So this spring has been very weird. well... maybe it has actually been "Spring Like". Spring and Fall are the transitional season right? They are meant to be a bit unpredictable. our last frost date is listed as May 10.  I always wait though until memorial day weekend to do my planting. I figure I am pretty safe then, and our local garden club (which I keep meaning to join...) has a plant sale so I just buy them all and then plant them all and have a grand old weekend! 


I have been researching the straw bales and while some people recommend new ones each year that seem insane. (I have bought 17 in the last two years and they are $5.00 each and that just seems like a lot to spend annually....) so I figured I would just supplement and condition the balkes very well this year so they are still viable. 

Thus began my search for fish heads. Alas after posting twice on facebook asking for fish heads no one responded, I sometimes post things that are a bit.. shall we say "off" just to make people scratch their heads. For example a year or so for christmas I got amy sedaris' new book. “Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People.” I was VERY excited as I love her and her wacky sense of humor. So I changed my facebook user picture to this picture :



(just the bathing suit image actually) with no explanation. or caption or anything. No one asked, I never told. but I am certain people wondered. why? who? why? so I am guessing that my requesting fish heads was seen as a similar "tiffany is twisted" "do not make eye contact" "back away slowly" type situation. So long story I did not get fish heads. I did get epsom salt, aspirin egg shells, and some shrimp skins or whatever it is that shrimp have and fertilizer. Hopefully this will be enough.

As I said this Spring has been odd and our area had a frost warning Fri, Saturday and Sunday nights (may 25,26 and 27th!)!! I waited till Sunday to plant and still had to cover everything (I think I lost some celery (pictured in the last post) but nothing else, thankfully!)






I bought, 4 zucchini plants, 4 cucumber plants, 3 full sized tomato plants (green zebra, shady lady and hillbilly) 1 paste tomato (yellow banana) 1 currant tomato (sungold- my favorite! they are like little candy balls!) 1 grape tomato (grapette), 4 'sweet banana' sweet pepper plants, 1 'Hungarian wax' medium pepper plant, 1 'ring of fire' hot pepper plant, 1 'sweet pickle' sweet pepper plant 1 'jalapeno' hot pepper plant 2 tomatillo plants ('toma verde' and ... hmm can't recall the second variety). the plants were all strong and large and we have already gotten a few peppers! YUM! picture when i can.... i also built my own potting bench and will post a picture of that too! :)












***the above picture is from the book but i found this copy here: http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/books/2010/11/amy_sedaris%E2%80%99_crafts_book_will_leave_readers_stitches