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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Time To Plant Spring Vegetable Seeds


In keeping with our goal to attract more and more beneficial insects to the vegetable garden along with our love for colorful flowers this year purple alyssum, Lobularia maritima was added.
White alyssum is a stand by for edging the beds in the spring garden. It's also been popped into several container gardens for its sweet aroma and soft texture.

Two of the seven beds continue to reap harvests with veggies still growing from the fall season. Mostly lettuces, radish, spinach, and broccoli are left.

Only for some reason the very pretty leaves are minus broccoli heads. I'm still holding out hope with assistance from the abnormally colder nights we're having.

Restoring the vegetable garden has been ongoing over the past several weeks.

Two yards of fresh potting mix was newly shoveled to create raised beds after our well drilling troubles left the previous ones compacted and literally 'a memory' of what was there prior to becoming a construction site.

The few herbs and flowers I salvaged by digging them out and potting them before the heavy trucks ran right through the center of the garden have been planted back into place.

My greatest concern was the need to get things in order in time to plant new spring seeds. It was the plan to try to get them in the ground at least a week prior to last year's planting date. Last week I just barely made that self-imposed deadline and here's what has gone in the ground so far...
Baker Creek Heirloom seeds:
Radish Pink Beauty (these will go into every nook and cranny marking and dividing planting areas as we continue to plant out).
Little Gem Lettuce
Petite Rouge Lettuce
Red Creole Onions
Tokyo Long White-Bunching Onions
Blue Podded Garden Pea
Squash~ Ronde De Nice
Squash~ Early Prolific Straightneck
Carrots~ Danvers Half long

Pinetree Garden Seeds:
Zucchini~ Eightball

Burpee:
Carrot~ Sweet Treat Hybrid
Bean~ Bush Blue Lake 47~ Green Bush Snap

The bromeliad doesn't have anything to do with the vegetable garden except for its cheery greeting as I walk around to the garden. It's worth noting it has been blooming since before Christmas.

There's a bit more work to do in the way of recovery in the veggie garden. And there are more seeds to plant but step by step we are restoring it back to its happy, buzzing, bustling, growing place. Just in time for spring!

17 comments:

  1. Alyssum is one of my staples, I love how it reseeds itself..here's praying that your vegetables continue to produce for you and ours finally will!

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  2. Sounds like your vegetable garden is back on track. You have really done well with all your harvests. I'll be following with interest this spring season. The Alyssum is beautiful. I planted some seeds for the first time - hope they will sprout before it gets too hot.

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  3. Wow! You make vegetable gardening look so pretty. My veggies are in a tiny, humble plot. I have them only because I have to grow some of everything...not because I have room for them.

    Love that bromeliad! Broms are faves of mine. Do you know its name?

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  4. Glad to see you are recovering your garden from the construction. What is the plant with the black and red berries?

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  5. Looks like you're right on time. I got my seeds in this past Sunday, and the tomatoes and peppers in today. What a gorgeous day it was to work in the garden today.

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  6. wow, you have been busy with your veggie garden! I love the idea to put purple and white alyssum in the beggie garden, which makes it so beautiful. I only have very limited space to grow veggies. I will grow some Chinese long string beans, just for the taste of the homeland :) Wish you a prolific year in your beggie garden!

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  7. I miss gardening~Even the hardest physical work sound inviting to me. Once winter takes a step away from the mid-south we might get to get our hands dirty again.

    I so agree with Floridagirl...You make veggie gardening look pretty.

    gail

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  8. Very lovely. I can't imagine being able to plant squash this time of year! But I'm so glad to participate vicariously in your vegetable garden while mine is just barely waking up. :)

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  9. I needed a little shot of sun and color today. We've got 18 inches of snow and counting. I even have to wait to start my seeds.

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  10. I had to smile at your banner photo. That same variegated plant is sitting "somewhat" contentedly in my house (and you grow it outside...yowzers!). Alyssum must be a tolerant plant to grow both in Florida and Alaska. It reseeds for me here. Does it reseed for you? The frangrance is just wonderful, it's a must in my garden.

    Christine in Alaska

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  11. I also started my spring garden I sowed lots of seeds for herbs and greens 3 weeks ago,and also bought some basil and parsley plants which I am already harvesting from. I have lots of work travel coming up so decided to skip the tomatoes for this season, as I wont be there to give the TLC

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  12. Darla,
    Prayers right back to you for your garden to produce.

    NanaK,
    I had my doubts a few weeks ago if It could be recovered in time. Still have some seeds to plant... I hope yours do well also. Always lots to learn with veggies.

    Floridagirl,
    My efforts at making the vegetable garden pretty is part of the fun... I too wish I had more room in the sun. I wish I knew the name of the brom.

    Sanddune,
    It has been intense getting things back in order. The plant was sold as "ornamental pepper"... it is ornamental and it is a pepper ... love the color of it.

    Susan,
    Beautiful days lately. I forgot to mention I planted tomato and pepper plants. Didn't have time to put tomato seeds in the ground so I bought starter plants.

    Ami,
    I like your idea of a taste of the homeland. I've added one more raised bed with the restoration which maxes out my sunny availability. There's only so much space but I'm also putting some veggies in some of the outer beds... mixing them in with the perennials. You gotta do what you can to squeeze them in.

    Gail,
    It's been a while since you've had the chance to dirty your hands. It won't be long now and spring will be here for you to garden your heart out again.

    Meredith,
    It is much cooler here this winter than I can remember. But lots of sunshine is warming the beds during the daytime. It gets hot very fast here though which is a huge challenge for the veggies. We'll enjoy the cool weather while we have it.

    Commonweeder,
    I'm happy you stopped by for some sunshine... it seems the north has had more than their share of snow this year.

    Christine B,
    Ah, one of my favorites... the lemon-lime draceana... so bright in the shade garden. Alyssum does not re-seed for me and doesn't last much past April... possibly May. It prefers the cooler weather and less humidity.

    Nicole,
    The tomatoes do need some TLC and your travels would make it a big challenge. My hat is off to you for growing other veggies as much as you are away. I'm wondering if you have been unseasonably cool like we have this winter?

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  13. Meems - so YOU say for your FLORIDA garden! :-) So happy that you can get on with your delightful gardening.

    Meanwhile, it is snowing here right now....

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  14. Hi Meems~

    Oh, how I wish had the time to create a garden such as yours! Everything looks so happy, yummy and lush! Lovin' those allysum flowers, they're so sweet and dainty.
    Hope this cold weather doesn't affect your little seedlings.
    Happy day!
    ~Karrita

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  15. Meems, Your garden is such an inspiration to other gardeners. Thanks you Janis

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  16. Cameron,
    It is unusually cold here, too. Everywhere I go Florida folks are moaning and groaning about all the cold weather we've had. Me? I've relished it for getting some big projects completed without sweating. It has been 'MY personal' perfect weather conditions mostly. Highs in the low 60's and sunny (mostly). But Floridians are spoiled with typical winter avg being in the 70's and they whine about this being "cold". Ha.

    MMG,
    Threats last night of near freezing temps again. I covered one bed in the veggie garden that had been freshly planted with starter tomatoes and peppers. I don't think it dropped quite to freezing though. Those sweet alyssum are very fun to have spilling out from under the veggies once they decide to pop out of the ground in a few weeks.

    Janis,
    Thank YOU for your kind comment. Gardening communities are great inspirers all. From each other we learn new plants, explore different methods and share our experiences... all to help each other broaden our insight and grow our gardens better. I'm so happy you've joined the blogging world. Your garden is a delight.

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  17. Oh, spring! Where oh where is it?! It's supposed to be in the 30s up here the next few nights, which is better than the 20s we've been having. Did I mention I wanna go home? 8-}

    I had planned on picking up some Timberline at Lowe's this weekend. Idano if it's worth the effort. Then again, not a bad idea to be prepared when - and if (yes, I am beginning to wonder!) - it ever does warm up again.

    Have a JESUS-filled day! ^i^

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


September 2010

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