Here we are, it’s been two weeks since the gardens proper have been planted, and we definitely have action.   I’ve been seriously fighting the squirrels though, as they seem very fond of Bed #1.  I replanted a good bit of it about four days after initial planting, because they just kept digging and digging!  As a result of that digging… well, it looks like I have weeds all over the place.  Some of them are weeds, I’m sure.  But some of them are also most likely the greens that I’ve never grown before, so I have no idea what they are.   I’ve had to rig up some bird netting to cover this bed and try to keep the squirrels out.  Its working, but I can’t raise it up any higher, and my tomatoes are pressing against the netting.  Don’ know what we’ll do when we go camping in a few weeks.  You can see the light green patches towards the back- those would be the mesclun growing very nicely.

Bed # 2 is also growing very well.  I’ve had excellent germination on pretty much everything except the carrots- those are taking their sweet time in all the beds.  I have some new-to me greens looking almost ready already.  The Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens and Mizuna could probably stand a thinning in the the next week.  The squirrels have not spent much time in this bed at all.  The large plants toward the front here are my sweet peppers with some radishes right in front of us.  Beets have also been slow, as there are a few of those in this bed.

Bed #3 is doing well, this is the hot pepper bed.   I also have my zucchini in this one.  I planted a bush zucchini smack dab in the middle of a four square patch- then planted radishes all around it.  That should give the zucchini a little space to sprawl when the time comes.

And then there’s the fourth bed.  Here, it looks empty, but again, I have a lot of carrots and beets in this one- both are slow to come up.  The carrots have begun poking through, but they look like tiny blades of grass at this point, and you really have to look for it.  I noticed today that the mache I planted here is also just starting to poke out.  I have one variety of cucumber that hasn’t germinated yet, and I so wish I knew which one that was.  Abigail planted the cukes for me, and while I know which three squares have the picklers in them, the rest are a mystery to me.  I’d plant more if I knew which variety it was…

All of the tomatoes I’ve planted in the beds are doing great.  I have a few blossoms on some of them- as well as the peppers.   I’m thinking about doing a Florida weave to trellis the tomatoes this year if Andy has time to get the poles attached for me.  Otherwise I’ll just use my standard flat cages and string.  The tomatoes I’ve planted with the herbs are perking up- all except the Pink Grapefruit.  I’m afraid that one is about to be removed, which is okay, because I forgot to plant a patch of new scallions, so I’ll pull him out and put the green onions in there.

I’m seeing great progress!  Our big camping vacation is in just a few weeks, and I fully expect that when we return from our week away we will be harvesting radishes, baby lettuce and broccoli raab to our heart’s delight.   Timing-wise, camping is going to work out great this year, as nothing will really be ready for harvesting while we’re gone.  I’m just worried about that first bed and the squirrels.  Maybe I can get Andy to quickly build me some a fence around the bed…