Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Day always seems to signal the start of the summer season. I’m not sure why that is…the schools kids are not done – their summer will not really start for several more weeks. It’s a big beach weekend, traditionally, as if now that Memorial Day is here, you can go to the beach. I actually think any day at the beach is a good day, regardless of the time of year or weather. But whatever the reason, it does now officially feel like summer!


So, how did I celebrate Memorial Day in the garden? I planted corn. Seemed like a summer time vegetable. In my purchase of seeds for this year, I did have one, crazy, spontaneous, frivolous purchase. I bought a collection pack of what were called baby vegetables (hmmm, aren’t all vegetables babies at one time?). In this was a pack of seeds called baby corn. According to the package, these seeds will produce 4” to 5” ears if left until maturity, but they can be picked early to get those little edible corn cobs you can find at salad bars and in Chinese food. So, while this will not take the place of all the wonderful sweet corn I get from the farm stands in the summer, it seemed like it could be kind of fun. I also planted beans in with the corn. And once those all begin to sprout, I will plant my butternut squash.


Yes, you guessed it. This box is patterned after a Three Sister’s Garden. Of course, my corn will not grow as tall as standard corn, but it will still benefit from the nutrients that the beans will put into the soil. And my beans are bush beans…because that is what I had purchased before I got this idea…so they really don’t need any tall stalks on which to grow. In fact, I am hoping that the beans and the corn don’t all end up being the same size! And the squash? Well, that is intended to keep down the weeds, but I suspect that there is so much corn and beans in that one box, I may have to rethink the squash. Where I was so disciplined in my other boxes, planting only what was recommended for a Square Foot Garden, this box is a tribute to that unorganized, disheveled part of my personality.


Most of the seeds I had planted earlier have started to sprout. We had quite a bit of rain earlier – it is now official – this was the 4th wettest May ever. But this weekend has been beautiful, warm and sunny. I think these are perfect growing conditions for the garden. I still have one box that is in need of Mel’s mix and some plantings, but I finally feel as though the basic garden is planted. Let the growing season begin!!