Spring Updates from My Urban Garden
This year’s gardening season has definitely started slower than usual. We’ve had such a cool spring that everything feels a bit delayed, and I’ve had to be more patient than normal waiting for warmer temperatures to finally arrive. Instead, I focused on fertilizing the soil in preparation by adding homemade compost, leaves, and hay waste from our bunny Simba. I’m happy to say the soil is beautiful this season.
About a month ago, I planted some winter carrots and radishes since they can handle cooler weather better than many other vegetables. The radishes were the first success story of the season and are already ready to eat, while the carrots have been growing steadily, just very slowly, thanks to the colder temperatures.
I also decided to take a gamble and plant potatoes early. Of course, almost immediately after planting them, we got hit with a surprise snowstorm. 😂
Luckily, before the snow arrived, I had covered all the garden boxes with a thick layer of mulch from our bunny Simba’s litter to help insulate the soil and protect the plants. I was honestly worried the potatoes might freeze, so it was such a relief this week when I finally noticed the potato plants starting to sprout.
This week finally felt like the true beginning of gardening season. I cleaned up the patio and started planting out many of the seedlings that have been sitting inside on my windowsills waiting for warmer weather.
The garden is finally starting to come alive.
Right now I have:
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Green beans
- Peas
- Zucchini
- Pumpkins
- Radishes
- Pickling cucumbers
- Snacking cucumbers
- Mint
- Kale
- Broccoli
all growing in the garden.
One of the most exciting discoveries this week was noticing berries beginning to form on the currant bushes we share with our neighbors. It’s always fun seeing the first signs of summer harvests beginning to appear.
I still need to plant my herb garden, which is honestly one of my favorite parts of gardening. Herbs are incredibly versatile in the kitchen, smell amazing, and are one of the best gardening investments because you can harvest so much from a single plant throughout the season.
This year I’m planning to grow:
- Basil
- Parsley
- Dill
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Thyme
Even though the season started slowly, everything is finally beginning to take off, and I’m excited to watch the garden continue growing over the next few months. Gardening always reminds me that nature works on its own timeline, sometimes all you can do is be patient, trust the process, and celebrate the small wins when those first green shoots finally appear.
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