Nice Day Big Day

Today turned out to be a nice day and a big day for the condo garden. It was mostly sunny and in the low 60s. The wind died down by afternoon. So, I was weather inspired and there have been several additions to the garden.
I bought a bundle of California red onions which I planted with the spinach seedlings that grew in one of my seedling kits. I purchased a 30" window box planter with tray. The container is only about 8" deep and I only put in about 6" of potting soil, but this is supposed to be enough as the onions don't grow that far down and they're planted only 1" deep. I lost one of the spinach seedlings--may it rest in peace--during replanting.

California Red Onions and Spinach

I was going to wait to purchase my patio tomato plant until May, but they had a nice looking one at Home Depot. I had the planter waiting for it's tomato sitting in the shower stall of my second bathroom taking up space. So, it seemed like time to get the plant and plant it:

Patio Tomato

Now, someone can take a shower in there.

Last year, I killed my Patio Tomato because my container was too small. I did get a very cute tomato baby picture before the plant got some odd fungus and died:

This cute tomato baby picture was all I ended up
with from my efforts in growing tomatoes
last year.

I also added a few more herbs:

Lemon Thyme

Rosemary (It already smells wonderful)

Onion Chives



Greek Oregano (oops, mislabeled, but it really is
Greek Oregano and not Lemon Thyme) 

 The blueberry and cranberry bushes are outside (and that peat/Holly-tone smell along with them). I hope to keep them outside for the duration unless the weather gets cold again. I think they can withstand the rain. I brought the strawberries in, however, because I'm not sure they can stand the rain and they're less stinky than the blueberry/cranberry soil is:

Strawberries are back inside until our spring storms
die down, but I hope to keep the blueberries and cranberries
outside until winter.

Here's what the indoor garden looks like now:

The plan is to eventually get the beans, peas, peppers, and tomato outside and leave the herbs inside on the baker's stand to get that warm afternoon sun.

What I learned:

1. When you buy a plant in a peat pot, you should carefully pull the bottom of the peat pots away before planting. If they're damp, othat's pretty easy to do.

2. Don't smother your red onions. They only need to be planted 1" down.

3. Space your spinach fairly far apart (I've read as much as 8" apart). It's going to grow out more than it grows down.

4. If a variety of seeds fails to germinate, go ahead and buy a plant. My rosemary failed, but now I have a beautiful fragrant plant that I plan to use to flavor my famous beer can chicken this summer.

It's officially Talk Like Shakespeare Day in Chicago, so here's my quote:

"O, how this spring of love resembleth
The uncertain glory of an April day;
Which now shows all the beauty of the sun,
And by and by a cloud takes all away."