a video. I think you can do your shelves very easily. The stud finder is important but if you have gyprock walls, you can also put in anchors before you put in your screws too. That should make things pretty solid. Ask at the hardware store too, most of the people working there are very knowledgeable and they'll give you tips and suggestions on what to do. I had the gardening woman actually show me how to install a converter for my old garden hose because I just couldn't figure it out. She opened the pack and showed me on a hose they had there. I've put up lots of shelves on my own before I find the only difficult part is making them straight, so I always use a level now.
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