Ladybug Farms is Growing!

Chives--8 years and still growing

It's been a crazy start to the spring here in Michigan.  We're having record breaking temps with sunny skies.  The trees are starting the leaf out, the robins have returned, the flowers are blooming, and my some of my seeds have already sprouted.  Meaning--all those plans Hubby and I had for expanding our garden have suddenly been pushed up.

We've added a few things so far and have plans for more.  Hubby was a dear and went out and bought me 2 compost bins (we had been piling our compost into a pile on the edge of the woods).  I think this is the addition that has the kids the most excited.  They now fight over we gets to take the daily compost out to the bin.

Compost bins-One for now, one for later

Hubby has also been busy pulling out our current landscape of bushes and ground ivy to clear space for new raised garden beds.  Yesterday we went to Menards and bought enough cement bricks and concrete to build one raised planter with plans to go back and buy another load for planter #2.  (All those bricks are HEAVY and we weren't sure if our van could haul much more)

New bricks waiting to be turned into a planter

We also have seeds that have sprouted!  I usually start my seeds using trays and keep the plants in the sunroom.  This year I learned about a new technique that I am trying.  I read about it over at A Garden For The House.  It's called Winter Sowing.  You use old milk jugs and turn them into mini greenhouses.  I have wanted a green house for a long time now, but the cost and lack of space have ruled that out.  I was very excited when I learned about this method and had to try it.  So far I'm pretty happy with the results.

Some of my milk jug greenhouses

I have been planting as I get more containers, so about 4 at a time.  So far I've planted lettuce, cilantro, oregano, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, and a few varieties of flowers that the girls picked out.  Still to be planted is corn (David picked that out), peppers, strawberries, and whatever else we decide we can't live without.  We have chives, oregano, and green onions that have come back up and are ready to use.

After these projects are complete, we have plans to develop this wasteland left over from when we got rid of the above ground pool our house came with when we moved in-Hubby is debating between building a deck or landscaping it with wood chips, more planters, and a brick fire place.  The straw bales are the remnant of my attempt at straw bale gardening.  They will be recycled this year into mulch and as a base for the planters so we don't have to buy as much dirt all in one year.

Ladybug Farms is growing and I can't wait to see how it all turns out.