Put more vegetables out in the garden

My eggplants and bell peppers  have been out in the garden for a few weeks now and are doing well in their protective Wall 'O Waters and Cozy Coats.  In spite of all the rain we've been having, along with colder than normal temperatures, the plants have survived and even grown a bit.  Right about now I am SO thankful I made raised beds when I started this garden!  There's been at least an inch (and up to 4 inches) of water between the beds for the last few weeks.  I got a few decent days though and I was able to harden off my yellow bush beans, green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes.  This year I'm planting the tomatoes between the peppers and eggplants, which means they'll also benefit from the warmth of the Wall 'O Waters.
 
Because it's been so cold and windy this spring I also wrapped a long sheet of plastic around the entire row for added protection. 

 
So far the little guys look pretty good.  The beans are planted in the middle row.  I set up a wire fence for them to climb before I planted them.  I was going to wait on nicer weather, but beans get so big, so fast!  I could practically watch them grow under the light!  They seem to be doing pretty good too, and have even started climbing their support after only a few days. 
 
That's my garlic that you see behind the beans.  It looks really good this year, and by midsummer I should be able to dig my first bulbs.  The onions I planted earlier this spring are getting bigger too.  I use onions and garlic in almost everything I cook, so it only makes sense to grow my own.
The cucumbers also have a fence to climb up for support.  I just used my old garden fence and cut it into the lengths I needed, then used stakes shoved deep into the dirt to secure it.  Another good thing about allowing the vegetables to climb is that they stay off the ground, which means fewer bugs and animals (like voles, my worst garden pest!) can get at them.  Air can circulate around the veggies better and that means less chance of rotting.  Plus they're easier to harvest and monitor when they're not on the ground, covered in leaves (and probably weeds).
 
I still have to put out my summer squash and zucchini, but I'm going to let them stay inside for a little longer.  I also started a second batch of beans so I'll have a longer harvest time.  Hopefully I can come back in a month or so and show you pictures of much larger plants, and maybe even a few veggies ;-)
Thanks for visiting my garden and watching it grow with me!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Gardening in NE Ohio can be a challenge!

I've lived in NE Ohio all my life, so you figure that by now I'd know what to expect when it comes to the weather and be able to plan my gardening activities accordingly.  Unfortunately the one thing about our weather that you can count on is that it's unpredictable!  I've been gardening for almost 15 years, and I've had to get pretty creative to help my plants thrive some years.  This year I started my Bell Peppers and Eggplants indoors a little earlier than usual because they take so long to produce vegetables.  A few weeks ago the weather was pretty nice so I started hardening them off by leaving them outside in a sheltered location for a few hours a day.  Gradually I increased the time outside and their sun exposure.  This allows them to adjust to outdoor conditions, which are quite different from what they've been growing in inside.  Calcifer enjoyed checking out the plants after I brought them in each day.
 
I've learned from experience that simply putting these plants in the garden with no additional protection is risky.  In Spring we have severe thunderstorm with heavy rain, gusty winds, and sometimes even hail.  I've lost many plants to the ravages of a Spring storm!  Wall O Waters have helped save many plants since I started using them.  They're plastic tubes you fill with water and they form a teepee over the young plants.  The water warms in the sun and protects the plants from cold weather by raising the temperature inside.  They also protect the plants from wind, heavy rain, and hail.
 
I set these out a week before I planted my peppers and eggplants so the soil would warm up.  Then when I was ready to put the plant in the ground I moved the Wall O Water and centered the plant.  These are two of my pepper plants.
 
Then I do something that may seem weird- I place a can with the top and bottom cut off over the plants and press it firmly into the dirt.
 
This acts as a protective collar and keeps cutworms and other crawling insects from attacking the young plants.  I've seen all my peppers wiped out overnight by cutworms.  They chew the plant at the base of the stem, and then just leave the toppled leaves.  For the last few years I've been saving cans and using them like this.  It really seems to help and allows the plants to safely grow big enough without being damaged.  Then I (carefully) put the Wall O Water back over the plant, making sure the bottom is flared out and the top is at least mostly closed.  This will help retain heat, and give added protection from heavy rain and hail. 
I closed this one up after I got the picture. ;-)
And since I planted these guys we've had temperatures down in the 30's, several bad thunderstorms with sleet and hail, and heavy sustained winds.  I checked on them every day (wading through inches of water between the raised beds) and was surprised to see that they actually look pretty good.  When I put my hand inside the Wall O Waters it feels much warmer than the outside temperature, and none of the teepees was blown over in the storms either.  If we can get a few days without rain I think the beds should drain and their roots won't get waterlogged.  I really did think it would be warmer by now: normal temps for this time of year are in the 50's and lower 60's.  But NE Ohio is anything but "normal" when it comes to weather!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters