March and April in the garden~
Garden construction is complete, beds are flipped, added compost amendments and started to put my garden plans and calendars to work. Our Oklahoma temperatures have jumped from 80 degrees in early March to 48 degrees in mid April to 89-93 degrees in late April. Yes, this crazy rollercoaster of temperatures, tornado warnings and hail storms made it a little difficult to plant.
Broccoli, kale, cabbage and peas are all growing nicely. The ranunculus, that I had started pre sprouting in moist dirt, are now in the garden and doing ok. This is my first time growing them as I like to say “it’s an experiment”. March 15, Den’s birthday, I planted potatoes and onions in two beds and started sunflowers, luffa and cantaloupe inside. Though the temperatures were a tad cold, I planted corn with a potential of adding beans and squash ( Three Sisters ) The end of March had me planting beets, carrots, bok choy, radish and lettuce,
I was so excited to start handing out asparagus bouquets. Our first pick was March 21. The tomato, pepper and dahlia, seed to plants, made their way to the greenhouse to start *hardening off . By April 15th everything was planted in the garden. The beans, zucchini, summer and butternut squash followed. Then came the hail and heavy rains.
Though we are sooooo greatful for the rain and by the grace of God everything survived so far. A little drowned and dirty but I think they will be ok. I need to mulch around everything to end the dirt splash up. Last year I used an old hay bale and I just may take one away from the chickens again.
Here is just a glimpse of what is growing at The Roost 2025~
Every season brings its own set of surprises, and this one has already tested my patience and rewarded my persistence. Despite the ups and downs, it feels good to see green things growing, little shoots pushing through the dirt, and the promise of harvests to come. I’ll keep tending, experimenting, and learning as I go — that’s half the fun. Here’s to garden season 2025!
Keep going, keep growing~
Jenn
PS I would love to see what you have growing visit me on Instagram or FB and dm me pictures. As always let me know if you have any questions or tips and tricks of your own.
* Hardening off is the process of gradually acclimating indoor-grown seedlings to outdoor conditions like sun, wind, and temperature changes. I start by placing them in the greenhouse overnight then outside for a few hours a day. I increase outdoor time until they can stay out overnight. This takes about 7–10 days and helps prevent transplant shock before moving them into the garden.
