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!!
Then it started to rain!! And it rained and rained and rained. This is now the 5th rainiest May ever, and the first rainiest May in my lifetime. I had to wait for the rain to stop, but now, planted in at least one bed is lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, carrots, kale and swiss chard. And, in the larger bed, sugar snap peas. I even got some cilantro started indoors. 
Hopefully, it is not going to prove to be too late.
Some of the lettuces didn’t quite make it, and all of the basil did not survive. It’s sad but not too terrible as there is still plenty of time for me to get in some additional lettuce plants and new basil. It is, after all, just April. But just look at this happy broccoli!! It’s amazing what bigger pots and a little feeding could do for the broccoli and cabbage seedlings. They are continuing to grow stronger and larger, as is a whole tray of parsley seedlings so I have begun to set them out each day for a few hours in the morning sun.
The deer will be so happy to see the Hostas returning, bigger each year!
It is not the best picture, I didn’t have a tripod set up for the zoom, and I had to shoot through the glass – which of course, was dirty – but look closely. It seems that my squirrel buddy doesn’t understand that the large plastic top is a squirrel guard, not a shelter from the rain. Oh well….
Another year, I planed Virginia Bluebells. They have never been moved, they just come back a little more each year. 
