Weekend Update

Front garden with newly made hoops for row cover

Our goal for the weekend was to get the tiered garden done. We came close... The main garden is done, but the strawberry boxes that run along the side are not finished yet. On Sunday, I think it was, we had some bad storms with very strong winds. It shredded the row cover we had put over one of the beds but the crops are ok. So work time was lost to staying outside and playing Kinect Sports on the XBox -- I'm totally addicted to the bowling. =)

Anyhow, I got all the pepper plants planted (today some even have flowers!!!), several tomatoes, as well as some melons. Still so many more transplants to get in the ground though!  Today I started planting the strawberries in one of the other finished boxes behind the tiered garden.

On to the update photos!

This is the bender that we used to make the hoops from 1/2" electrical conduit. This particular model makes 4' diameter "low hoops". We got it from Johnny's and you can check it out here: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7708-quick-hoops-low-tunnel-bender-4-diam.aspx  Once you make the hoops, you can use their clamps to fasten the row cover to the hoop.

Ben's Sister Sarah became an expert hoop bender and made these hoops for us. Here she is hammering in a little thingie that secures the hoop to the bed. The broccoli plants there will be so happy to finally have the row cover up off of them.

Here are the broccoli plants up close. They're super happy looking! =)

One of the three potato beds. They're growing like crazy.

Spinach looks good too!

Finally got those tomato plants transplanted and caged. These are San Marzano Italian paste tomatoes.

While the potted tomatoes were sitting out on the deck waiting for transplant, the bumblebees visited them! So, here are the VERY FIRST tomatoes we've ever grown. Such cute little green guys. Can't wait till they're red.

Remember all that brush across the front yard? Well, now it's a giant mulch pile. We'll be using some of it to fill in the walking paths around the raised garden beds.