Grow, Grow, Grow, Grow!!

The garden is 99.9% planted. Out of my 7 garden boxes (and the 2 little boxes that the girls planted. And then dug up. And then threw mulch on. And then covered with picked weeds, and then demanded to know why nothing is growing yet...), each with 16 square foot squares, I only have about 6 or 8 squares available for planting.

I had bunches of seeds, seedlings, and plants that I had been stashing under my homemade rickety cold frame while waiting for the last frost date. May First! IN!

I've used seeds and transplants from a number of different sources. Hometown Seeds generously provided a seed sampler for me, and some I planted and then I saved many of them for next season to test their storage longevity. I also ordered from D. Landreth, and a couple things from Baker Creek. And then my standard browse-and-grab Burpee seeds from the local big box, and seedlings from my fave local little garden centers (Clover's, a couple little joints in Bridgeview, and some folks giving away seedlings on Craigslist).

I'm hoping to get some pictures up, but cannot find Char's camera, which is what i used to take pictures. I'm really really really trying to document everything  this year, loved being able to do a time-lapse overview of how things changed last year.

Here's what's planted, box by box:
Box 1:
Black Simpson Lettuce
Little Caesar Lettuce
Romaine Lettuce
Radishes

Box 2:
Endive
Spinach
Black Krim Tomatoes
Pineapple Hybrid Tomatoes

Box 3:
Zucchini
Scallop Squash (White, Green, Yellow)
Bush Beans (Two Varieties)

Box 4:
Yellow onions
Beets

Box 5:
Peas
Broccoli

Box 6:
Bell Pepper
Hot Pepper
Sugar Snap Peas
Banana Pepper
San Marzano Tomatoes
Mamma Mia Tomatoes
Valencia Heirloom Tomatoes

Box 7:
Edamame
Pickling Cucumbers
Burpless Cucumbers
Jalapeno Peppers
Asparagus Beans (Which was from a Burpee Heirloom packet, and had less than 25 seeds. Just saying, seemed stingy...)

I moved my herb pots to the other side of the fence from the raspberry jungle on a bench I garbage picked a few years ago. Basil, thai basil, rosemary, parsley, chives, dill. I have a ton of random lumber and was planning on making a large planter box for the driveway - instead of having to go in the garden, through the fence to access them, they are right there. My husband is pretty sure I just can't leave things how they are. Ever. And that I obsessively need to move things around. He MAY have a point.

I'm also expanding my "butterfly garden" which seemingly gets a dump of whatever I find attractive while wandering around garden centers or the internet.

Cherry tree is ROCKING and we're going to have fruit this year...there are little baby green cherries on there, cannot wait! Little green strawberries are sprouting up all over, too.

Love love love this time of year!