As I was chowing down on breakfast today, I was looking through my fantastic Portland Nursery Vegetable Garden Guide. It mentioned something about a garden journal and I realized I should probably start documenting what I’m doing. I’m new at this and I’m sure I have many painful lessons to learn. So here goes, here’s what I’ve done so far.
I planted some starts in the sunnier of the raised beds. I’ve got Brussel sprouts, kale, chard, and fava beans (from seed). I didn’t add an fertilizer and I just loosely covered the bed with bark mulch.
The kale and brussels are doing well, although the kale seems to be attracting a lot of slugs. I tried to drown them in beer but Portland slugs don’t seem to like Sierra Nevada. I am thinking of just investing in some copper tape. The beds aren’t *that* big and it’s always worked for me in the past. I thought about glueing pennies along the edge but Tom says they don’t have much copper in them anymore. Thinking about pricing copper foil at the stained glass place. Might be a cheaper option. I think the birds got most of the fava seeds. There is just one bean sprout growing so far. I wish a had built some netting. I’m making another raised bed and will build hoops right into it so I can cover it with netting for starts and with plastic when it’s cold.
In the garage I set up a wire shelf with a couple of seed trays that I made from the 4″ pots of my starts. I’m leaving then partially submersed in a tray. I’m using the top of a rectangular Rubbermaid lid. The other tray is one I bought for under $2 at the nursery. So far I have a marigold sprout and a little pea sprout. he garage window doesn’t get direct sunlight and I’m thinking of taking the seedlings out during the day and setting them up in the sun. I’m worried the birds will mess with them though. I planted seeds for Opus Eggplant, peas, carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Gai Lan, Green Onion, Leek, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Beets, and Borage.
I’ve been marking each little pot with a piece of plastic packaging I cut up into strips. I wrote on them with permanent marker and so far they’ve been a great idea. So nice to actually find a use for that dumb plastic packaging.
In a small planter box that we brought with us, I’ve planted Spinach, Arugula, and a lettuce mix. I think I also planted basil and cilantro. I can’t remember. Something is sprouting up like crazy, I think it might be the spinach. I put the planter on a tree stump, to keep it away from slugs.
I got two large plastic pots and put a blueberry in each of them. They are Sunshine Blue variety and are supposed to do well in containers.
By the side door, where we get lots of sun all day (when it’s sunny) I planted some herbs. I’ve got rosemary, lavender, and golden sage mixed in with pansies, crocus bulbs and an anemone.
