Bathed in Rain and Sun

"A well planned garden
bathed in rain and sun.
A faithful laborer...
and the harvest shall come.

Well finally it rained again here--not all day as we hoped, but without the tornadoes that the other states received--which is good. The sun is now out and the wind is even windier.
Yesterday, in anticipation of the rain, I spent most of the day planting beans. Emerite Filet runner beans (my favorite to can), Goldmarie vining yellow bean--new to me this year, black turtle bush beans and kabuli black garbanzo beans for humus. The runners went into the garden area that we had leaves dumped in, fenced and that I blogged about this year. I had some poles already sunk in the ground that my clematis had been on (all of which have been moved) so all I had to do was put up string for them to climb on.
The bush beans are not planted in the garden but in a plot in the front yard. It is a spot where two of the rams lived in a large pen during part of the winter. We had put them up in the front yard specifically to add leaves, have them "manure" into it, and then let it sit for a couple of months--- for the very reason of using it to plant corn or beans or pumpkins or something into it. It should be a good bush bean spot since when I dig down it's still nice and moist with lots of worms.
Then today---while it rained-- I got another bed planted with some of the corn seed I purchased this year. Bloody butcher heirloom. It too is right in the front yard. We have a large front yard---good for more than just mowing in my opinion. Since we aren't in a subdivision I don't have to try and "hide" my corn in the front with flowers or anything----I can just plant a huge square of it. I am going to sow either more bush beans or buckwheat in between after the corn comes up though for some diversification.
I also have a second square still to sow and will put Country Gentlemen shoepeg corn into it. The wind was blowing (still is) and I started to get cold since I was soaked---so I stopped. However it is I will get it planted since I love love shoepeg corn, and country gentlemen is an open pollinated heirloom also. One of the corns is a 110 day and the other is closer to 85 so hopefully they will not tassle at the same time. Corn needs plenty of distance (like a mile or something) to make 100% sure it doesn't cross with another. The only way to ensure true seed without the the distance factor being an issue is to plant corns that tassle/flower at different times. I have never grown either of these so I will see, in about July, whether it is going to work or not. Either way they should still be good to eat and maybe can too. Or if I ever get a grain mill---bloody butcher can also be used for grinding. Red tortillas anyone?

So now after the last bad frost I still have growing, planted or started in cups:
corn
artichokes (all made it through the frost!)
tomatoes---some made it and I added another 20 plants since
potatoes---they all made it fine
squash
melons--3 different heirlooms
cucumbers---two burpless types
beans
and basil and dill

I still need to start or plant:
pumpkins
peanuts
some sunflowers
the rest of my corn
sweet potatoes
and.....I am sure there is something I am forgetting. Every time I look in my seeds I find something that I forgot I had bought this year. So I will keep going and hopefully by the end of next week all will be in the garden or at least in cups to sprout and later transplant. I do however still have to order my sweet potato slips----so they may fall to the side this year. We will see.

Good gardening everyone!