Onions and Sidewalks

Today started late as it was 20 degrees at 8 am this morning. So we went to Chapons (Our favorite Pittsburgh nursery) early and worked late. At Chapons we bought some Walla Walla sweet and Red onion transplants (100 total), and some shallots. Both the shallots and the onions were super cheap at 1.99. Chapons also sells seed potatoes, but we didn't buy any. We also got some Greensand to add potasium to the soil. At noon I got to work. I began by doing some planting. In Sq. foot garden #2 I planted five more squares...

1. 15 shallots from Chapons
2. 9 spinach seeds
3. 16 green onion seeds
   
4. 5 Romaine seeds
5. 9 beet seeds

The most noteworthy planting was the beets. I removed all the soil from the square to a depth of about 18 inches. Then I loosened the bottom soil with a fork. I added back the top soil/compost mix by screening it through our wire lath screen. The beets should love this nice soft, loose home. The rhubarb and geranium are just about dead. If I wind up tossing those two, I have 4 squares left to plant in this garden.

Next I planted sugar snap peas. I planted these in the tepee garden. I worked the soil (it looks nice) and innoculated the peas. I bet I put about 100 in the ground. I put them all along the back of the tepee and along the house wall below the window. There are three rows covering about 15 linear feet total. If I am good about my climbing apparatus we may even be able to pick peas from inside the house by opening up the window.

My last planting for the day was to put 50 of the walla walla transplants in the sun garden. I have to admit I was getting a little worried about my seed onion transplants. They are so darn skinny, that I am losing confidence that they will amount to anything more than green onions for us. The 4 bucks spent on onion transplants was hopefully well-spent. Although this went against one of my garden goals (Buy no nursery stock).

When Sarah joined me outside (no kids - nap time and quiet play inside - that was nice), we removed the flagstone sidewalk leading to the barbeque. I pulled up the stones and Sarah spread new soil and sod. I also repositioned the flagstone sidewalk along the herb garden. I gave it a steeper curve and moved it out a couple of feet to give us more herb garden. This also gets my head a little farther away from the wisteria, which had become a headknocker for me. By consolidating and reusing the best flagstones, the remaining path has a much cleaner look. We will also really enjoy the extra herb space. This new and improved herb garden really looks nice.

A couple notables: I saw the first pea sprout poking through in the sun garden. That pea was planted exactly 14 days ago on 3/7. Wow that was fast. Those peas are not likely to be much behind the peas that were planted in the cold frame. But I need to remember that the ones planted in the sq. foot garden cold frame are a different variety. That may account for some of the difference.