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!