The Vegetable Garden {what to plant and being realistic}

Does this sound familiar?  Spring rolls around, you get anxious and plant handfuls and handfuls of seedlings, seeds, veggie plants, and then harvest time rolls around and you catch yourself saying "What the H#^^??...What is that? What am I going to use this for? Why did I plant half this stuff!?"  Yup! Guilty as charged.  Over the years I've learned my lesson.  It took me a couple seasons, but it finally sunk in to plant with realistic expectations.  Plant what we're going to use throughout the season.  Here a few questions to ask yourself and tips to keep your spring planting in check.

HOW TO KEEP IT REALISTIC!

1. WHAT KIND OF VEGGIES DO I WANT?

 Think about the types of veggies you really like and start making a list.  We choose our veggies by thinking about those that we would use for cooking or to make a quick meal or two.  I call our veggie garden the 'kitchen garden'.  It contains onions, peppers, celery, tomatoes, basil, dill, beans, peas, potatoes, cucumbers, and other what ever other veggies we try out just for fun.

2.  HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE?
If your like me, my time is limited.  I try to keep things as simple as possible. That translates to don't plant beyond what you can handle!  We have two raised beds and that is perfect for us to manage throughout the season.  We can handle the weeds and keep up with the harvests so as nothing goes to waste.

3.  DO I PLAN ON SAVING ANY OF THE HARVEST FOR LATER?
If you have a desire to extend your fresh veggie intake beyond the harvest period then you can consider planting a few extra rows or plants to utilize in canning or freezing practices.  This will mean more space and more time you dedicate to your garden.

Happy Planning!

Tulips {should I cover them?}

I got the question... "Should I cover my tulips?"  This was a timely question just as the winter snow storm warning was bearing down on us yesterday.  The spring weather has been unpredictable giving us some warm days mixed with spring snowfalls that remind us that mother nature isn't ready to jump into spring just yet.  With the few warm days we have had, it's been just enough to have some tulips pop through the soil.  So...

...the answer is "YES"
Even though tulips are fairly adapted to the cold weather in zone 4, cover the emerged growth before the snow hits to ensure the tender tips don't get damaged.  Covering with a layer of mulch works, or even a turned over bucket can ward off frost damage.