A Yankee Gardener in Georgia

06/05/2023

Early May, and the garden is coming into its own. The peas are in full flush, the lettuces and bok choi are winding down. The promise of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumber and zucchini is high. Planting more flowers including zinnias and nasturtium along the fence and at the ends of the garden beds.

13/04/2023

We've had an early spring, and the garden has come alive! I harvested a full bowl of Strawberries for Easter brunch. Need to overwinter more spinach and green onions next fall, as these greens are doing really well, only just starting to bolt.

This week we set up the garden beds, and have been filling them with soil. Yesterday I transplanted the tomatoes 🍅 and eggplants 🍆, and this morning I DS some bush beans among the tomatoes. Learning from last year's garden, I'm not planting as many tomatoes, and spacing them further apart to promote airflow. Also started some zucchini and cucumber seeds indoors today for a quick start 🥒 . Just a few more beds to finish building and the season begins!

19/02/2023

Spring is starting again!

24/05/2022

Nearing the end of May and the garden has exploded. Temperatures have been in the 90s,and we've been watering 3x day to sprout the grass seed in the yard. The zucchini and strawberries are starting to come in, while the lettuces an spinach is wrapping up. The carrots, beets, asparagus, and potatoes are all looking lush, and the beans, tomatoes and peppers are blossoming. The bountiful magic of summer is unfolding!

08/05/2022

Last Sunday I headed back to Boston just for a few days, and returned on Wed night. The bad news: Olivia had mono and finals all at the same time😲. The good news? With the days in the 90s, and nights in the 60s, the garden has taken off! The potatoes were 10" when I left, and were mid-thigh when I returned! The tomatoes and peppers that I'd only just transplanted before leaving had shot up 2-3". The beans which had been dormant and unsprputed for 2 weeks before i left were bursting to the tops of the cloches. The zucchini plants are now full sized, and starting to fruit ❤

24/04/2022

It had been chilly with nights in the 30s and 40s right up until Easter, but last week was the turning point. The weather has been in the 80s, with nights above 50, and the plants are taking off!

09/04/2022

We're back in MA for the week, and enjoying the early spring weather here. The overwintered garden looks amazing, and I was thrilled that the WS jugs are thriving! The lettuce and herbs look lush, the petunias look better than GA, and a pepper or two is starting to sprout. The rhubarb is sprouting, and a beautiful flower is in full bloom already in the front. Spring!

31/03/2022

Never too early to start planning

30/03/2022

And finally the container veggies, including carrots, potatoes and shallots. So excited for the shallots!!!!

30/03/2022

The WS jugs are all thriving. Added some fertilizer and water to help out those yellow leaves.

30/03/2022

Oh what a difference a week makes! The garden is waking up

21/03/2022

A fabulous family-time weekend spent with Olivia with lots of shopping, boating, nails, and restaurants. Also lots of gardening!

Started transplanting the cold weather seedlings - lettuces, bok choi, herbs, and alliums.

Also DS some masai beans, cukes (straight 8, national pickling, ###), zucchini (golden, Raven), and Detroit beets. Weather's looking promising - fingers crossed 🤞

Lastly, transplanted the Shasta Daisies that Jimmy gave us, out front by the peony. Loving spring!

18/03/2022

Yesterday we had some tree work done. Wishing we'd taken some proper before and after pix, but it was amazing to watch!

18/03/2022

Spring is transforming the landscape. Iris are in bloom, and pollen season has been here for over a week. We've had a number of spring thunderstorms that have washed everything clean again. Finally the new load of topsoil was delivered, and we topped off all the garden beds with it, so hoping all is ready to start planting again. The jugs have all sprouted, and the potted plants have their true leaves. All 3 asparagus crowns have popped up. Just about ready to transplant!

13/03/2022

13/03/2022

Like most of the east coast this weekend, we've had a cold spell and fell below freezing last night. Moved all of the jugs and potted plants inside. Everything is looking good this morning including the toms 🍅.

Peppers still haven't sprouted 🫑🌶 but the eggplant and asparagus have 🍆👍

Very surprised to see that the first sprouts of asparagus look like miniature, needle thin asparagus spears. Bewildering - I thought asparagus spears were the flowering stalk, not the while plant! Love that the garden continues to surprise after all these years

07/03/2022

Here's my friend that comes to sing to me every morning. I'm still not sure what he is, but I love listening to his chatter!

05/03/2022

This week's forecast is looking good for the garden. Sadly the new compost we had delivered to start the garden beds was too hot, and killed most of the seedlings from last week. Tuesday we'll have some topsoil delivered, layer it on top, and start over. More seeds are sprouting, including some toms 🍅🥕🥬

05/03/2022

The warmer temps this week have given everything a jumpstart

28/02/2022

More beautiful blooms from our walks last week

27/02/2022

No frost in the forecast through the middle of the month! Low temps predicted to be 39-62, so I'll try DS some lettuces, spinach and beets! 😮🎉🌱

27/02/2022

Definitely a mind-bender to adapt to the new growing season. It's clear most folks down here plant the cold crops in the fall, knowing they'll bolt in the spring. As an eternal optimist, I'm still giving it a try, as I'm craving fresh greens. That said, we just finished the last of last seasons Jalapeños, and it's the end of Feb!

26/02/2022

Wrapped up the new garden beds this week,and have started to transplant a few things. Very grateful to hubby for all of his help in this first hot week in GA.

23/02/2022

The hummingbirds are coming!

23/02/2022

Dreams are coming true! Laid out the first 4 garden beds, and compost was delivered today. Tomorrow I'll starting filling beds, and transplanting seedlings 🌱 Spring is coming quickly!

22/02/2022

Morning meditation

21/02/2022

Oh my - what a difference a week makes! After WS two weeks ago, and starting a few herbs indoors, things have gone wild! Rehabilitating them with some phototherapy this week...

12/02/2022

Today was a warm day (73!) spent cleaning the front yard, shredding leaves, and layering the leaves where the beds will be going at the end of the month. Last week when the in-laws were here, the guys shredded a pile of pine tree limbs, which were used to mulch and protect last year's peppers after pruning them back in preparation for the incoming cold temps in the 20s and 30s. Heading back to BOS tomorrow, but I managed to schedule a shipment of compost for when I get back. Good progress this weekend!

12/02/2022

Winter sowing is underway! This week the pak choi, carrots, and green onions sprouted inside. Nights have been cold with frosts, but our days have been in the 60s.

12/02/2022

When we first moved in during January, it was bewildering to see flowers already budding and in bloom

12/02/2022

Here's the veggie patch from last year when we did our walkthrough on Halloween. Peppers, okra, eggplant, and a few tomatoes. Not alot, but they were doing really well!

12/02/2022

This is my first year gardening in GA, after a lifetime of growing veggies in New England. The previous owners had some pepper plants still fruiting in January when we moved in - a glorious surprise! They were planted straight into the red Georgia clay, and thriving. Here's the unfolding of the new gardens in my first year down South.