Today little Abe and I planted carrots seeds (I did actually plant purple carrots this year) and spinach seeds. Spinach is one of this year's new additions. When I decided to give gardening a try two years ago I chose to start out with just tomatoes and strawberries. Last year I added carrots, beans, and watermelon. Oh, and the giant sunflower. Last year was also the first year I grew all of the plants from seed.
This year I've added spinach, will possibly add pumpkin and switched from watermelon to the Bidwell Casaba melon. Getting the seeds outside and getting the tomato and bean bed ready to go was such a great way to spend mother's day. Okay, I did snap at little Abe a few times when he flung mud at me, almost hit me with the shovel, and started to flood the backyard with the hose. BUT we did enjoy ourselves and got a lot accomplished. I also put up a little fence (that we have had in the garage for YEARS) to keep the dogs away from the tomatoes and strawberries this year.
The tomatoes and pole beans will go in the ground but there are rabbits galore around here so I've found that strawberries, carrots and I'm anticipating the spinach in pots works so much better for me.
I had set this year's gardening budget at $25 and I'm considerably over that. Here's the rundown of my garden spending thus far: $17.52 for Peat and Garden soil and $20 for seeds. The bin that I have carrots in this year was given to me by my sister in law as she no longer needed it. I've been composting in the purple bin that I grew carrots in last year. I had the other three pots and the fencing on hand. I know, I spent a ridiculous amount on seeds. The problem was that I ordered them online, had to pay shipping and I went and did a second order when I found the Bidwell Casaba seeds. I spent $6.25 on the melon seeds alone. With the exception of the two year old strawberries, everything I'm growing is from heirloom seeds.
If this year's gardening endevour turns out half as well as last year then I'm more than happy with the $42.52 that I spent on the garden this year. Teaching little Abe about growing food while watching all the beautiful plants grow and fruit and then getting to eat food from our own backyard is worth SOOOOO much more than $42.52 to me anyhow.
Hooray for Spring!!!!!!!!!
