Sow the seeds

Two days ago, I soaked my Jiffy peat pellets and dropped in the first seeds.  In a few days, I'll drop a few more as back-up then in a few weeks, maybe two, I'll do more.  My thought is to have a progressive garden, one that gives continually as opposed to the "all at once garden".  We have long, hot summers in Georgia and I'm pretty sure I can drag out the growing season until November.

I'm starting these seeds now:

• Tomatoes: San Marzano, Beefmaster, Brandywine, Sweetie and Beefsteak.  All are indeterminate, (What was I thinking?!)
• Eggplant
• Leeks
• Parsley
• Basil
• Kohlrabi
• Peppers: Poblanos and Sweet Banana

The rest of the seeds that I have to sow can go directly into the soil.  That means I had better get the raised beds going if I want to get them in before the first frost, (mid-April).  I have 16 landscape timbers to lay down in roughly 2, 8x4 beds, about 6 inches high.  I would also like to have a smaller raised bed, maybe made from an old sandbox, to use as a strawberry patch.  I've grown strawberries before and I know what to expect from them.  If not checked, they can take over a garden.  But they do need their own space so why not use what space I have.

Oh, I've shared that large open lot with my backyard neighbors and another family.  Both don't have the yards that get full sun or any sun for that matter.  So I thought I'd share what we have with them.  We each have a plot about 8x24 feet although I've told my friends that they can use more space if need be.  My backyard neighbor and our other friends have good gardening backgrounds so perhaps we can pull off a successful garden this year!

I eagerly await the first cotyledons to push up out of the pellets.  I might celebrate with just a large sigh of relief.   

Oh, and it's raining.  AGAIN!  That means the loose soil that I have in the backyard is too soft to work.  Actually, the backyard neighbor was gracious to lend us use of his tiller and my friend tilled the garden plots several weeks ago.  One bed is already laid out with the timbers and is ready to go.  That means I need to hustle, or rather, Doug needs to hustle getting the timbers up.  We'll get there.