This years potatoes Cobbler White and Yukon Gold

I planted 5lbs each of White Cobbler and Yukon Gold potatoes. I dug a trench about 9 inches deep and then broke up the substrate with a potato fork. Then I back filled the trench with compost, and planted the potatoes on nine inch centers with rows nine inches apart.Then I dug a new trench and did it all over again.I used whole potatoes about the size of eggs and didn't cut them. The stick is how I marked where they were planted, then as I advanced and covered them I knew where to plant the next row.

Swiss Chard

I would highly recommend Swiss Chard as a substitute for Spinach. Spinach can be very touchy to germinate. Here in the Midwest it really does best planted in the fall, and then picked in the following spring. It can produce nice fall crops too, given the use of the proper variety at the right time. However Swiss chard is an awesome but under appreciated garden plant. It is probably the prettiest plant in the garden Last year my grand kids were begging to try it. It can be planted early or late. It likes cool weather, but handles the heat perfectly well. It will produce all season long until almost December. Also you will have multiple harvests, probably three or four. Scatter some seeds,and thin them to 8 inches apart, or transplant them later. Its quite a foolproof plant.

Radicchio that survived the winter.

I think I probably planted this about September 1st last year. It was under plastic in a hoop house in the winter.

First bed of the year planted. March 17th

At one end I planted Cherry Belle,French Breakfast, Icicle, and Easter-Egg Radishes. At the other end I sprinkled and raked in various Cole family seeds

I planted Earliana Cabbage,Green Sprouting Calabrese Broccoli, Purple Cauliflower Di Sicilia Violetto,Romanesco Precoce, and Early PurpleVienna  Kohl Rabi. If they come up and can handle the freezing, frosts, and snow we will have, I'll transplant them. If they don't make it I'll be out several dollars.

Semi-Erect Blackberries

I planted these last May. A friend gave me 5 plants. All the growth that you see is last seasons cane production.On the trellis, I placed one wire at about 2.5 feet off the ground, and the other at about 5 feet. As the canes grow I tied them to the wires with cloth rag strips. Then I snipped them off  4 or 5 inches above the 5 foot mark,You have to repeatedly keep them trimmed as they will keep growing again and again.It's quite simple, I keep a pair of scissors handy. This year I will string wire on the opposite side of the trellis at the same height, and then put all of this years growth on the opposite side from last years growth. The berries will all come on last years canes. After they are done producing, you prune them at ground level. At some point in time the next several weeks I will side dress the plants with a liberal amount of compost. They are really quite simple to maintain They are also huge about the size of your thumb, and easy to pick. They don't have an overabundance of thorns.

March Radicchio

Here is some Radicchio that has survived the winter, and taking off again.

Unnamed variety of Lettuce march 9th

This is a lettuce I sowed last fall in a Mesculin mix. It did great last fall, and here it is taking off again this spring. If any one knows which it is, please leave me a comment. I would like to grow more of it. Maybe it will go to seed and I can harvest it.

Shallots march 9th

I think these are an unnamed variety I bought at the grocery store. They are doing pretty good considering the weather is in the 30-40's.

March 9th Winter Bloomsdale Spinach

Here is a close-up of the Spinach. Considering the brutality of the winter we just had, I'm pretty impressed.We still have a fair amount of piles of snow on the ground.

Winter Bloomsdale Spinach

I planted this Spinach on September 15th. I just visited my garden today for the first time since Christmas. It looks like in a couple of weeks it might be ready to pick.