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 ~ 11/17/14

We had another frost this past week, so it was time to admit that the summer garden is done. I spent the entire weekend pulling all my summer plants (other than my pumpkin vines) and harvesting anything left on the plants, including unripe chili peppers and tomatoes, which can still be eaten. I also made a trip to the fairgrounds to pick up my canned goods and ribbons and got a nice surprise when I got there.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 4/7/14

It’s been a busy week in the garden. The temperature was in the mid-80’s, and there was much to do. I was hoping to get some of my seed in the ground this past weekend, but that didn’t happen. I spent twelve hours in the garden, and it was all spent preparing some of my raised beds. (I still have four more to do!) Why did it take me so long? See my post later this week, “The Good Idea that Wasn’t.” For now, let me share the good things from my garden.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 2/24/14

I think spring is just around the corner! This past week, we’ve had temperatures in the 70’s and low 80’s (about 10 degrees above average, but I’ll take it). Although we’re supposed to have two or three nights the end of this week dipping below freezing for a couple hours, I think we’ve seen the worst of the winter now. My tulips are blooming, and yesterday I noticed the clover is starting to bloom along with the henbit and chickweed. The bees are sure to come soon. My winter garden is actually growing (what survived the cold as well as two ice storms), and I’m actually seeing new seedlings coming up.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 5/27/13

This Memorial Day weekend has been hot and sunny, and I got a lot done in the garden ~ fertilizing, weeding, pruning, and harvesting. The warm weather, along with the rain we got a few days ago, have caused growth spurts in every bed! Peppers, tomatoes, and beans are fruiting. Eggplant, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, and squash are flowering. The picture above is a double-blossom male zucchini flower. I have never seen that before.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 5/13/13

We’re finally drying out a bit here, and it got quite hot (high 80s) for a few days. I’m battling new bugs (aphids on the snow peas and whiteflies on a couple tomato plants), but the neem oil seems to be working, thankfully. In preparing for this week’s update, I was amazed at the amount of growth in my plants just since last week. (The above picture is a view of most of my beds.) Green and growing? Then all is well!

In Honor of Farmers’ Wives

Last weekend, I harvested winter crops from ten raised beds, then started the spring planting. I work full time on a flex schedule so I can have Fridays off, but I took an additional day off, thinking a four-day weekend would be enough to complete the harvesting and the planting. HA! The joke’s on this suburbanite turned homesteader! 

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 2/11/13

There’s more green in my sanctuary garden since last week. Inside, my seedlings are growing up and moving out of the nursery; I’ve already transplanted 20 seedlings into larger containers. Outside, we had two inches of much needed rain! But also, I tried something new that I think has contributed to a difference in my plants.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 2/4/13

Although it’s winter and the temperatures have dropped again here, there’s still a lot going on in my garden – both inside and out. Three days ago, I planted potatoes – Yukon Gold, fingerlings, and purple potatoes. With a total of 34 plants, I’m expecting quite the spud harvest this spring! My winter crops are growing and my seedlings are coming up under the grow lights.

Sanctuary Gardener Update ~ 1/27/13

Boy have things been busy this week here at my Sanctuary Garden! Not only do I have 14 raised beds that I’m tending outside, I now also have six flats of seeds and seedlings that I’m nurturing. The weather has cooled off since my last update with temperatures closer to average, so the growth of the outside veggies has slowed a bit. Yet, most of my winter crops now have their secondary (true) leaves. And seeds are already popping through the soil under my grow lamps!