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I’m not at all a Seinfeld fan, but for some reason, Kramer’s Festivus holiday jumped out of my head and into the title of this entry.  I guess that his enthusiasm for celebration was so similar to what I have been feeling when I’m out in the garden these days.  Something new has gone in the ground each day this week.  The promise of new life, new varieties and (crossing our fingers) no gophers has taken over my head.

Here is a quick list of what has been planted from seed this week:

Lettuces – 6 different heirloom varieties

Arugula

Mustard Greens

Golden Chard

Orach Mountain Spinach – good for hot summer climates without bolting to seed

Delicata Squash – a new one for me this year

Pumpkin – for carving in October

Haricot Vert – trying these again after they became the favorite snack of gophers last year.  What few I had were delicious

Cannellini Beans – big, white, fabulous

A few items that were planted a couple weeks ago have just poked their heads out of the soil:

Zucchini

Yellow Crookneck Squash

My strawberries crowns have blossomed in to luscious, leafy plants with flowers peaking out everywhere.  It breaks my heart to pinch off the flowers, but I know it’s for the best next year.

I also transplanted some muskmelons into the garden a couple weeks ago in cow pots.  They are doing well, but need a little more time to get established.  The cow pots haven’t quite broken down yet, and I’m curious to see when that will happen.  More on that later.

Still to come – planting out all the tomatoes, cucumbers, cosmos, basil, eggplant, peppers and parsley that was started from seed under grow lights.  They are coming along nicely, even though they are a little leggy.  I’m increasing the time they spend under lights this week to see if that helps a bit.

All in all, it’s a garden Festivus out there.  The planning has been fun, now the execution is at hand.  Celebration is soon to follow.

What are you planting in your garden this spring?  How is it working for you?  Share it with us here.