My Shade Garden Plans

Yesterday I worked on the little garden in the shade. It consist of four raised beds (4 foot x 7 foot) with straw paths that measure two feet across. The complete garden is fenced in: however, as I was working one of my cats came inside to help. There was a hole in the fence that I had not seen – so  now I know how the rabbits got in to eat all my peas last year. (Thanks for showing me the hole, Sunshine!)

I plan on four separate planting stages this year starting with early spring. I am off to a good start  (but later than usual) –  hopefully things will work out as planned.

I started the season by removing the winter cover of dry leaves. Once the leaves were gone I pulled any weeds that had emerged before adding a top-dressing of Miracle Grow garden soil. I used a small hand-held cultivator to break up the new soil before planting the seeds.

The garden gets more sun in the early spring because some of the trees have not leaved out yet. Later in the season the shade will be deeper.

After the seeds spout I will add grass clipping as mulch. We do not use any chemicals on our grass so it is very safe to recycle the clippings.

Early Spring plantings:

Bed A  is planted with two rows of Arugula directly in front of the garden gate (shown in purple on the drawing). The arugula seeds are planted one seed every 3 inches at 1/4 inch deep.  On the other side of the pin wheel I have planted two rows of spinach. I planted Bloomsdale, long-standing spinach seed every 2 inches and 1/2 inch deep. On the other side of the box I planted 3 rows of black seeded Simpson lettuce at a depth of 1/8 inch and spaced about 1 inch apart. Closer to the fence I planted 3 rows of early scarlet globe radishes.These are planted 1/2 inch deep and about 1 inch apart.  Plant new seeds every  two weeks for continuous harvest.

Arugula will be ready to harvest in 40 days. Outer leaves can be harvested as they mature.

Spinach  will be ready to harvest in 45 days. Plants may be used when they reach 3 inches in height.

Lettuce will be ready to harvest in 45 days. They can be used when plant reaches 4 to 6 inches tall.

Radishes will be ready for harvest in 23 days.

Bed B

The half bed in front of the gate was not planted today.  I will plant cabbage and broccoli plants later. The other side was planted  with 4 rows of dwarf blue curled vates Kale.  The seeds are planted every 3 inches and 1/4 inch deep.

Kale will be ready to harvest in 55 days.

Bed C

I planted sweet onion bulbs in the first box. They are planted 1 inch deep and 4 inches apart. These can be harvested as green onions or later after the top growth has fallen over as dry table onions.  I then planted one row of American flag leeks next to the box divider. The seeds are planted every 2 inches ans 1/2 inches deep. The other side of the box will be used later.

Leeks will be ready for harvest in 150 days.

Bed D

Both of the boxes are planted with dwarf little marvel peas with lettuce broadcasted in the second box. Two weeks from today I plan on broadcasting lettuce seeds in the first box. The peas are planted every 2 inches and 1 1/2 inch deep.

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Late spring Planting

Bed A –  arugula, spinach, lettuce and radishes will continue to grow with the addition of beet seeds.

Bed B –  Cabbage and  broccoli plants will be added to the now empty side as will as some nasturtium seeds.  Kale will continue on the other side.

Bed C –  Onions and leeks will continue to grow  on the one side and green beans, lettuce,and radishes will be planted in the now empty plot.

Bed D – Peas and lettuce will continue to grow and more lettuce will be broadcasted as needed.

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Midsummer

Bed A – Lettuce, radishes, cover crop as needed

Bed B – cabbage, broccoli and Kale will continue to grow.

Bed C – Onions, leeks, green beans, lettuce, radish

Bed D – bush beans

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Autumn

Bed A – lettuce, carrots, spinach, arugula and parsley

Bed B – Turnips, broccoli, and Kale

Bed C – Lettuce, spinach, radish

Bed D – beets, carrots and leeks

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Today’s challenge is to  declutter duplicate and old catalogs. I do not keep catalogs unless I plan on ordering out of them. Most are treated like junk mail and immediately recycled.  I guess I will clean out some more magazines.

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It is starting to look like my weekend will be busy so today I am going to jump ahead and do Friday’s chores. I have decided to put off painting the treadmill room for now and work on the sun garden. The room will wait but the seeds only have so long of a growing season.