Week #18: The Beginning of the 2018 Planting Season

This past week we planted some of our early crops including potatoes saved from our 2017 crop, snap peas, and radishes.  We are 2 to 3 weeks behind the local potato farmers this year.

We also planted our seeds in the basement under grow lights/on heat mats that included:

Roma Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Beefstake Tomatoes

Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Kale
Leeks

Ghost Peppers
Scorpian Peppers
Jalapeno Peppers
Habenero Peppers
Carolina Reaper Peppers
Poblano Peppers

We are not planting any Bell Peppers this year.  Two years ago when we planted them in the garden they barely began to turn colour before the nights got cooler so we barely got any and last year, they didn't seem to do well in clay pots in our greenhouse either.

We are eating the first of our Asparagus this week, which will dominate our lunches and suppers for the next month.

Besides getting started in the garden here at home, the month of May is also the time of year that the spring migration of birds really kicks into high gear. Kinglets, including Ruby-crowned Kinglets are beginning to come through in higher numbers. Warblers, thrushes, tanagers, orioles and vireos will also stop of in our yard while they make their way north.

Not much larger than a hummingbird, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a common migrant that frequents our yard in both spring and fall.  Photo by Marianne Balkwill