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Getting set for the garden this year was a little different and lot less work than last year! While we haven't moved huge quantities of soil or built any structures, the gardening continues. I've had a few people ask me about building (and filling) a raised bed. If you are interested, check out my posts on this from last March.

I ordered seeds early and may have gotten a bit carried away, but I'm having fun! Botanical Interests is my seed company of choice. They are family owned and out of Colorado, non GMO, with many interesting and special organic and heirloom seeds. The seeds are high quality and the packets they come in contain much more than the average information. The illustrations are also pretty sweet.

I started marigold and bell pepper seedlings in the basement under fluorescent lights way back in January. They've grown very well and are now 5 to 6 inches tall and beginning to flower! I purchased two varieties of marigold seed, both of which I plan to intermix with veggies in the garden to help detract pests. I bought marigold plants last year at Lowe's, which was fine, but ordinary. I'm especially pleased with my marigold plants because they are far more unique and smaller than the average marigold plants readily available. I have two kinds: Marigold Dwarf Lemon Drop and Marigold Signet Lemon/Tangerine Gems.

Marigold Dwarf Lemon Drop

In January I also started my bell pepper plans, Pepper Sweet California Wonder. They've turned into quite beautiful plants, with interesting purple stems. I'm planning to move them out of the basement and into the sun porch soon so that they begin adjusting to the outdoor temperatures. I'll wait until after the average last frost (April 28th here in D.C.) before I plant them outside.

Pepper Sweet California Wonder

Tomatoes and basil: taste great together and also make great companion plants. I have a mixed pack of basil seeds that contains 7 variates. I'm going back to the Brandywine tomatoes this year, which were our favorite. We loved this sweet pinkish tomato! This year I'm also trying Cherokee Purple, Silvery Fir Tree, Green Zebra and Rainbow Blend Cherry. The seedlings are about an inch tall now and I'm planning to transplant them soon. I love the variety I get by planting seeds.

Outside I have a cold frame that I made late last fall from an old tent frame and heavy plastic. I closed it up for the winter with rosemary, winter kale, scallions, chives and lettuces inside. I wasn't sure what to expect and when I poked my head inside every few weeks, not much was happening. Then about a month ago I opened it up to let everything breathe and found that spring had come early inside. Kale, lettuces and chives took off.

The cold frame in November

The March cold frame harvest

I also mixed up the large raised bed and added nutrients for this year: compost, vermiculite and Dr. Earth's Organic Tomato, Herb and Vegetable fertilizer. I added new twine lines to make my planting squares for organization, and I'm all set!

It's a little early, but I went ahead and planted sugar snap peas, carrots, swiss chard, Siberian kale, lettuces, and spinach. Now, I wait, and not so patiently.

Seriously Sized Zucchini

The place: Rosemary Street, Denver, CO
The item: Zucchini
The size: A burly man's arm


On our trip out west, we had the pleasure to see and taste our friend's enormous zucchini. They started out the spring building two raised bed gardens in Denver and now its harvest time and they have more zucchini than they know what to do with! They are pretty tasty on the grill. Lesson for next year? Maybe one plant will do! Check out the beautiful monsters and their blossoms.




It's not all zucchini. There's corn with colorful purple hinted tassels, just about ripe for picking.



Cucumber lemon too - which I have never seen before, nor even heard of! What does it taste like and how do you eat it? This one is a mystery to me.



They have lots more growing and making its way to harvest. The raised beds are a great size, plopped into a huge yard with lots of room for lounging. Wow - check out that new fence. What a beauty.


Thanks for sharing the garden - can't wait to see what happens next year!

Waiting and Watching

I'm sitting near my garden on new patio furniture. It's sunny, breezy and cool - but not too cool. It's my favorite weather. I have a cup of hot coffee and I'm listening to birds chirp, the wind chime in our sun porch, and the low, sad howl of a lonely neighborhood dog.

We've progressed in the weeks that have passed. We now have a wooden table and chairs, stepping stones and wood chips between the raised beds. The soil around the sun porch has been tested, replenished, mixed and fertilized to prepare for the home of tomatoes and herbs, which have also been planted.

The short-lived spring blossoms of our azaleas, lilacs, tulips and daffodils have passed, but the garden has rapidly grown. The two-inch broccoli plants I purchased about six weeks ago have grown into large leafy masses, towering over everything.

After slowly watching the progress of the indoor seedlings, I'm surprised every day to walk out to the garden to see the peas, beans, swiss chard, kale and carrots planted by seed in the garden to rise up and expand each and every day. The lettuces on the other hand, have been slow. Really slow. After nearly two months, I have just a few leaves! My kohlrabi plants look remarkably like the kale, which I've planted right next to one another.

The companion herbs and flowers in the raised beds have also taken off. I had to pull out one of the nasturtium plants because it was taking over the space for my kohlrabi. The marigolds consistently bloom and offer a shock of orange in the otherwise sea of green. The rosemary grows, very slowly and steady – I'm happy to have several plants for clipping.

The potted plants are also doing well. I have green, red and yellow bell-pepper plants in a pot each, which are starting to bloom.

A few of the indoor seedlings didn't make it – the chives I tried never sprouted. I think it may have been too cold. My purple basil, which I was really excited to have, sprouted but then petered off and died once they had a few leaves. The coleus seedlings made it but after nearly four months are still tiny! It's hard to imagine them as large leafy shade plants yet this season.

Last weekend I went back to my seed packets and planted a second phase of seedlings. More carrots, lettuces (since the first set wasn't so successful) and beans. I also started more purple basil and chives in pots – we'll see if I can get anything out of them this time!

I'm waiting and watching for the first harvest.

White House Garden Tour

Last weekend the Obamas opened their gates (via long security lines) for a bi-annual garden tour of the White House grounds. It was a beautiful day to strolls their immaculately manicured greens. Well, in reality, we were confined to roads and sidewalks, but you get the feel.


Much of the tour focus was on trees planted by various presidents. I had expected to see more flowers, but the gardens are surprisingly simple.

But then there was Michelle's garden! For me, it was the highlight. I'm so happy that it has become a source of public interest. Local kids are brought in to help with planting and to learn about growing vegetables. Then of course, the fruits and veggies are used by the White House cooks.

I was pleased to see a lot of a the same crops that I'm growing (things like kohlrabi, swiss chard, lettuces and kale). However, their plants were huge! They must have had some sort of executive jump start! They are using a more traditional garden set up when compared to me, but they did have raised beds with rhubarb planted. I couldn't get close enough to take a real look, though!

The Obamas have also supported the establishment of a farmer's market near the White House. It's great for those of us working downtown, where there are very limited choices to purchase anything fresh. It's such a pleasure to walk over after work, pick up local fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats and then hop on the bus to head home.

Thanks for the veggies Barack and Michelle!

The difference a week can make

It's amazing how much can take place in one week. This one has been a personal whirl-wind, and the garden has progressed too. The raised bed was built last Saturday and today, there are sprouts poking out from that beautiful organic soil.


My freshly planted seeds of lettuces, kale, kohlrabi, swiss chard and peas faced three days in the 80s and 90s, followed by a deep cool rain and 60s sunshine. Not much has had the chance to germinate, but the Siberian Kale is up.


I transplanted the two varieties of garlic that I started in the sun porch into the raised beds. I'm hoping that they won't be a tasty treat for the bunny rabbits. Although I haven't seen them, I've been warned there is a family near. Hopefully, we'll all get along.


I bought two broccoli and rosemary plants to add to the beds. The broccoli wasn't planned, but I couldn't resist! It'll fit, right? I'll be adding more rosemary and marigold plants in the future, intermingled with the other vegetable plants. Both are known to be a good companions to many of my planned veggies. I couldn't locate nasturtium flowers to include as well. I'll continue to be on the look out for them.

Changes also continue by the hour in the sun porch. The tomatoes I ordered by mail arrived and my seedlings are progressing. Here's the Heirloom Rainbow Blend and the Julia Child Heirloom tomato seedlings (thanks for the seeds, Mom!).

The yard is in bloom. Heath and I were surprised to find that we have azalea bushes in the front! They are pink, white and red. I thought the bushes were a bit unsightly - which they are when not in bloom - but he blossoms are an unexpected bonus! Daffodils, tulips and the new cherry tree are all blooming.

I'll never forget visiting the National Arboretum last year with my mom during the azalea bloom. We snuck out for a walk during a light rain and were stunned by the beauty of a woods nearly full of azalea blooms of many colors, shapes and sizes. I recommend a visit They are currently in bloom...

It's time to head out to enjoy.

The Raised Bed - Too Tired for Words