Garden Corner 04/09/09

Just when I think the weather here in my corner of Kansas is improving, we end up with a day where I’d rather not work outside. My garden has been neglected of late. Good news though, just as I started typing, the sun came out and I rushed out to photograph the latest happenings.

Traveling clockwise from top left you can see: spring planted onion seedlings which are about 4″ tall; lettuce seedlings which are growing ever so slowly; garlic greens, very strong flavor and work well in soups and stews; spring greens which re-sprouted under my garden blanket and are now big enough for me to pick some for adding to soup or stew; and last, but not least, my pride and joy – my first ever compost!

My loyal readers will be familiar with my series of articles on 5 lazy ways to compost. Right after I finished writing that series it seemed kind of crazy that I’d been searching for years for a way to be lazy about compost making. I threw my lazy ideas out the window, rolled up my sleeves, and got mixing my first ever batch of compost from leaves and kitchen waste. I’d like to go into all the grubby details of how I did it, but that will have to wait because, today, instead I want to offer a couple of gardening ideas sparked by my loyal readers.

Growing Veggies in the Shade
Janet has been struggling to garden in the shade. Just for you Janet, an alphabetical list of veggies which will tolerate partial shade: arugula; beets; cabbage; chard; chives; collards; geraniums; johnny-jump-ups; kale; leeks; lettuce; mint; mustard greens; nasturtiums; onions; parsley; parsnips; raspberries; rhubarb; sage; spinach; turnips. This list comes from the book The Edible Garden.

I’m also going to hazard a guess that anything which will grow in Scotland where the daylight is not as strong could deal with part-day shade here at the lower latitudes of the USA. I suggest you also try: wild strawberries; peas; potatoes; and blackberries. I was recently given the tip to space plants further apart when you live further north or have part-day shade. Other than this, my best suggestion is to cut down a couple of strategically placed trees to let in light where you want your garden. It hurts, but it could be worth it!

If you have any further tips for Janet please leave them here, or visit her in her 32-Akre-Wood.

Rain Gardens
Inspired by Ruralmama who dreams of a rain garden, some links on rain gardening:

• A great link with a down-loadable guide which includes rain garden plans and a lot more, brought to my attention by Ruralmama herself: rain gardens how-to manual for homeowners. Wow! If you’re ready to get started this guide should answer pretty much all of your questions.
• The Native Rain Gardens site has a nice introduction to rain gardening – the what, why and how. The author had her kids help with building the garden, which makes her a supercool mom in my view!
• Did you know that Kansas City, Missouri is actually leading the nation in promoting and implementing rain gardens? Check out their 10, 000 rain gardens initiative. It makes my heart glad when I hear someone say they want to plant a rain garden
• Just in case you live in my area (near Kansas City) you need to check out The Prairie and Wetland Center. They have great information at their site and they sell all the plants you’d need for a rain garden through their store, which is called Critsite. My absolute favorite way to dream up native plantings for my garden is with their astoundingly comprehensive plant search system.
• If you have the “misfortune” to live outside my area, which I know most of you do, don’t despair. Just check your local university, county extension office, or botanic garden for rain garden information relevant to your area.

The Edible Garden (Sunset)
is available from Amazon.com.

Related posts:

1. Garden Corner 06/04/09
2. Garden Corner 03/26/09
3. Garden Corner 4/23/09