Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 5/11/15

Tropical Storm Ana formed off the coast of South Carolina this week and definitely affected our weather. My homestead is about 25-30 miles from the beach, so we didn’t didn’t get as much rain as other areas and it wasn’t as heavy. Steady, soaking rain is good! It’s been fairly breezy off and on for the past three days, too – ebbing and flowing with the storm bands. And now, the humidity is setting in. Ugh. Thanks, Ana. Fortunately, the garden is doing well, as you shall see.

Bringing in the Last of the Winter Crops

I took this week off to work in the garden, but I didn’t realize how much time it was going to take. Other than taking time off for the Sabbath and Passover, I have worked 8 to 10 hour days in the garden; and I still have yet to start spring planting! (That begins today, though.) However, my garden beds look beautiful and ready to plant now that I’ve harvested the last of my winter crops, weeded in and around the beds (filling TEN four-feet-tall lawn & leaf bags!), supplemented my soil with Azomite (rock dust) and compost, and top dressed the cypress mulch around my beds. (I’ll share pictures in my next Sanctuary Gardener Update post.) It’s been a lot of work, but I have everything ready for seed and seedlings, and a refrigerator full of root veggies and greens.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 4/6/15

It’s officially spring, and I took a week’s vacation from work to get the spring planting done! That includes harvesting the last of the winter crops, weeding and prepping the soil, and planting seed/transplanting seedlings. I’ve got my work cut out for me, for sure. Usually, at this time of year, I increase my blog posts from three times a week to five; but I’m going to change that this year. Because I’m working full time while working my “urban farm” AND running my own business, something had to give. So, until further notice, I’ll continue to post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. However, be assured, if I have something special to share, you’ll be getting a bonus post from Sanctuary Gardener. 😉 And now, on to this week’s garden update.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 2/23/15

This past weekend, we got a taste of spring. Saturday was 63 degrees, and I woke up Sunday morning to the sound of birds chirping outside my open window. Although it was cloudy, I was able to spend some time in the garden on Sunday in the 74 degree weather. Unfortunately, the cold will be returning this coming week, but the promise of spring is in the air.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 2/2/15

Yesterday, we had a beautifully warm, sunny day here. It reached 67 degrees! A perfect day to plant some Tom Thumb peas along my front walkway (in the spaces where I’ve harvested lettuce). I also harvested some salad goodies and planted 288 seeds in flats for my grow room. Unfortunately, the warm weather will be very short-lived. A cold front is passing through today, and tonight’s low is supposed to be 28 (yeah, rain! Boo, frost!). But alas, such is winter in the Lowcountry. At least I can still garden!

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 1/12/15

This past week, Charleston got a little taste of the winter the rest of the country usually gets. Of course, our temperatures weren’t near as low as many of you had to deal with. But the night of January 7, we got down to 18 degrees. In fact, we spent close to 48 hours below freezing! Needless to say, my hoop tunnels and key lime trees stayed covered for 4 days. The day time highs weren’t sufficient to uncover them and then have to recover them for the freezing temperatures at night. A couple days ago, the post-freeze garden inspection began.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 1/5/15

Happy new year, everyone! Welcome to my first update of 2015. It’s a new year, a new opportunity to expand our horizons, and a new chance to grow more and harvest more. This past week, I looked at seed catalogs, weeded, harvested, and planted peas and spinach and lettuce. The weather has been rather warm, but a cold winter blast is on its way. Next Wednesday night will go down to 20 degrees. Big difference from yesterday’s high of 74. Ah, the joys of living on the coast of South Carolina. Regardless, it IS nice to still be gardening in the winter.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 12/22/14

The weather has been fairly mild the past week, and I’ve been able to leave the plastic off my hoop tunnels at night. That’s been great as my plants need some direct sunlight – and the rain we’re now getting. I harvested a few things, and I noticed some seedlings finally germinated. A typical quiet week in my December garden.

Sanctuary Gardener’s Favorites: Roots and Greens

Welcome to the final installment of my four-part series, Sanctuary Gardener’s Favorites. I’ve already shared my favorite nightshades, legumes, and cucurbits. (If you missed any of them, see the links at the end of this post.) Today, I will share with you my favorite root vegetables and greens.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 12/1/14

Wow…it’s December 1st already. Can you believe it? My Thanksgiving was wonderful, and I hope yours was, too. The week was busy – preparing for the big meal, of course. In the garden, we received just shy of 6 inches of much-needed rain in four days! The temperatures were mild, so I had the covers off my hoop tunnels, and all my newly-sown seed received a good soaking. After the rain, the night time chill returned, but all my plants are doing well.