Arugula and Salad Mix coming up
courtesy of boboroshi

Sunshine. Thank God. At long last. I was afraid Spring was going to just be rain and clouds, and none of my plants were ever going to do anything at all. The rain was wonderful from an irrigation standpoint, and did incredible things out at the farm laboratory to soften up the otherwise heavy & clumpy Virginia Clay at Oatlands. But, now that the sunshine is here, everything’s perking up and heading skyward in our various gardens. It’s not too late to get started and reap the benefits of having your gardens

In our patio garden, the radishes appear to have taken over half the bed with tall green plumes with red stems. Sadly, planting in the seed-starter kit wasn’t such a great idea, and the roots are doing peculiar things in most cases. Next year? Plant ’em straight in the ground. Herbs have been slow to start, with the basil in particular staying small and low to the ground. Fortunately, the tomatoes that I’ve planted it with are still fairly young, which means they won’t get crowded out so quickly. The biggest surprise so far has been the peas, which have really come into their own in the last week, grabbing hold of their cage and climbing ever higher. There are a few blossoms & pods hanging down already.

‘Balcony Garden’
courtesy of ‘boboroshi’

John’s balcony, as you can see, is pretty much covered in pots. So far, he’s harvested radishes and some salad mix from his pots, making most of a salad already. Parsley, rosemary, catnip and basil are all on the lower level, with cilantro, carrots and radishes on the top level for maximum sun exposure.

The Farm, though, is where all the real fun is right now. There’s salad greens galore, and our spring garlic and potatoes are both showing some decent starts. The peppers & tomatoes quadrant, assuming we can keep the wild rabbits at bay (we’ll talk about this later, as it’s going to be a summer-long project…) is in the ground and properly guided and restrained. We’ve got some more planting to do there this weekend, but I figure we’re in for some good results in a few more months.

How’s your backyard garden coming? Got problems with patio pots, or maybe looking for some suggestions for what to pick up for planting over the long weekend? Hit us up in the comments. If we can’t find the answer, we’ll find a Master Gardener who can. Up next: Composting at home, even in small spaces.

Tom Bridge

I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.