It's Planting Time!

Just before Christmas my seed order from West Coast Seeds arrived.  There's nothing like the arrival of a seed order to get a gardener's juices going.  However, Christmas - and winter - do have precedence.

Seeds!

Today, January 26th, I just couldn't wait any longer, so I decided to give onions and leeks a try in my little unheated potting shed.  After moving a Gartenmeister Fuchsia which I'm trying to coax through the winter and sweeping off the counter, I filled 3 round pots with a seeding soil, wetted them down thoroughly and scattered seeds on the top, covering them with a bit more soil.  I only planted about a third of the seeds just in case it's pushing the season too much.  Onions and leeks are hardy seedlings, though, so they should be just fine.  They're in a plastic tray and covered with a clear plastic dome to give them a little protection.

The First Seeding of 2013

I'm growing Bandit Leeks and Copra Onions which are mainstays in my garden.  This year I'm also trying Apache Scallions.

A word about my potting shed.  My husband made it for me using a lot of found materials.  The studs came from our own trees and the glass panels on 2 walls and on the south-facing side of the roof all came from old sliding glass doors.  I have slatted counters under each wall panel which provide lots of room for starting seedlings.  Starting seedlings and storing my gardening equipment is all it's used for.  Oh, and it provides a shelf outside for mason bee homes.  In the picture below, you can see them under the peak of the roof.  And no, your eyes aren't deceiving you - the roof is much longer on the south-facing side than the north one.  There's a vigorous rosemary bush growing at the base and on the south side is the beginning of the lined dry-stone creek which takes runoff from the shed roof to the pond.

My Handy, Indespensibile Potting Shed

At this time of the year, there's not much growing in the garden.  Most plants have been pulled out and put on the compost pile.  However, I still have Bandit Leeks which keep right through the winter.  And several plants of Fordhook Swiss Chard still provide a meal every now and then.

Bandit Leeks - the last of the 2012 planting

It's not just about the veggies

We live on a Gulf Island and Gulf Islands are not known for deep, rich soil.  Our vegetable garden is on the top of a rocky plateau because that’s the area on our property that gets the most sunshine.  We have tucked a pond into the side of the plateau.  

The Pond, October 2012

It’s fairly large – about 10’ by 14’ – and about 5’ deep in the middle.  The sides slope steeply to prevent the Great Blue Herons from getting a toehold to feast on our fish – goldfish and one lone koi.  There are some planting ledges, but the koi seems to make water gardening a non-event.

The pond has been in the works for about 5 years now.  We had the area dug out by machine – with all the rocks, doing it by hand was an impossibility! The backhoe operator then bolstered up the side of the excavation to create the pond. A lined drystone creek leads from my potting shed to the pond.  When it rains, water from the roof of the shed falls into the creek and makes its way downstream to the pond.  All water is precious on a Gulf Island!

Frozen Pond Winter 2009

We have slowly (emphasis on the word “slowly”) been working on it – landscaping the sides, planting trees to provide a bit of shade and generally making this garden room a pleasant place to spend time in.  And nature has been at work as well.  Two different types of frogs have made their way to our pond.  They did try to spawn in it, but the koi made short work of that!  And a bulrush seeded itself in a pot of yellow water irises!

Rana Aurora

We are still a long way from completion.  Next year’s – or is it years’ – plans include installing a pump and filter, finishing the walkway on the left of the pond, and paving a portion of the grassy area at the front to create a seating area.  Like any garden, it’s always a work in progress!