My Garden

I've added several bags of garden soil - not topsoil, but "garden soil" - to my raised beds. I've planted six tomatoes, a red and a yellow bell pepper, and Straight 9 cucumbers. I've also started rows of carrots, planting a new row each week so their harvest will be staggered. Finally, I've added a patch of Kentucky green beans. Hopefully everything will do better than last year. I've committed to watering everything every morning. Since I bought two redwoods to be bonsaied, and they require daily watering, it's a little easier to make the commitment to water the entire garden. And I think it will pay off. I haven't watered past gardens adequately, and there certainly has been no measurable rain in this part of Oklahoma in weeks, so the only way the garden will succeed will be through watering. The bags of "garden soil" I bought from Lowe's were a little more expensive, but should be well worth it. The soil is nice and loose, and promise to retain moisture better than topsoil. It feels good. Adding the bags has increased the depth of my beds considerably, almost up to the edge of the 2x12 side panels. That should give the roots more space in which to grow. The cucumber seeds have sprouted. I planted them in a straight row between tomato plants. I'll thin them out as they get bigger. My idea is for them to ramble around among the tomato plants, getting a little shade and sharing the raised bed. Seems like I read somewhere that was a good idea. Well, we'll just see about that! More updates as warranted. Meanwhile, the peonies are looking very healthy over by the patio, and the lilies of the valley are surviving. Should be a nice place to sit and enjoy the evenings over the next several months.