Today is the first full day of Spring 2016, so this will be a week of final preparations for the growing season. Here’s what will be happening in the garden:
New Potting Shed
Later this week my new potting shed will be installed, so I am taking advantage of the cooler temperatures today to finish prepping the site for the builders. The area where the shed will sit has been invaded by English Ivy (Hedera helix) and Periwinkle (Vinca minor) for several years, so eradicating them isn’t a quick task, as many of you probably know. Once the ground has been cleared of vines, I will pin down a layer of 6 mil black plastic to ensure that I won’t have to deal with them coming back underneath the building later.
Solar Power
After construction, I will install a solar panel kit on the roof of the potting shed to provide for my minor power needs. Because of this, I am also cutting away part of a row of privet that runs the length of the property line. Eventually the entire row will be removed and replaced with a privacy fence. With that privet removed, the panels will receive a respectable amount of sun daily. I will write in more detail about the solar kit and the installation process in the future.
Rainwater Collection
Gutters will be added to the potting shed to collect rainwater for use in the garden. I will do this myself in order to share the step-by-step process of installing gutters and connecting them to a rainwater harvesting system.
Even a small area of sloped rooftop can provide a substantial amount of water.
Buy Spring Vegetable Starts
I am very happy to have a local friend who owns a small business dedicated to encouraging people to grow their own food and flowers. This week I will ‘buy local’ and get many of my spring and summer edible starts from my friend Nathan Strange of Strange and Co. It is still just a bit too early to put plants out, so these babies will live in the micro greenhouse for a few weeks while they mature. Not to worry, I will still direct sow edibles from seed this year, but due to space constraints I was unable to start indoor plants.
What are you doing in the garden this week?
