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This year feels entirely different. When I look back at the past year, I remember my smaller garden, my tiny budget greenhouse, and the constraints of small raised beds. Now that we have moved to our bigger garden, I am experiencing a lot of firsts. For the first time, I will do direct sowing where the plants will have unlimited root depth and much more space to grow.
March is the month when gardening truly starts to take off, and I find that my other hobbies gently step aside to make room for the spring preparations.
The Strawberry Experiment
Last weekend, I finally made a proper bed for my strawberries with stone block edges. Previously, I kept them in pots, but I have learned that strawberries are incredibly resilient. They survived outside in those pots, covered only with dry leaves, through a not so mild Bavarian winter where temperatures often dropped to -10 degrees (sometimes even -15).
Because they proved to be so tough, I am testing a new theory this year. I planted them in a shady area. I believe they do not actually need as much direct sun as people say, and I am confident they will do just fine. I will definitely keep you posted on how they grow.
Seedlings and Tomato Math
Early March is always dedicated to starting tomatoes and peppers indoors. This year, I ordered a beautiful package of seeds from a small business, filled with many different tomato varieties. Since I do not have a greenhouse right now, I decided not to try all the varieties at once and only picked half.
I planted almost twenty tomato seeds, and somehow, all of them germinated. Do I have the space for all of them? No. Do I plan to keep them all anyway? Yes. Later in the season, I will try to give a few away. Sadly, not many people I know have gardening as a hobby, so I suppose I might need to find some new friends who love plants as much as I do.
Outsmarting Slugs and Spring Frost
I am also starting marigold seeds indoors this year, which I will replant outside later. I didn’t start so many seeds indoors last year, but, this year, I am trying to start as many things indoors as possible to prevent slugs from eating up my young, fragile seedlings. Lettuce, broccoli and swiss chard are currently starting indoors as well.
Outside in the new garden, I did my first direct sowing of onion bulbs and carrot seeds. Naturally, right after I planted them, we had a few days of frost in a row. I can only hope and wait to see what will actually come out of the cold ground.
Cake for Lunch
In addition, I wanted to share my favorite lunch lately. It is simply a slice of cake and a warm cup of coffee. Sometimes, when the days are busy and the soil needs turning, a comforting slice of cake is exactly what my body and mind need in the middle of the day.
Enjoy!
Take a peek at my painting gallery if you are curious: My Art Gallery
Talk soon,
Look forward to see how all seedlings progress.
Love seeing the different tomato varieties from the other side of the world!