Gardening in Coastal Maine – Planting Zone 6a- Early May

Our garden soil was delivered yesterday to the tune of $50 a yard! FIFTY DOLLARS. Can you believe it? I think the most we paid for “garden” soil back when we lived in Washington was $28 a yard {and we had to go get it ourselves}. 

And while “garden soil” is the good stuff {with rotted cow manure mixed in} $50 a yard sure seemed like a crazy price to me. But then I remembered our old neighbor Kiln Guy paying $50 a yard for screened garden soil {with shellfish bits mixed in} 2 summers ago and just chalked the high price up to … that’s just what it costs here. 

I had ordered the garden soil with plans to use it to amend the soil where I’m going to plant our blueberry/raspberry plants and fruit trees. But once the 5 yards was delivered, I quickly decided I’d have plenty left over to top off the beds in the kitchen garden that’s right in front of our house. 

I hauled a few wheelbarrow loads to the kitchen garden yesterday and will do a bit more today, but man, that stuff is heavy {either that, or I’m getting old. I’m not sure which}.

Last fall I planted 2 rows of garlic in the bed to the left side of the path… only 1 row came up. This is in the same general area where I planted daffodil bulbs last fall and those all rotted as well. So now I’m wondering if I have a drainage issue in this spot or if it’s just a dead zone. 

I decided to build up the area a bit with some of my new garden soil and plant 6 rhubarb crowns in the same spot to see what happens. It’s been my experience that rhubarb is insanely hardy, so we’ll see.

About 2 weeks ago I planted 2 packets of peas behind the chives along the fence. And those all disappeared as well. But since the chives {and peonies} are thriving in that spot, I figured the birds must have gotten to the new pea shoots as soon as they popped up. 

Last night I planted another packet of peas {this time indoors, in egg cartons} and will wait until they’re tall enough to set outside. I used to have to do this when we lived in Washington {although I started them in gutters} because the birds would find the baby pea shoots too irresistible there as well.

Another chore on my gardening list for this week, getting the Nova raspberry canes planted in the field.

Yesterday I did something crazy.

I planted cabbage, Brussel sprouts and broccoli out in the lasagna garden.  The area isn’t even fenced yet {I was going to order an electric fence but decided I didn’t want to spend $200- $400 on the thing}. 

There are tons of people with small vegetable plots around town, and so far, I’ve only seen 1 person {The Duck Lady} with a fence around her garden.

And while I know it only takes 1 deer, or a bunny or two to devastate a veg patch, there’s something in me that thinks there has to be a more economical way to keep the critters out.

I just need to figure out what that is. And quick.  

If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. 

Keep Calm and Garden On. 

~Mavis

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