The Garden Journal: Week 1 – Tomato Planting Day

Today felt like a big day in the garden.

After what always feels like a very long Western New York spring, I finally got my tomatoes planted.

This year, I planted 15 Roma tomato plants, which are my favorite for making sauces and preserving later in the season. This is less than what I planted last year.

Since I have potbellied pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens, I always feel like I can grow way more because it will never go to waste.

But even with that in mind, having more plants than I can handle is still stressful, even if they all can go to the animals.

I’m also trying something new and growing one Roma tomato and one Beefsteak slicing tomato in fabric planters inside my greenhouse. I’ve never grown tomatoes this way before, so I’m excited to compare how they perform against the plants growing in the garden.

I also did a video on Tiktok, with these growing bags.

I also planted four green zucchini plants along with several of my favorite herbs, including basil, purple basil, dill, and cilantro. I have more herbs, just not sure if I should put those in the ground or leave them in pots in the greenhouse. I’m a cheap girl so I hate buying soil!

My marigolds and sunflowers are still waiting for their turn in the garden. I started them from seed earlier this spring and hope to get them planted next week.

The one thing I forgot about over the winter is just how hard planting in the ground can be on my knees. I tried using my garden kneeler bench, and while the padding was comfortable, my knees still weren’t thrilled with the arrangement.

By the end of the day, I found myself daydreaming about raised garden beds and wondering if I could convince my husband to build some next year.

We’ll see.

I also ordered new asparagus roots that will be planted soon in my fenced garden alongside the berry patch. It’s one of those projects that requires patience now but hopefully pays off for years to come.

I’ve had some really good asparagus beds, but I didn’t keep up with the weeds, and then we moved the goats/sheep into the pen and let them destroy it.

One experiment I’m especially curious about this year is my flower garden. For the first time, I broadcast zinnia and marigold seeds over a large area instead of planting them individually. I have no idea how successful it will be, but I’m hoping to grow enough flowers to create a DIY flower bar for our Fourth of July party and maybe even sell a few bouquets from a roadside stand.

When I list everything out, it sounds a little crazy.

Tomatoes. Herbs. Zucchini. Flowers. Asparagus. Berries.

And somehow all of it needs to happen in the next three months.

Some days, I imagine what it would be like to garden somewhere down south where spring actually starts when the calendar says it does. Today the high was only 64 degrees, and this morning still felt chilly enough for a sweatshirt.

Despite the cool temperatures, all my tomato plants survived their first day in the garden.

And around here, I’ll count that as a win.

Looking Ahead

Next week:

• Plant marigolds and sunflowers
• Add asparagus roots to the fenced garden
• Check on the greenhouse tomatoes
• See if my broadcast flower seeds decide to cooperate

Thanks for reading into a peek of what’s going on around here. This is just a real-life peek at what’s going on around the homestead. If you want information posts, please explore around the blog.

Here’s where to start for gardening.