It's finally warm enough to do some gardening!
By scorpiobabes
@scorpiobabes (7225)
United States
April 30, 2013 4:45pm CST
Last week, overnight temperatures were still quite close to the freezing mark overnight. I wasn't sure if I'd get to start my vegetable garden any time soon, or if it would be warm enough to start it from seed any time soon. Guess this is Mother Nature's idea of a joke!
The last few days, I've been watching the forecast carefully to see the overnight temperatures. This week, it'll be 40 and above-finally! I didn't think it would ever warm up.
I started shopping in different places-I went first to Walmart, since my boyfriend works there. They were already cleaned out of much of what I needed-planter boxes, hangers to keep them on the railings, seeds or plants, and potting soil. All they had was some potting soil, some seed varieties, and some pots. Today, I had intended to spend time at Lowes before we hit the computer store, but my boyfriend woke up at noon. Instead, we skipped Lowes and dropped of the computer first, then hit Home Depot. I was kind of disappointed in their offerings. We came home.
I can visualize how I want to set it up too-I wanted to place a 4-foot planter box off the side railing, with two 3-foot boxes along the right. And in the one corner, I wanted two pots-cucumbers and tomatoes, since I could train them up the metal column. I didn't think I could find what I needed, and we no longer have any tools.
Talking to my next door neighbor, I asked her about her new plants. She mentioned that Kmart was selling them. She's got egg plant, peas, tomato and green bean plants. Who'dve thought that Kmart would actually have live plants! I've got almost $16.00 in Shop Your Way reward points, so guess who'll be at Kmart next week?
1 person likes this
6 responses
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
1 May 13
Where are you? I've been waiting and waiting for the overnight temps to be high enough (50 and above) to plant my tomatoes, eggplants and peppers outside but it's supposed to go down to near 40 at the end of this week. These things are very sensitive to the cold. I guess I could cover them up at night but it has also been pretty chilly during the days recently (in the 50's) and rainy/drizzly for days now.
I'm beginning to wonder if it's ever going to warm up! I want to get out there and plant my veggie garden, too, but every time I plan a date, it turns cold again.
By the way, if you can't find what you want this season, wait for the end of season sales and see what you can find dirt cheap. As for seeds, I save all the seeds I can from produce that I buy from the grocery store or seeds from one year's crop for the next year's crop. I didn't buy any seeds this year. 
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
1 May 13
I'm in Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley. I'm planting in containers, so if need be, I can bring them inside.
We've been buying canned vegetables since produce out of season is so expensive, so I haven't been able to get seeds-and of those I got great deals on are for trees (apples and oranges) that I can't rely grow on my porch. But I'll be sure to save seeds this year!
I haven't attempted a vegetable garden in over 25 years-back when I was a teen! But I'm determined to try this year. Where are you located?
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
1 May 13
We're not TOO far from each other. I'm in north-western Virginia, Winchester, in the mountains. It's typically a few degrees cooler here than in the foothills but this year it has been ridiculous for everybody everywhere. We're supposed to have a low of 44 degrees tonight, 46 tomorrow night and 42 Friday night. Unbelievable.
I have shelves with grow lights in my basement and I have the lights up as far as they'll go but some of my plants are already too tall to fit under them. They should have gone in the ground already (or at least in pots on the deck). I've been putting them on the deck to harden them off before planting but we've had days when it was even too cold during the day recently. Right now, it's 59 degrees. It should be at least 10 degrees warmer.
I've been an avid gardener since I was a kid. My mother gave me the "chore" of growing tomatoes in our back yard every year but I never considered it a chore, I loved it. The pepper plants and tomato plants that I have growing right now are from seeds I collected and saved from those veggies I bought fresh over the winter.
Oh! Have you thought about looking online for the things you need? When I do buy seeds and when I buy fruit trees or berry bushes (even strawberries), I order them from an online nursery. They have everything in stock all the time and rarely run out, unless you want some rare specialty plants. My favorites are Park Seed (parkseed.com) and Gurney's (gurneys.com). I've never gotten anything that was inferior from those two places and they have lots of sales (if you're patient, which I am not always, lol). They sell planters and other things, too.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
30 Apr 13
Was last week here in Mexico. But its real cold and windy here today. I cant wait to get back into my garden. Take care there. Green thumb....
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
1 May 13
I'm gardening in containers -I don't have any space. I get more sun then my neighbor, and since she told me where she got the plants, I might go and pick some up too. Good luck with your garden!
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
1 May 13
We do that as well..they seem to grow fast enough in plastic here. My bell peppers grow fast in plastic milk cartons here.
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
1 May 13
I'm grateful it's not raining here either! It rained part of Sunday and Monday-it was so dreary out!
@jambi462 (4576)
• United States
1 May 13
It's starting to get there in my area as well, unfortunately I may be moving at the end of the summer and the growing season is only about three months to four months in my area. So I can't really grow any tomatoes or peppers this year and most of the things that I can grow have to be able to harvest in about seventy to eighty days at a maximum. I didn't start any tomatoes indoors this year so if I do try and grow them I'll have to buy them already started which could be pretty expensive.
I still have a bunch of seeds left over from last year so I just have to go through them and see which ones I can grow before I move. I'm pretty bummed out that I'm not able to grow everything that I want to this year but hopefully soon enough I'll live in a warm enough climate to grow things year round. I would really love to be able to grow tropical things and be able to keep growing things all year round.
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
1 May 13
I'm not really sure how long it takes to grow a tomato plant, but my boyfriend does eat vegetables, so we're planting what he likes and have space to do it. I haven't attempted a garden in more than 25 years-and never in containers, so I'll be writing about my adventures in my new blog I'm also trying to start. It will definitely be an interesting journey!
I'm planting radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, strawberries and an herb garden. I just need to get some containers, potting soil, some garden twine for the climbers and my plants.
Our temps haven't gone lower than 40 overnight, but are so unpredictable during the day! It's been anywhere from the lower 50s through the mid 70s-no wonder I'm having sinus problems!
Best of luck with your garden this season-I want to move south to North Carolina, get some land, and try homesteading.
@grobanite (323)
• United States
1 May 13
I'm very excited for the new gardening season, but unfortunately I still have a couple more weeks before anything will be planted outside! I'm adding more veggies to my garden and actually expanded my space so soon will begin my fun :) My temperatures are warm here during the day but the nights still feel too chilly to risk it (especially with my beautiful tomatoes!)
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
1 May 13
Are you starting from seed, or will you be starting from plants? I'm starting from plants this year because its been over 25 years since I've attempted one, and I don't really have to space to start seeds. I'm about 30 minutes south of the Pocono mountains, so I'm getting a late start, but my neighbor who grew up here, felt confident enough to start planting. I figure if she's ready, then I'll try some too!
@tinym8 (420)
• United States
1 May 13
It's always fun to start a garden in the spring. We haven't started ours yet either. We did put out our flowering hanging pot we have had in the house all winter on our front deck a few days ago. We felt brave enough to hang it outside. I don't think we'll have any more really cold nights, but we'll keep an eye on the weather reports.
We plan to have green peppers, tomatoes, parsley and not sure what other vegetables as well as some flowers in our garden this year.
When I was a child my schoolyard had a long row of beautiful lilac bushes. I'll never forget their sweet fragrance as you walked by them. They grew to about 7 or 8 feet tall. They were just gorgeous!
Last year we planted a rhododendron in our front yard and this year I would like to plant a lilac bush near the road at the front of our lawn. We have a lot of shade on our front lawn, but the sun is out by the road nearly all day.
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
1 May 13
The home I lived in as a teenager had SO much full sun for years that I spent a large amount of time water! At my own home, I had patches of sun and shade; behind my garage, it was shade almost all of the time, so I got a lot (30+) hostas I planted there, but had to dig them up when I put in my back patio. I started a cute rock and succulent garden by my gate, and I planted a butterfly bush by a large stump, with ferns, hostas and gerariums-that I was proud of! My boyfriend had planted two lilac bushes in front of his home; they did quite well. But here, we only have our porch, and since the railing isn't the best, my containers will be on the floor. I'm hanging flowers, and growing cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, brussel sprouts, and an herb garden. I can't wait! Enjoy your garden this year!
