Spring Garden Report      Natasha mulching tomatoes.  Steve Apps Photo

 

As of this past weekend, the remainder of the Apps vegetable garden at Roshara is planted.  Daughter-in-law Natasha and son, Steve, are now the garden managers.  I have been relegated to senior consultant.  I have a suspicion it means staying out of the way.

 

Following a practice we began many years ago, we make a map of our garden each year, and try to avoid planting anything in the same space as it was the previous year.  Also following a long-term practice, we mulch all the tomato plants as well as the cabbage, and broccoli plants. 

 

Last year we had a severe rabbit problem.  This year Steve added a third wire to our electric fence that surrounds the garden.  This third wire is but a few inches off the ground.  We’ll soon learn if it works.  If it doesn’t, we’ll have to install some woven wire around the rabbit loving plants.

 

We have planted a vegetable garden at Roshara, sometimes as large as a half-acre, since 1967.  Each year is different, some plants do better than expected.  Some don’t do well at all.

 

Here is what the team planted this year, row by row.

 

Sweet Corn -- short row

Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn

Skip a row

Zucchini / Cucumbers

Skip a row

Peas

Red potatoes

Kennebec White potatoes

Kennebec White potatoes

Onions (half row white and half row red)

Lettuce/Kale/Carrots and Radishes/Beets/Radish

Entry to garden -- walkway

Broccoli (8 plants) / Cabbage (6) / Pole beans

Bush bean / Pole bean

WI 55 Tomato (12) / Purple beans

Celebrity Tomato (2) / Early Girl (3) / Steak Tomatoes (3) / Purple beans

Magic Mountain Tomato (8)

Better Boy Tomatoes (11)

Better Boy Tomatoes (8)

Skip row

Squash - winter varieties

Skip row

Squash - winter varieties

Skip row

Pumpkins

Skip row

Gourds

Skip row

Flowers

Flowers -- variety / sunflowers

Flowers -- sunflowers

Flowers -- sunflowers and honey bee attracting flowers.

My dad always said, “Every vegetable garden should include some flowers.”

 

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Plant a garden.  You’ll enjoy fresh vegetables, and be surprised at what happens.                                                                                                                                 

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

 Learn more about gardening by reading my book, GARDEN WISDOM. You can buy my books at your local bookstore. order online from bookshop.org, Amazon.com, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library500 Division Street Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books.