Carrots (bolero) started in bed and in grey pots

The bed is definitely not the best, as it's where patio stones were last year so the soil is questionable, plus TBD how the water will drain from the overhang, so it remains to be seen how they grow there...  but we'll give it a try.

Also sowed in two of the three nice deep grey pots, alternating rows of 3 and 2.

Dropped 2-3ish seeds into each hole.

Coming into some rain over the next few days so I figured it was a good time to get them going!

Have been hardening all of the cold hardies

For the last week or two most of the cold hardies (chard, parsley, celery, piracicaba broccoli) that I started inside have been hardening off, now just coming in on the coldest nights.  Should be ready to transplant soon.

Basil, peas, and zinnias started in PT/bowl

New-to-me type of basil that's supposed to be downy mildew resistant, started in PT.

Zinnias of various sorts started in PT.

Peas (x80) soaking in a bowl, to start inside tomorrow until germinated.

Installed cedar edging

 2" x 6" x various lengths of rough/raw cedar, from Ottawa Cedar.  Didn't coat them with linseed or anything, will see how long they last.

Lettuce started in PT: Tennis Ball (new), Ruby Leaf, and Black-Seeded Simpson

Got the Tennis Ball seeds for free last year. Why not give them a try.

I meant to start these all sooner, but didn't get around to it.

Cardinal (f) at tray feeder, ate nutrisaff and millet! then on ground for a while

Yay yay yay!  I finally put back the feeders a week or two ago.  Hadn't seen much action other than some shell peanuts mysteriously disappearing.  Then today, a female cardinal partook of some nutrisaff and, surprisingly to me, millet too.  Maybe had some of the other items too, couldn't tell.  (Also in the tray are peanut pieces and shelled sunflowers/pieces.)

Then she hopped around the ground for a few minutes.  Then she went and rested on the ground of the north wall, by some of the rocks.

Fun!

Bird bath set out (with heater due to cold weather)

I had brought it into the basement many months ago when I needed to remove the feeders.  Figured it was time to set it out again, what with the song sparrow coming by, and hopefully more birds on the way.

Minus 15 tonight (!!), tomorrow/day after the highs will be in the negatives, so put the heater in.

Song sparrow ate millet from light tray! Only occasionally singing in tree (roaming?)

I was glad to see that he was comfortable being on the screening part of the tray.

Snow all gone from west and north beds

The only reason there's still snow in the central bed is because that's where I've been piling up the snow dug from the paths during the winter.

WS-potted up sprouted chard and round 2 Waltham broccoli

So, for the Waltham broccoli, there is round 1 indoors which continues to all look horrible (while the indoor piracicaba still looks all great) -- and now this PT-sprouted-then-directly-potted-up-for-WS round 2.

When more of the chard sprouts I'll do up some for indoors.

WS-potted up sprouted kale: White Russian & Premier Forge

Now that they all sprouted in PT, transferred them all into various WS jugs.  Will keep them inside overnight when it goes down below zero (eg tonight and tomorrow night), but daytime temps this coming week are in the +3 to +14 range so should be good to be outside.

Also potted up 3 White Russian kales for inside, to see how they do inside since it's a new-to-me variety.

Broccoli Waltham round 2 started in PT

These ones I'll do as WS as soon as they sprout.  (Round 1 waltham broccolis ALL look equally horrible whereas the piraciccaba all look great.)

Kale (White Russian & Premier Forge) and swiss chard started in PT

Many seeds of each.

First time trying the White Russian -- it says it can deal with wet conditions, so I might try some under the eaves, just to see.

Weather forecast is looking great next week for potting these up as winter sowing-style to be raised outside (once they sprout in the PT).

Using two-year-old Premium Promix bag for potting things up

For potting up, have been using the two-year old huge block of Premium Pro-Mix, which I didn't use last year because I wondered if it was the cause of all those diseases in the 2020 season.

Since this year's seed selection has really focused on disease resistance, figured I may as well use it up.

Stevia and forget-me-not potted up

4/4 forget-me-nots sprouted!

3/4 stevia sprouted, and I accidentally forgot about the last one so it's trash now.

Stevia and forget-me-not started in PT

4 x stevia (from bought seeds)

4 x forget-me-not (from last year's prime plant)

Pirociccaba broc looking great; Waltham broc shriveling up same as previous years

Seeing a big difference between the two types of broccoli I started a few weeks ago.  The Waltham broccolis are small and their leaves are shriveling up one by one -- just like last year and previous years.  Whereas the piraciccaba are looking great!  Bigger than the Walthams, and no leaves shriveling yet.

All broccoli germinated, transplanted to pots (indoor)

Well that didn't take long!  8 Waltham and 8 Piracicaba broccoli potted up.  Will keep inside for a while, way too cold to set them outside yet.

Sowed in PT: celery, parsley (Forest Green), broccoli (Waltham & Piracicaba)

I'm sure I'll end up needing to do a round two of the broccoli as WS, but why not given inside a try again.

Things to grow in future allotment garden

I've been feeling frustrated with my limited growing space combined with the fact that realistically I'll definitely be here at least 5 years and likely closer to 10, so, figured I'd go ahead and apply for a spot at the allotment garden.  With a long waiting list it will likely be several/many years before I get one, but, it will be nice to know that hopefully it will happen at some point.

I would just go for a half plot, which would still be 500 square feet!!  My current backyard growspace isn't even 200 square feet!  So, a half plot would be just dandy.

These are the types of things I think I would grow in the allotment, which would free up space in the yard.  Thinking of things that...

- Can be planted as transplants rather than direct from seed (since I won't be around daily for watering until germinated)

- Don't need to be planted early (since the plots don't open up until mid-May)

- Don't need to be covered in tulle (too much worrying about theft/damage or the wind blowing it away etc.)

- Aren't highly susceptible to insects (since I won't be around daily for removal)

- Aren't kitchen-garden types of things (eg salad items are nice to have at home)

So, here's what I'm thinking for the allotment (I'll update this list with future ideas):

- ground cherries (since I can no longer grow them in the yard due to rats)

- tomatoes (hopefully low risk of fruit theft since I pick them at first blush)

- potatoes (hopefully low risk of theft since out of sight)

- winter squash (a SVB-resistant variety)

- stevia (to sweeten my tea)

- buckwheat (to then bring them home for soil amendment)

- beans (easy to plunk in some pole supports; would be fun to grow different varieties)

- sunflowers (just for fun, and, since can no longer grow them at home due to rats)

And, maybe I could try some things that need more sun than my yard gets...

- peppers?  but would be high risk of theft, still, could try for fun.

- onions?  this would be worth trying

- what else?  TBD...