April 10, 2021 by Jeanette Rueb (Peachy00Keen)

March 2021 Garden Journal — Peachy00Keen

Location: Mountain West, USA; Southwest/Central Idaho
Zone: 7a
Lot Type: Dense Suburban; Back of house faces due east
Soil Type: Clay/Sand, Amended

Friday, 3/5

Finished digging the gardens (started in fall, did most of the work in February); retaining wall goes in early next week.

Monday, 3/8

Retaining wall installation begins along back fence; natural soil base, weed barrier, ~3" topsoil backfill

Wednesday, 3/10

Planting Calendar completed (for present and future reference).

Seed station assembled (it’s kinda jank, but it should work until I can figure something better out next year).

Thursday, 3/11

Seeds started in used egg cartons with potting soil; will mist daily; two seeds per well except for small herbs (then it’s a pinch per well), six wells per plant – Thyme, Sage, Oregano, Basil, Butterfly Flower, Lemon Balm, Echinacea, Jalapeños, Habaneros, Bell Peppers (colorful), Roma Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes.

Sunday, 3/14

Raised the seeds up closer to the grow lights. They’re getting more natural sunlight now, too.

Monday, 3/15

Really minimal weeding in the front gardens (which I’m still totally stumped on what to do with). I looked up a few of the rogue plants and realized I could use them, so I potted a ton of common mallow for myself and made a trade with my friend:

My donkey tail spurgelet and a surprise tansymustard for a monstera start and a begonia cutting. We trade later in the week.

Tuesday, 3/16

One truckload of compost covered about half of the backyard. I amended the area near the entrance to the backyard where the irrigation hoses were shallowest. A pitchfork made turning the clay-rich native soil fairly easy. I laid the compost around the rest of the yard to till later. I also packed clay between the stepping stones to make a smoother path that I could roll the cart along.

Wednesday, 3/17

Gave the grapes a much-needed haircut, finished laying out the rest of the compost, did a bit more tilling.

Thursday, 3/18

First seedlings sprouted (thyme, sage, oregano); purchased clover seed to apply in the backyard; bought two blueberries, a blackberry, a raspberry, and a strawberry plant, and placed my overwintered cayennes back outside; staged the backyard.

Friday, 3/19

It rained. I mostly took a day off because I hurt and I'm too exhausted to think. I did a little gardening indoors instead.

Saturday, 3/20

Started lavender in a pot.

Sunday, 3/21

Planted serrano seeds from a fresh pepper in an old raspberry container and placed it in the window between my terrariums.

Monday, 3/22

Overseeded with clover in back, fed and weed barriered the front yard, then the heavens opened up and it poured freaking sleet for 20 minutes. Not sure if any of my seed stuck. (LOL) Purchased elements for a proper germination station, set up the shelving unit; the rest of the important stuff arrives by next Monday supposedly.

Wednesday, 3/24

Planted some rosemary seeds in a stylin’ salsa container and bought a honeysuckle plant to put along the fence where it’s really shaded.

Saturday, 3/27: Did a little more amending; planted pineberry roots

(White Carolina), strawberry plants (Eversweet), blueberry bushes (Perpetua and Tophat), blackberry bramble (Columbia Giant), raspberry bramble (Willamette), and honeysuckle (Halliana).

Sunday, 3/28

Treated blueberry bushes’ soil with acidifier, added potting station, moved bleeding hearts from their death plot out front to two spots in back where there’s more shade, hung up hose reel and hose, planted valerian in large self-watering planters, and trellised honeysuckle. Gave everyone some water and called it a day. I even got a tan.

Monday, 3/29

Set up germination station; purchased more seed trays; planted geraniums and sedum out back (thanks, Eda!); sowed more seeds – Passionflower, more Echinacea, more lemon balm, dill, chamomile, bee balm, romaine, kale, buttercrunch, arugula, spinach, assorted greens, swiss chard, cucumbers, ground cherries, okra, more butterfly flowers, parsley, chives, cilantro, cress.

Next: Finish amending soil, lol at top layer of compost, get gravel for the swing area, rockhunt for the border, set up germination station inside, start more seeds.