How can a gardener have time to garden and blog? By giving up Facebook, that's how! School ended Wednesday and was followed with the most amazing weather we've had in a while. Real Maine spring weather. Cool, dry, breezy, and sunny. Over the past few days I have been able to get the gardens planted and mulched. Always a relief to get mulching done. This year I'm using hay in the back garden and straw in the lower garden. Years ago I only used newspaper covered with hay. But hay is tricky as it's a perennial. So the possibility of hay seed taking hold in the garden is a real threat. I was always lucky as it usually worked like a charm... but I also roto-tilled every season. Since I stopped using a rototiller I've switched to straw. Straw is an annual so any seeds that sprout will die over the winter. Even though hay seed makes me nervous I find myself using hay again this year since I got a few bales for cheap. Straw is wicked expensive. My fingers are crossed.
Early yesterday morning I was watering with a liquid seaweed diluted water and I noticed the tops of some peas and tomato plants nipped off and the telltale deer sign was there. They always leave a little tip along the top.
Is there anything better than sun warmed strawberries? Yes, organic sun warmed strawberries. I just read that the inorganic strawberries available in the grocery store are sprayed with up to 13 pesticides. Wow, now that is just wrong. Here's a link to one article:http://www.organicgardening.com/living/pesticide-on-fruit So to have homegrown, organic strawberries just makes sense and tastes pretty darn good.
Enjoy the time,
Mary
