It's May in the Garden! Here's Your List for Zone 7

I have neglected my blogging this year, but certainly not the gardens! We have been busy cleaning, plowing, and planting...with precious few minutes left over for posting. That ends today!

Here are the pictures I have snapped over the past couple of months of 2016:

Kitchen Garden — covered up for late freeze in April

Kitchen Garden — First of May (note the new gate to Fenced Row Garden!)

And here's what's on our 'To Do' List for May for our Zone 7 Gardens*:

Kitchen Garden:

• May 1^st is the beginning of the recommended planting time for bush lima beans (through July 1^st), okra (through May 31^st), and both sweet and hot peppers (through May 31^st ).  May 15^th marks the date to begin planting sweet potatoes (through June 15^th).

• Continue planting pole beans (through July 1^st), cantaloupe/muskmelons (through June 1^st), sweet corn (through June 1^st), cucumbers (through May 15^th), pumpkins (through June 15^th), summer and winter squash (through May 15^th), tomato plants (through July 15^th), and watermelons (through June 1^st). 

• When setting out tomato plants, set up stakes or cages so you won’t disturb the roots later.  Be sure to remove any suckers to encourage the plant’s energy be used for larger fruit rather than side shoots. (I always attempt to root the suckers; many times I'm lucky and get a freebie tomato!)

• When planting beans (pole and/or bush) and corn, make successive plantings every two weeks to ensure a longer harvest. Or, you could plant early and late season varieties at the same time. Be sure to thin corn to stand 8-12 inches apart when it reaches 4" in height. And give it a side-dressing of fertilizer when in reaches 12" in height...if you want to have corn that's "knee-high by the Fourth of July."

• Plant basil and dill directly in your garden this month after the nighttime temps are consistently above 50°. 

So where are we in the above list, you ask? 

(1) I've planted a bed of Fordhook lima beans at the south end of Row 1, with Kentucky Wonder pole beans along the fence on the north end, underplanted with (a new variety for me) Jade II bush beans. 

(2) Two varieties of cantaloupe were direct-seeded in Row 3, as were 6 (!) varieties of watermelons [Sugar Baby, Jubilee, Charleston Grey, Navajo Winter (new for me), Georgia Rattlesnake, and Sweet Icebox (another first)]. 

(3) Two varieties of cucumber were planted at the south end of Row 4, as were zucchini and yellow squash. The north end of 4 is still in garden peas and will be followed by pumpkins at a later date. 

(4) We reoriented the rows in the Corn Crib (the fenced-off area around the corn rows), and on April 15 I planted 3 kinds of sweet corn in the seven rows: 2 in Silver Queen (4 year-old seed...which ALL germinated!); 2 in Ambrosia; and 3 in Peaches 'n Cream. Since we have had warm days and nights along with copious amounts of rain in the last couple of weeks, all have germinated well and will need to be thinned...my upcoming May chore after the next rain (predicted for tonight and tomorrow).

(5) in addition to beans in the Row Garden, I have planted a couple of varieties in the center square in the Box Garden (raised beds): Scarlett Runner and Rattlesnake (runner). The second one was sent to me by mistake when I ordered the Georgia Rattlesnake watermelon seeds from Sow True Seeds (my fave Asheville, NC-based seed store!). No worries! Just gives me something new to try!

(6) Speaking of the Box Garden, the raised beds continue to host our cool-season crops: Box 1 has beets, spinach, and carrots; Box 2 has broccoli and red cabbage; Box 3 has Stonecrop cabbage along with a couple kinds of potatoes (you may recall I usually grow potatoes in bags in the area we call the Potato Patch...and we do have 12 bags with 4 varieties there again this year; but we really liked how easy it was to "dig" potatoes when we trialed them in Box 2 last Spring, so we doubled our plantings in 2016); and Box 4 has worlds of lettuce (pictured). Each Box (except the Center Square) has 10-12 onions planted in the end sections. Many of these will be succession-planted with beans (for nitrogen-fixing), but we also will trial planting our sweet potatoes in Box 1. 

(7) The Herb Garden (pictured) is looking great! I added the annuals (basil, dill, and parsley) to the returning  perennials (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, lemon balm, and several types of mint). 

(8) The asparagus bed started producing very early this year and has slowed considerably over the past couple of weeks. Will need to soon weed and replenish compost. 

(9) The tomatoes and peppers I seeded earlier indoors are almost ready for transplantation. I am hardening them off in the protection of one of the wagons, which I can cover with row covers in case of low temps...or bad squirrels.  (I have lost 3 tomato seedlings as well as 2 peppers to a squirrel attack, while they were on my potting bench. Grrrrr.)

Lettuce in Box 1

Herbs!

Orchard and Berry Patch:

• Fertilize blueberries, blackberries, and grapes this month.  Read more about it in the NC Cooperative Extension publication Grapes and Berries for the Garden.

So, where are we?

(1) We will fertilize with 10-10-10 around May 15, or as soon as the blueberries begin to ripen.

(2) Additionally, we have begun enjoying the strawberry harvest, and will keep the berry patch weeded and well-picked. 

(3) We will spray with Orchard Spray about the same time to keep our pest problems at bay.

Rose Garden (and perennials and annuals):

          • To prevent black spot on roses, continue a weekly fungicidal spray regimen, if you don't use the 6-week systemic variety.   The latest research says NOT to remove black spot infected leaves UNTIL you don't see anymore green...thereby giving your rose bush all the help it needs in continuing to produce chlorophyll.

           • Prepare beds for summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias; a location with 6 or more hours of sun each day is ideal.

            So, where are we?

(1) We will fertilize (for the second time) with Rose Tone around May 5, as our bushes are all in full-bloom now. 

(2) Additionally, we will continue to prune as needed to keep the bushes looking tidy. 

(3) We seeded along the fences and several beds, including our Pollinator Garden (located in the Orchard) with marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers. Some were purchased packets, but most were from seed we saved from previous plantings over the years...since we planted our first marigolds and zinnias in our gardens in O'Fallon, MO. 

'Gertrude Jekyll' rose

Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in the Front and Back yard gardens:

• It’s time to prune and 

fertilize Spring-flowering shrubs such as azalea (pictured) and rhododendron after they have bloomed.

• 

Remove broadleaf weeds from all landscape planting areas. If left to grow, they will rob water and nutrients from your plants. Mulch both beds and paths for best control.

So, where are we?

(1) We will fertilize with 10-10-10 around May 15, or as soon as the Rhodies finish their show.

(2) We had our pine straw replenished in the front natural areas and we've begun the process of mulching pathways...including the Row Garden inside the newly fenced area.

Lawns and Grasses

• According to the Home Lawn Calendar for May from the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at NC State, mow tall fescue lawns at 3 to 3 ½”, and at least once each week.  This article also encourages grasscycling, which is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn.  “Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn's fertilizer needs.”  We actually use the clippings from the Way Back (around the Orchard and the Berry Patch) to "feed" the compost piles.  Good as gold!

• Lawns need 1 to 1 ¼ inches of water per week.

Other             

• Take some time to enjoy the butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds!  Remember to use low toxicity pesticides to protect these beautiful and beneficial creatures.  And, even though Neem Oil is marketed as an Organic spray, it is still toxic to bees...so don't spray when in the morning when bees are most active.
• Move houseplants out-of-doors when the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees.  
• After incorporating finished compost into your garden, begin a new compost pile. Or, make this the year that you start composting.  Learn everything you ever wanted to know about the subject from the NC Cooperative Extension publication:  Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes.

Remember, May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.  Before you dash outside to your May gardening activities, put on a hat, sunglasses, and adequate sunscreen protection.

Happy hoeing!


==================================
* This May To Do List is updated and revised from an article I had published on GoGreenTriad.com in 2011.

April Showers

Today, we had a break in the rain...hooray! I sure hope the water table is making a comeback with all this moisture falling from the skies.

The 2015 Garden begins to give!

Here's the wrap up on the Way Back Gardens from April (look below for upcoming May activities...:):


Things have been rolling right along, with lots of progress in all the gardens.  I got a nice cool season garden planted in the raised beds of the Box Garden, and then eagerly tackled the warm-season planting checklist for the Kitchen Garden, following the average last frost date for our area (typically quoted as being April 15). Since the first two weeks of April have been warmer than usual, I took a chance on getting many of the tender transplants and seeds in the ground, although I am prepared to still have to make a mad dash to cover some tender tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, along with the boxwood basil (in the photo, right) should the weather forecast turn chilly.

I'm happy to report that I got fifteen tomato transplants in Row #1 of the Row garden, along with ten pepper plants and two eggplants...in spite of all the help I received from Abbie and Winston (pictured, below). I planted three each of Park's Improved Whoppers, Juliets, Beefsteaks, and Celebrities; and one each of German Queen, Red Beefsteak, and Better Boy. I've also planted a Bush Goliath in a container on the deck. I remembered that when setting out tomato plants, to set up stakes and cages so as not to disturb the roots later. I also reused the landscape fabric I used last year, having already cut the X-shaped holes in the fabric at just the right distance for planting tomatoes and peppers.

I planted two each (sweet) green bell, yellow bell,  red bell, and purple bell peppers; and one each of Tabasco and Dragon (hot) peppers. I still have seedlings of Better Boys, Park's Improved Whoppers, Cherokee Purple, and Black from Tula, along with Orange Blaze, Mariachi, and Fish Peppers. These will all be ready to go into containers in a couple of weeks, about the same time I plant lima beans, sweet potatoes, okra, and cotton.

Although I missed the April 15th date ("pay your taxes, plant your corn"), I did get four rows of Silver Queen corn into the (muddy, sloppy) rows in the caged Block Garden. Fingers crossed the seeds germinate! I also got seeds planted for pole beans and bush beans in a couple of the raised beds in the Box Garden, joining two kinds of broccoli (pictured below), red cabbage, carrots, spinach, beets, several varieties of lettuce (pictured below), and (for the first time) potatoes. I had a few seed potatoes left over after I planted the grow bags, so I thought I'd trial them in a raised bed "just to see how that would work."

 

 

This year, Mr. T built me a raised bed to dedicate as an herb garden, next to the area dedicated to the asparagus raised bed. While I include herbs here and there all around the Way Back, I think they are pretty enough to be stars of their own show.

We have been enjoying our asparagus, harvesting a few stalks on nearly a daily basis, since just after Easter. I didn't get into the garden for a couple of days during the rains, and a few stalks grew too tall and tough. But, it's nice to be realizing the fruits of our labors several years ago.

First asparagus shoots 2015

Rounding out the report from the Kitchen Garden, I'm happy to see that the garlic (planted in the former home to the sweet potatoes and the onions (planted at the ends of all the raised beds in the Box Garden) are all growing and looking great.

The blueberries have already flowered and are fruiting up nicely in the Berry Patch. We also are seeing lots of strawberries, even though we probably should have been more diligent about weeding and mulching the bed; but honestly I don't remember seeing this number of potential fruit before. I pruned the grape vines and the blackberries rather lightly this Spring, and they are all greening up grandly.

I'm proud to report that all the trees in the Orchard flowered this year...no frost or freeze damage! Hooray. I need to spray the trees after the last of the apple trees finish flowering to ensure some protection against the summer onslaught of pests.

And we finally got the last of the roses we'd planned to move from the back yard to the Way Back planted in the Rose Garden: Mister Lincoln, JFK, and a Chrysler Imperial. We had to remove an Abraham Darby due to suspected RRD, making a total of four roses we have lost to this disease (of which there is no cure...only removal). We planted two more hybrid teas (Pink Peace and Chicago Peace...both from Home Depot) and a Duchesse de Brabant (from Antique Rose Emporium...in memory of our departed Duchess) in containers, and that should do it for planting for this year...except for the perennials and annuals for accents, of course. There is ALWAYS an "except for...," isn't there?

So, here's what's on our 'To Do' List for May*:

Kitchen Garden:

·         May 1^st is the beginning of the recommended planting time for bush lima beans (through July 1^st), okra (through May 31^st), and both sweet and hot peppers (through May 31^st ).  May 15^th marks the date to begin planting sweet potatoes (through June 15^th).  I've got a good start on this one.

·         Continue planting pole beans (through July 1^st), cantaloupe/muskmelons (through June 1^st), sweet corn (through June 1^st), cucumbers (through May 15^th), pumpkins (through June 15^th), summer and winter squash (through May 15^th), tomato plants (through July 15^th), and watermelons (through June 1^st). I currently have transplants-from-seeds almost ready to go in my Bio Dome seed starter in the kitchen.

·         Be sure to remove any suckers on tomatoes to encourage the plant’s energy be used for larger fruit rather than side shoots. (I always attempt to root the suckers; many times I'm lucky and get a freebie tomato!). And, take the precaution I learned while in the Seeds of Change at EPCOT: remove the lower branches on tomato plants to help prevent diseases such as blights that are transferred from water splattering off soil onto leaves.

·         When planting beans (pole and/or bush) and corn, make successive plantings every two weeks to ensure a longer harvest.

·         Plant basil and dill directly in the garden this month.

Orchard and Berry Patch:

·         Fertilize blueberries, blackberries, and grapes this month.  Read more about it in the NC Cooperative Extension publication Grapes and Berries for the Garden.

Rose Garden (and perennials and annuals):

·         To prevent black spot on roses, continue a weekly fungicidal spray regimen, if you don't use the 6-week systemic variety.   The latest research says NOT to remove black spot infected leaves UNTIL you don't see anymore green...thereby giving your rose bush all the help it needs in continuing to produce chlorophyll.

·         Prepare beds for summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias; a location with 6 or more hours of sun each day is ideal.

 

Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in the Front and Backyard gardens:

Azaleas blooming in the back yard

 

·         May is time to plant summer-flowering bulbs, especially caladiums and gladioli. I already have some glads coming up inside a "protected" area, so they seem to have made it through the mild winter we had.



·         Prune and fertilize Spring-flowering shrubs such as azalea (pictured, left) and rhododendron after they have bloomed. We NEED to make this a hard-prune year, as ours are all rather wild looking.

 

·         Remove broadleaf weeds from all landscape planting areas. If left to grow, they will rob water and nutrients from your plants. We have brought nearly 200 bags of hardwood mulch onto our property, spreading yards and yards by cubic yards of the stuff.  We still have lots to spread in the Rose Garden.

Lawns and Grasses

·         According to the Home Lawn Calendar for May from the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at NC State, mow tall fescue lawns at 3 to 3 ½”, and at least once each week.  This article also encourages grasscycling, which is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn.  “Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn's fertilizer needs.”  We actually use the clippings from the Way Back (around the Orchard and the Berry Patch) to "feed" the compost piles.  Good as gold!

·         Lawns need 1 to 1 ¼ inches of water per week.

Other             

• Take some time to enjoy the butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds!  We have a small raised bed Pollinator Garden in the Orchard, with a bird bath; I see that the bee balm, lavender, and pineapple lilies are returning this year...yeah! Soon, I will direct-seed zinnias to fill out the spaces.
• Move houseplants out-of-doors when the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. We are waiting to move the lemon trees out of the plasticized screen porch...just for their protection, since we are still getting some 45-49 degree nights.
• Be sure to incorporate finished compost into the garden,  and then begin a new compost pile. We have a wonderful barrel-type composter that Mr. T rolled out to the Row that will host the sweet potatoes and okra, so we are ready to begin the process again. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about the subject from the NC Cooperative Extension publication:  Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes.

Remember, May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.  Before you dash outside to your May gardening activities, put on a hat, sunglasses, and adequate sunscreen protection. It's also a good time to visit your dermatologist for a skin check. I'm getting a jump on that this Friday!

Happy hoeing!


==================================
* This May To Do List is updated and revised from an article I had published on GoGreenTriad.com in 2011.

Singing in the Rain

And the rain kept falling...

Water, water everywhere...and we are slap-happy about it! We were nearly 4" in deficit for the year, and yesterday's rainfall erased 2.8" of that. Hooray!

We have so many new plants in the Way Back Garden: 14 new fruit trees in the Orchard, 40 new roses in the Rose Garden, and worlds of new perennials and seeds of annuals planted as pollinators everywhere. Not to mention the Kitchen Garden, which is still populated with cool season crops that need lots of moisture to keep producing in the mounting heat this May...plus all the warm season plants that have just gone in this month that need lots of water to help germinate and establish healthy root systems. Oh, and don't overlook the lovely blackberries and blueberries that need water while plumping up on their respective vines in the Berry Patch. Oh yes, the rain is most welcomed around here!

I got out during a lull this morning for a walk-around to check on things and take a few photos to document this week in the garden. I noticed that the row covers on the sweet potatoes and the cowpeas (both of which went into the garden last week...just in time to benefit from these downpours...:) suffered the most storm damage...probably beyond what can be repaired with duct tape. Fortunately, I had placed an order just last week for some new Summer-weight covers, so I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery van from Gardeners Supply. [In years past, I have lost two plantings of sweet potato slips to the bunnies, so I now take the extra precaution of row covers...even though the dogs regularly roam the Way Back these days.]

And the winner is...
Gertrude Jekyll!
First of the new David Austin roses to bloom.

I also noticed that the rain...while much-needed on all the new rose bushes...did a number on the opening blooms of the gorgeous pink Gertrude Jekyll, which we have declared the Winner of the First-to-Open contest among the new David Austin English roses. Actually, ALL 12 bushes from Order #1 have budded up, and most of the 16 bushes from Order #2 are close on their heels...with the slow-to-show Brother Cadfaels and even pokier Winchester Cathedrals finally leafing out nicely. The 6 bushes from Order #3 are all leafed out, with buds just around the corner, I'm certain.

So what warm season veggies are now coming up in the Kitchen Garden, you ask? We've had decent germination on the KY Wonder pole beans purchased this year, but I've had to replant the row from a pack dated 2011. Remarkably, we had almost 100% germination on the little packet of heirloom Lazy Housewife beans (an oldie, so named because it's stringless...:) marked 2010 that we got at the Old Salem Seed exchange in January. Go figure.

View from the garden gate...
The Kitchen Garden on 5/14/2012

Zucchini loves rain...
and so do the tiny nasturtiums...

We also have Dixie cream peas and Burgundy Bush beans from that same exchange, but not such good luck with the red burgundy okra seeds (which I've since replanted with Clemson Spineless). I got great germination of the fish pepper seeds, and I've got most of those plants growing in containers on the deck...since the info says the plants themselves are variegated and interesting to look at. And I noticed on my walk around that the Amish melons were responding well to the rains, as are the hybrid cantaloupes (no germination on the watermelons yet, though...waiting, waiting, waiting...:) . I have them (the Amish melons) in the row next to the so-called "pea fence," as we hope to train them to grow up, as we do all the vining crops.  We also have yellow Summer squash on that side; on the opposite side are cucumbers (Straight Eights) and zucchini.  I interplanted with nasturtiums, using the companion planting guidelines to help with pest (squash bugs) control. [If you squint and look just left of the lettuces (above/left), you can see the beginnings of growth along the pea fence. A close-up of the zucchini is on the right.]

And it's almost time to say goodbye to the cool season goodies:  the broccoli, the cabbage, the spinach, and the lettuces.  Almost.  But not quite.  Here are some close-ups (below) of some that will probably be coming into the kitchen after the rains subside today.

Happy hoeing!  Just not in the wet ground...:)

May Arrives!

Another basket of leaf lettuce...and an onion

The month of May has arrived, with welcome sunshine and much calmer weather.  I don't know about you and your garden (wherever that may be...:), but we are happy for the respite from the severe thunderstorms and tornadoes of April.

So, how is our garden doing these days?  I've neglected this blog for a variety of reasons, one of which is that I've spent more hours in the sun than I have at the keyboard.  And, that's as it should be...this time of the year.  From April 15th (often quoted as the Average Last Frost Date for this area, although there is data to show that it's as early as April 3rd for High Point) onward, there is something going into the ground almost daily.

Speaking of the Last Frost Date, I broke the rules and put five tomato plants in before April 15th. Three of them succumbed to the blistering hot temps and high winds we had the day after I put them in the ground, but two of them survived...and are thriving! Here's hoping for some Better Boy tomatoes by July 4th!
And with the more-than-an-inch-every-week rains we have been experiencing, the lettuce (photo, above), onions, carrots, beets, and peas are leaping out of the ground.  As are a wide variety of weeds.  Sigh.  I wish I could say the same for the spinach, which is sadly stunted.  Still, I mustn't complain...for, this time last year, we had no lettuce, peas, or spinach.  The bunnies had eaten them all.  The onions shriveled up and died from a dry spell.  And, the carrots never even made it up through the hard-packed Piedmont clay soil.  So, all-in-all, our 2011 Spring Garden is a winner already!

Why no bunnies this year? you ask.  Well, remember...we put a temporary fence across the back property line so that the dogs can now go into the Way Back garden without fear of their wandering away.  I believe that the bunnies don't care for the scent of the hounds...or, else, it's because I've planted onions everywhere this year, and the bunnies don't like that scent.  Whatever.  All I know is that we are harvesting lettuce in '11, thank goodness.

The potatoes plants are rising higher and higher, in spite of being covered with 5 bags of leaves.  I think we will have to mound some dirt on them to keep them from getting too much light.  And, I may have to wait until Fall for cabbage; but I'm not pulling up the plants just yet.  We'll see.



Strawberry bed...loaded with blooms...
looking toward the lettuce and onions

Oh, and I really should mention our strawberries.  I created a small bed (photo, left) and put in several plants last year, which did not flower due to how late I got them in and how hot and dry the Spring weather was in general in 2010.  So, just like it says in all my garden books, all the energy went to developing runners (or "daughter plants").  After I enlarged the bed last Fall, by incorporating the space formerly occupied by the sweet potatoes,  I transplanted the daughters.  They over-wintered under straw and row covers...and apparently settled in rather well.  Additionally, I allowed the 7-Top turnip greens, in the rows adjacent to the strawberry bed, to continue to grow from last Fall's crop through the Winter...right on into Spring.  They had loads of beautiful yellow flowers, which attracted lots of bees and other pollinators...who went right to work on the strawberry flowers as soon as they appeared last month.

Well, we have loads of berries that should begin to ripen this weekend!  What a treat that will be, to go out to the garden and pick strawberries for our morning cereal bowls.  I'm already picking so much lettuce every-other-day that I've threatened to start serving salads for breakfast (!).  Berries would be better, for sure.

Speaking of berries...the 3 new blueberry bushes we got at the 4-H sale are loaded with berries, too.  And, the 2 thornless blackberry bushes are flowering and showing signs of putting on berries.  The "naturalized" blackberries (the ones with the wicked thorns...:) have tiny flowers, too, so we shall see which have the tastiest fruit soon.

I noticed today that the pole beans I planted recently are beginning to pop up, as is the corn.  I had covered the corn with row covers to protect the tender shoots from the crows who frequent the garden, but the recent high winds just whipped the covers right off.



Mardi Gras Rose bud -
Way Back Garden, April - 2011

I did get some herb transplants in the bed that runs along the side of the center path:  sage, dill, parsley, basil, oregano, and thyme.  I planted some nasturtiums there, too, after I nicked the seed-pods with a nail file (called "scarification").   Then, I planted some zinnias and marigolds from seed we collected from last year's crop.  I started a new bed next to the picket fence with some gladioli corms and more zinnia and marigold seeds. We currently have roses blooming (photo, right), along with iris; soon, we will have daylilies abloom.  I think herbs and flowers are every bit as important to our garden as the fruits and vegetables.

Coming up this week...the Annual Master Gardener Passalong Plant Sale at the Guilford County Extension Center on May 5-6. I've been tending several "babies" that I started in the Propagation Workshop we had in March.  I've also been working on a Culinary Herbs display for the Festival area. 

Going in the ground next:  the rest of the tomatoes, the peppers, the squash (yellow, zucchini, and patty pan), the cantaloupes (which are really muskmelons...:), the watermelons (3 kinds!), and the eggplants.  All of these are currently growing in the controlled environment known as the plasticized screen porch.  Then, I'll purchase some sweet potato slips, and lastly I'll plant some okra seeds and some purple hull (AKA: Southern) peas.  And, then it should be time for the pumpkins to be planted.  It's so exciting!

OK, that's the Garden Report for the first week in May.  If you'd like to see what you should do in your Piedmont garden this month, be sure to check out my article on GoGreen.com:  http://gogreentriad.news-record.com/content/2011/04/29/article/mastering_the_possibilities_of_may.  I'm sure it will have a short shelf-life, so look quickly!

Happy Hoeing!