The Fence

Ok, So it has been a while, but I finally found some time out of my crazy schedule to post this one about my fence..

Well the rain stopped, and opened up to sunny, hot days. This is great because I thought I would never get to go outside and get stuff done. (Although I was out in the pouring rain a couple of days)

Lots has happened since my last post. Tons of new plant acquisitions that have far exceeded anything I could have hoped for.

But let's start with the fence, I do believe that is where we left off.

First I used my sweeeet sixth grade math skillz to find the circumference (perimeter according to Nancy) of the rectangle. You know the drill, add all the sides up. Since my garden is 38' X 13' (That would be 38 + 38 + 13+ 13 = 102 for all you non-smart people) I decided I would need a little over 100'of fencing.. Perfect! I found some old fencing around here i could use for my second door, picked up a 100' X 4' roll for cheap and a bunch of metal fence posts, but something was missing... I needed real posts...

We're going for the backwoods special, cheap, quick & effective.
(I am a Bartholomew, it's in our family's nature)

 

Hmmmm this tree looks big enough! I was ready to go.

It was recomeneded to me that I bury it a foot beneath the ground to deter any small, ground & plant loving creatures. Sounds tedious and gruelling... But I loves me a challenge so let the trench and post hole digging begin!
 

It's Garden Time!!

I'm sure by now you're saying, let's get this show on the road!

Before we start, I have to get something off my chest... EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A GARDEN! It's true and I'm sure you know what excuses are like... It doesn't have to be extensive, but its a good habit to get into...

Having said that... Before I even started moving dirt, I had to PLAN!

Planting is a bit time intensive...

Well, as you saw in my previous post, there are a lot of options for planting. the question is when to plant? Cold weather crops prefer full sun with cooler temperatures, these should be direct seeded in the garden as soon as the ground is thawed and can be tilled. This is generally April to May here in our zone 4 in Burlington CT...  The end of the season would be the other time to plant these, August to September... So get to it!

Well heres what I have done so far, and what should be done at the same time:

Early Spring:
(I have done so far)

• Carrots
• Beets
• Turnips
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Cabbage
• Onions

(these should be in by now...)

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Garlic (fall is even better even in cold climates)
• Leeks
• Shallots
• Potatoes

There may be a few more, but this is all I can remember right off the top of my head right now... It's late, I'm tired and not quite thinking straight lol... 

Dreaming of Veggies....

Planning and outlining... (It all starts here!)

First and foremost it is important to list what you will want to grow, and quantities. (Everything at this stage is an approximation until you have a set system after a few seasons) Also, this list can be made over the course of the winter months and the internet it chock full of good information. Walking around the garden centers this time of year is also a great way to see what makes you hungry. Also don't forget that some veggies can be stored for extended periods of time:

Where do I start?!

Wait a minute... Write a blog? about gardening? I have never done EITHER of these things.. CRAP! (ok deep breaths... Let me grab a cold beer...) All right, now that I'm past that, I guess there is only 1 place to start.

The Prologue

Since I scored this SWEEEET gig in May of 2010, I have tried to gather and retain as much information as i can about these two topics. The plant names I can understand; botanical names are fun! But this blog isn't about botanical names, nor is that relevant to anything right now.

And so it begins...

Well, Well, Well, I see you have made it here... Sorry about that...

Anyway, I'll let you in on the deal...

Gardening... Gardening... Gardening... This has always been a mystery to me. It is amazing that we can be so completely disconnected from something so vital. Being a young American male, one might think I would subscribe to the fast food movement as it is a much easier and convenient lifestyle, but I don't, and I really have to try to not. I want this satisfaction for myself, and it doesn't even matter if i fail miserably...


Growing up, my parents attempted something that resembled a garden. I personally have never harvested any more than a few tomatoes and this curiosity has finally gotten to me... (Insert dream sequence here)

My name is Ryan Bartholomew and I am currently an in-house designer at Sunny Border Nurseries in Kensington CT. One would presume that I, working at a plant nursery and all, would know something about plants and gardening. Well I do... err the plants anyway...

If you have an interest in, but minimal knowledge of, gardening like I do, keep an eye out for updates to my garden!