"Cloudy with normal crappy March weather around here"

Yep, here too -- now that the rain has stopped. I'm glad there isn't as much snow left to melt as normal, though -- maybe our crawl space won't fill up with water this spring! (it doesn't actually "fill up," we have to keep pumping it out...)

Nice Spring here except the wind is taking the fun of it away.

It's Saturday morning with a gentle farmers rain. A good day to take seed inventory and plan out summer's strategy. Each year I try an experiment. This year I'm going to drag my full size wine barrel to an easterly exposure. I have bought a large plastic half barrel and cut out 2" holes nicely spaced all around the sides & small drain holes in the bottom, that will be set on top of the full sized wooden wine barrel. Think I'll plant petunias in the holes and maybe a mix of annuals in the top of the plastic planter. No plants in the full size barrel, it is just a pedestal. Hoping by late summer the petunias will reach the ground. Should I do wave petunias or supertunias?

That will look amazing---- what ever you plant it with.
I started two kinds of petunias this year: Seeds from last year's California Giants, and commercial seeds for Superbissima "Fluffy Ruffles". The flowers are sparser, but large on these.
I also sowed some Nuvalori Orange which were pelletted seeds. They are not germinating well.

I have decided Winter is over. I planted peas outside today. Ground is still pretty cool so they probably will take a while to sprout.

This weekend for peas here!

CarolineScott said:This weekend for peas here!

I thought I would be able to plant early this year because February was very warm. Then as soon as March arrived Winter came back with a vengeance. So this was the first opportunity to get the peas planted.

I'll have to check the garden and see if I can dig enough to put my peas in... I don't think I've ever planted them this early, but I had a bunch come up from self-seeding last year so I don't think they'd be unhappy about it. (They are "snow peas," after all )

Started my pepper seeds today, and thinned my celery plants to 1 per cell (actually I kind of re-planted them a little deeper, they grew with part of the root sticking out of the ground).

Hey Weedwacker
You think the frost is out of the ground yet?
I haven't checked yet.

LOL, Kathy -- I'm hoping it is in the area where my peas will go, at least; it's on the north side of my garden, backed up by a lot of trees that reflect the sun (when and if it ever shines here) and warmth, so if I can plant something anywhere that would be the place.

As far as the frost being out of the ground completely -- nuh uh
(it's still March, and my least favorite season -- "not spring" )

I ordered some Kale seed on line after my gardening today.

Newyorkrita said:I ordered some Kale seed on line after my gardening today.

From where? What kind? Check out Kale Coalition and Bear Necessities Kale! The are awesome!

I ordered mine on E-Bay!!

Lacinato Dinosaur Kale

I have kale growing in my garden now which overwintered. Surprising to me. Called Winterbor. But such tiny plants. For months last fall they never grew and now its spring and still there is nothing. If I pulled all four plants there would NOT be enough for a side dish for one person.

Rita, I haven't had the best luck growing kale either... and am also trying the "Lacinato" type this year. Maybe some day I'll get enough to find out if I like eating it

Weedwhacker said:Rita, I haven't had the best luck growing kale either... and am also trying the "Lacinato" type this year. Maybe some day I'll get enough to find out if I like eating it

I thought it wopuld be easy to grow. ON my dog walking route there is one person that has a garden (and I don't know them). They have kale plants at least 3 feet tall by late fall. Mine are 6 inches!!!

So I ordered Lacinato hoping it will grow tall and there will be kale to eat.

Now I simply HATE kale. Would never volunteer to eat it. Buy my best friend (Lily's dog friend Zack) mom and her entire family simply love kale. So I wanted to be able to grow it and give her kale to eat.

But hasn't worked out so far!

@newyorkrita @weedwacker
I've had the best of luck with Red Russian Kale. It makes a beautiful showing, very cold hardy, will easily grow 2-1/2 feet high, produces well into early winter, and the flavor gets remarkably better after the first hard frost.

katesflowers said:newyorkrita weedwacker
I've had the best of luck with Red Russian Kale. It makes a beautiful showing, very cold hardy, will easily grow 2-1/2 feet high, produces well into early winter, and the flavor gets remarkably better after the first hard frost.

Thanks! I will have to remember that. I will maybe try it come Fall. Now I simply will start the seeds I ordered for spring. Probably I should have started them already!

Kale seeds just arrived in the mail. I think I will go plant them in a cellpack and see what comes up.

@dave and @trish mentioned a kale that they say is delicious in a recent podcast. I forget the name. They don't speak highly of RedRissian Kale "tastes like dirt" says Dave. The variety they have sold out every week at the farmers market almost as soon as customers got there. Please share!

I love the flavor of Madalay Kale. My kids eat it raw in the garden! Here is a picture of it as an appetizer.

Yes indeed! The Kale we love is Kale (Brassica oleracea 'Beedy’s Camden Kale'). It has a very sweet flavor. Everyone who tastes it loves it.