Where I live on the east coast we are proud of our reputation as the Garden State. Many people in my neighborhood have their own vegetable plots, some tend to a small garden or a collection of pots and containers and even more people have an impressive, rototilled arena.
You can find tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, broccoli, squash and peppers of all varieties planted in personal gardens. All of these plus many more have at one time or another been members of my family garden. I must say I got very into the whole gardening hobby very quickly. It just takes a little love and care and you are rewarded so handsomely. I found gardening to be both exciting and rewarding.
Around the middle of April, in the early morning hours you will find me outdoors with my spade, turning over the ground to loosen it up. Most people say this is foolish because anything before mid-May runs the risk of a frost and failure. If that's the case what do I stand to lose $20 to $30 worth of plants? No big deal! What I stand to gain is far greater! Honestly, the taste of a tomato that is still warm from the sun is like nothing on this earth. I will risk the few bucks to get it sooner rather than later.
In a big circular perimeter around my 8-foot diameter plot is where my onions, radishes, and lettuces are planted. This early on in the year I can put the lettuce out in the sunny part of the yard. Later on in the year I will easily move these burned treats to a mostly shady part of the plot.
Another precaution I take after many years of unhappy consequences is to mulch. We are about five miles from the beach so the land is very sandy. I added a bit of topsoil a few years back and routinely fed. It took years, but I finally gave in and decided to mulch the garden. Now, with a nice thick layer of the wet stuff on top, watering is only necessary a couple of times a week rather than twice a day.
Lastly, if you find yourself wandering out to check your plants almost immediately after planting and subsequently every 10 or 15 minutes after that, don't worry. You're not insane, and you are certainly not alone! I've been watching my green bean seeds for a week now, and its only April 27th!
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