Recession Garden update

See this empty bed? We're impatiently awaiting May 15 to transplant our tomato plants into neat rows. We'll plant them deep as tomatoes send out more roots when planted this way. Below are the tomatoes waiting to be snugged into their new bed. Today we added more composted cow manure and vermiculite along with crushed egg shells to add calcium to the tomato bed. I've been saving egg shells since before Easter, and today I crushed my collection into a powder before dusting the bed.

Here is our potato bed. We've planted Klondike Gold, Russets, Redskin, and sweet potatoes into this bed. As they come up we'll continue adding more straw and dry grass clippings so the plant will become a vertical producer of more potatoes.

Here are the strawberry plants surrounding the blueberry bush. I was checking today and there are lots of strawberry blossoms promising sweet red berries. Mmmm......

The red, yellow and white onion sets are coming up nicely. We've lost a few cauliflower and broccoli plants perhaps due to too much rain this spring; or it could be we set them out a bit too early. Yep there's Maggie watching the broccoli grow. We're wondering if she'll live much longer.

We've picked enough baby spinach and lettuce leaves for a few salads and some added crunch to our sandwiches. Some days we snack on it as soon as we bring it in and wash off the dirt.
This photo shows the layout of six plants in the square foot.


It's amazing to me how a big head of cabbage will grow from this lowly plant.

This Friday I'll be planting tomatoes, peppers and eggplant into the garden. My neighbor has planted his tomatoes and placed large cardboard boxes over them to keep them protected from any chance of late spring frost and to keep the deer from snacking on the tender leaves. He's cut windows in the boxes for light. Each year we're neck and neck in the first red tomato race. Stayed tuned!