Mid May and Loving My Cold Frame

Lilacs are in full bud.

I woke up this morning feeling quite funky. Didn't really want to do a darn thing. I forced myself to go out to the garden and it's just amazing how much better I felt! The garden is really a magical place. It works for funky moods every time. What would we do without our gardens?!

Besides lilac blooms, dandelions and plum tree are also blooming. Daffodils have been gorgeous for a few weeks, tulips are beginning to open, blood root flowers have come and gone, violets everywhere, chives are ready to open up, and lavender is coming back. I list these observations because if my timing with the cold frame goes well I want to make note for future years.

I moved the cool season plants out of the cold frame and took some seedlings from under my grow lights that are a bit more tender and put them in the cold frame. Out went the broccoli, cauliflower, cilantro, parsley, pak choy, Chinese cabbage, and kale. Here's a pic of what came out:

Days have been in the 50's-low 70's with eve's in the 40's so I've been opening the frame each day and closing it each eve. I planned on having this be the first eve these plants are out all night but to be honest I'm rethinking this plan due to purplish leaves on my broccoli and predicted cool eve temps. This isn't the first time I've seen purplish leaves on my broccoli. Actually just about every year my broccoli gets purplish leaves. I just saw on one internet site that cool evening temps can cause this. But I've also read that purple leaves usually mean P and/or K deficiency. But just in case it's the cold I'm thinking I'll put them back into the cold frame the next few nights as night temps will remain in the 40's. Well that's a pain. Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit? I haven't moved tomatoes out yet or peppers. Although I did take one pack of tomatoes out just to see how they do. But I have to say this cold frame has been a wonderful way to harden these plants off and one of the best investments we've made (second to our garden cart). Having the cold frame sure beats carrying plants outside and back inside each day in an effort to harden them off. This is also the first year I've started plants under grow lights and these plants look as good as anything you'd get at a greenhouse.

Here's what I moved into the cold frame today, nasturtium, leeks, Mexican sunflower, a few basil and tomatoes and some spearmint I bought at a greenhouse:

Now I'v got more room under the grow lights for the seeds I planted last week for FEDCO. Basically some peppers and broccoli. Here's the peppers:

My tomatoes are so big I'm actually concerned because they are beginning to look leggy. I had to take them out from under the lights because they were just too tall. I did notice that when I took them out from under the lights they quickly became leggy. I pinched the tops off today. Took about 6" off the top of each one. I'm hoping they will get a little bushier. Here's a picture after my pinching:

I spent the day digging up my perennial garden. This is the second day I've spent doing this. I've moved all the non-edible flowers that I love and can't part with into one bed and now have 2 beds that will basically be devoted to edible herbs and flowers. In one bed I transplanted chives, garlic chives, oregano, french tarragon, chervil, and thyme and seeded some cilantro. I moved all my sage plants to the border of the cold frame. And now have one bed clear and ready for annual edible herbs and flowers such as basil, dill, calendula, nasturtiums, more cilantro, and parsley. I need to decide what to do with all the lemon balm I moved out. It was taking over an entire bed. I use a lot of lemon balm and spearmint all summer for herb teas so I do need it. I may dig up my bed of black raspberries that I don't like and put the lemon balm there. Here's a picture of chives. Love chives!

The rain has come. We need it. The gardens are dry, the rain barrel is empty, and I'm sick of carting water up to the new strawberry bed I put in.

Enjoy your spring gardening season. There really is nothing quite like it.
Mary