Saturday Stuff

Good rainstorms here in Northern Atlanta over night. The garden is happy. The corn, beans, melons, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers I planted in the last week are ready to go. I already see the first leaves of the cucumbers peaking through this morning and I expect to see all of the melons and squash in the next day or so. The bamboo 'teepees' are all ready for the first planting of green pole beans to spring up(Kentucky Wonder) and I can't wait to see the vines start up. The butter peas will appear in the next day or so as will all the beans for winter storage. So far the October, Hutterite, Boston Favorite and Charlevoix Dark Red Kidneys are planted and with this rain will be growing in the next couple of days. Both the white and yellow corn is in the ground (Sowell's Evergreen and Golden Bantam, respectively) and should appear in the next few days as well. Of course, being a good southern boy, the okra and lima beans are planted as well.

There are still things to be planted but they can wait a couple of weeks as they are for winter storage. Hubbard,Delicata and Acorn squash plus an heirloom French squash. I still have the half runner beans and sweet potatoes to plant as well. The sweet potato plants should arrive next week and their bed is all ready.

Still sparse eating from the garden but we are eating lettuce, spring onions, roquette, and radishes. The bok choi and chinese cabbage is ready to begin coming into the kitchen as well. Spinach is still a few weeks off.

With all the rain and warm weather the weeds have germinated and the wet ground is the perfect time to get them out so today is weeding and mulching day. Backbreaking work, I'll admit, but it is a part of gardening and seeing a nicely weeded garden is good reward. The tender weed shoots will not go to waste though and will find a home in the compost pile making 'black gold' for the garden.

So I am off to the garden to pull weeds and spread mulch. I can't work too long today as we are invited to a Kentucky Derby party this afternoon and I will have to be out of the garden and cleaned up by 430p. Everybody have a great Saturday and if you get the urge I can always use an extra hand with the weeds. I will, of course, share in the bounty for work well done.