Welcome to Seattle

We live about a half an hour south of our Nation’s Capital, in a cozy little suburb in Maryland. There’s a joke around here – if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes. Also we very rarely have a true spring that lasts longer than a few weeks. Usually we go from a long, cold, stupid winter to a quick spring, to a long, hot glorious summer. Not this year. Winter drug on much longer than usual (winter coats on Easter!) and for the first time in a long time we’re having a true Spring. I don’t like it one bit. It’s cold, it’s rainy, it’s not 80 degrees. We had a frost warning two nights ago! My plants are growing and germinating but not at the rate I’d like them to be or that they would be if it would warm up a tad and give them a little sunshine. I transplanted my tomatoes 2 weeks ago and I swear they haven’t grown at all.

Anywhoo. Enough Debbie Downer about things I can’t control. Any suggestions on how to make tomatoes grow big and strong and delicious?
The search is out for pullets! I’m hoping for 4 ladies from the same flock. Either already laying or about to lay. Easter eggers, Marans, Rhode Island Reds, Leghorns or Silkies. Leghorns are good layers but is it shallow of me not to want white eggs?
We recently went on a field trip to The Accokeek Foundation. We went on a Garden Walk of their Museum Garden. Learned lots, post coming soon.

It’s been raining here the last few days. Nice, slow and steady, seed germinating rain. The kind that pours down, stops long enough for the earth to soak up the love, and then starts again. Good smelling, life renewing, sleep with the windows open kind of rain. I love it. It also gives me a reason not to leave the house so I love it twice.

Some of my deck containers. Pickling cucumbers, black cherry tomato and red vine tomato. Just outside of frame are hot peppers. They’re camera shy.

I went outside to walk around, breathe the fresh air in and check on everything during a break in the rain yesterday. Out of habit, I grabbed the hose while I was out there. Whoops, won’t be needing that. What a different a few days of rain makes! Almost everything is poking through. The only thing not in in the front bed is the corn which hates cold, wet soil. Hopefully our nice rain didn’t cause the seeds to rot.

front bed, early may
Front bed before the rains. Zucchini and Squash transplanted well, Peas and Beans taking off along the chicken wire trellis

I say almost everything is coming through. The front bed is a vision of beautiful budding spring, the back one is not. The only thing living in there are weeds and a head of romaine that I planted last year but just showed up this year when I was turning over the beds to prepare them for planting. I’ve planted things in there twice so far but nothing has germinated. I think it’s my seeds. It was supposed to be a lettuce and greens bed but I’m afraid it’s too late to plant anything again. It’ll be too hot and go to seed before we’re able to enjoy it. So I have two options that I can see. I can buy some seedlings at Moms (organic and/or heirloom) or I can plant more of what’s in the first bed. I’m leaning for the second option. A few more rows or corn (which I should have anyway to ensure full ears), some pickling cucumbers, some beans.

My beds aren’t much, especially for me calling myself Farmer Brown, but they’re a start for us. I’m already enjoying my one, lonely romaine plant and get so tickled to pick a leaf or two for a sandwich or a burger. I look forward to enjoying the bounty of my backyard and even be able to put some up to enjoy later (more beans! more cucumbers!).