Still early enough that we could have a freeze, but on the island here at least, I feel pretty safe. Night time temps are low 50s for the extended forecast and I have planted things in colder weather.
So I put in 17 tomatoes in the front yard. Coldset, Super Canabec, Galina & Joe Lauerer.
I have a lot of volunteer lettuce up front. Mostly Red Romaine and I carefully transplanted them to their own spot as I put in the tomato plants and a row of Rainbow and Red Rhubarb Chard across the front of the garden.
Grape vine buds are bursting already. This is a Swenson Seedless.
Have some potato oddities from Rob & Tom Wagner (not related, but business partners and potato fiends) that I put in my yard here and they are all up. One is a Peruvian word for penis, crossed with something else I don’t remember offhand. The seed potatoes were almost black, and the size of marbles, but they kept through the winter. The other two are obscure varieties, one being a potato that flunked out of a breeding program for potato chips for not being big enough, but is good tasting and keeps well, and the other is an antique German variety which again, I do not remember the name of off-hand.
It is nice to see them emerge.
This is a hybrid sour cherry experiment a friend sent me a few years back. First year of really flowering and I am looking forward to seeing how they taste. Has grown from a 7 inch pencil to a 6 foot shrub in the meantime and covered with beautiful flowers now.
Red Lake Currant bushes are showing flower buds.
Sugar Snap peas are up.
Horseradish is still looking awesome.
And the Monarda is a wonderful thick clump I am going to have to start picking and drying for tea next winter here soon. Being I will have to pick soon. Really hope winter is not soon.
I even did some beans today. I did Scarlet Runner in the front yard on a new arbor I put up today, and in the back yard I am trying a second variety called Insuks Wang Kong I got from Glenn Drowns who claims it handles hot weather better (being it is not as likely to abort flowers on hot days) so we will see how they compare, and hopefully the 100 feet of separation is enough to not end up with crossings.
Two other types I planted as well. One, is an Israeli pole lima, which I planted where I did the Christmas lima last year. Only half of the seeds I was gifted. No idea how well it will do in our climate here, but with how early of a go we have with warmth I figure this is as good of a chance as it will get. The other bean I chanced was a try on generation 7 of my Hidatsa Shield/Dragon Tongue cross I have had fairly stabilized now for 3 years running. Just to see how it does with early emergence. Holding off on the rest of my beans for a few weeks.
