We went to the gardening centers this weekend to start figuring out what we were going to grow from seeds and what would be best to start from plants. I am very glad we didn’t plant anything this weekend, it was almost 70 on Saturday and then by Monday they were calling for snow! Welcome to Tennessee and the wacky weather. Since we can’t put any plants in the ground yet, we decided to go ahead and get started on putting some seeds in the ground this week.
TIP: Never put garden plants in the ground before the last frost. We did this last year and the frost killed them all.
Guess what? It was up to 60 degrees today! While they were digging up the garden to get the soil soft, Ainsley found her new favorite pets, worms. She put them into a plastic container and laid them on the counter. When I came back they had made it out on the counter, so they went back into the garden.
Today we planted:
- Red and Green Romain Lettuce
- Spinach
- Green Beans
- Herbs: Basil, Flat Leaf Parsley and Thyme
I have never done herbs from seeds, so I figure if it doesn’t turn out, we can grab a some plants in a few weeks. I don’t have a green thumb, my husband and his side of the family are all the gardeners. So, I let them do it and I just put my two cents in on what I’d like to see growing for cooking purposes!
Tip for Growing Lettuce
My mother in law is a master gardener and gave me a great tip for growing lettuce. Last year we bought lettuce plants and the next day the rabbits had eaten it down to the nub! I was so irritated, plus since it was late in the season they never grew back. We put a little ugly fence around it, but he still got in. She told me that the next time you cut your hair, put human hair around the ground where the lettuce is and it keeps the rabbits out. You could even go to a local hair salon and ask for a small bag of it (if that doesn’t gross you out!).
Lettuce is a colder weather plant, so it only grows in spring and fall.
Next up…Potatoes.
Gardening Coupons and Discounts
If you want to receive coupons and discounts to use towards starting your garden, be sure to sign up for the Home DepotGarden Club. You will get all kinds of coupons for getting started right!
What are you planting in your garden right now? Are you using seeds? Any tips? I would love to hear what you are doing and any information you want to share.
Herbs are pretty easy from seeds. You will find that most of them sprout pretty quickly. My only word of advice is don’t overwater the rosemary if you planted any. It makes long stalks with no leaves if you keep it too wet. Enjoy your garden this year!!! I am in Indiana, so I have started my indoor seeds, but can’t yet do any outside planting!
We built our first SquareFoot Garden (based on the book) in the Brentwood area this past weekend! We planted from seeds onion, spinach, lettuce, sugar snap peas (a little late, i’ve told) and bell peppers! Our girls our so excited! I will definately be looking into the hair idea! We plan in a few weeks to atempt tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, and zucchini (sp??) We shall see!
Thanks for all your great posts!
Duane! I am really interested in the SquareFoot Garden concept (and want to buy the book). My husband wants to use treated wood to build the raised planter… but I am concerned about the chemicals in the wood. Can you tell us more about how you did yours?
The book is “all new sqaure foot gardening” by Mel Bartholomew! He recommends not using treated lumber, it seeps into the soil! We built 3 – 4 foot x 4 foot boxes out of 2×6 material and plywood! Its real simple, the “mel’s mix” soil is the hardest part! I have several friends who swear by his book! Best part, no weeding! Check it out at http://www.sqaurefootgardening.com
I noticed that our Dollar General here in Nashville had copies of the New Square Foot Gardening for $5, if anyone is looking for one.
We used 4 x 4 raised beds last year and were amazed at the output.
Thanks Duane and Meredith! I will check out Dollar General… and avoid treated wood!
We built a raised bed and planted our first garden from seed a couple of weekends ago. So maybe you and I will both learn a lot as we go along! We planted spinach, strawberries, two kinds of lettuce, mesclun, green and regular onions, radishes, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, sugar snap peas and regular green peas. Right now, the mesclun and spinach are starting to sprout. It’s so exciting! Good luck with yours, and thank you for the lettuce tip! We have pesky little rabbits around our house, so I wondered how we’d prevent them from noshing on our lettuce.
Kelly – Any suggestions for foods that grow well potted? We don’t have a good yard area for planting.
I loved reading about your planting endeavors. I recently got into gardening, a learned a lot after speaking with the team at http://www.larixlandscape.com/landscape-plantings and especially from reading you blog. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for the gardening update! It’s amusing to hear about Ainsley’s encounter with worms and the changing weather in Tennessee. The reminder about waiting for the last frost before planting is a valuable tip for fellow gardeners.