Monday, March 28, 2011

Garden Over Board!

The first 3 rows of onions
 I think we went a little overboard with the garden planting in some areas... like maybe onions.  We planted over 800 onions.  How does one do this you might ask?  How does one know they planted that many? And ... Why?
Well, here is my story...
We ordered onion plants from Dixondale Farms, a wonderful company with excellent customer service.  I know this and shall explain as the story progresses.  I ordered 6 bundles, thinking there were 50 plants in each bundle.  The order was delivered the week of
Garlic
the mountains of snow.  I use the term mountains loosely.  It was mountains to a mouse maybe.  We also had frigid temperatures.  I am not exaggerating, -12 or -18 is frigid.  Well, the deliverer (who shall remain nameless) left the box of onion plants, clearly marked "Live Plants" at the end of our driveway, next to the mailbox on the county road.  Now, our mailbox is over 1500 ft. from our house and not a straight line either.  They were left after we were home for the day, so did not know they were there.  The plants stayed outside all night long until I took the kids to school the next morning, the low temperature for that night had been -12.  Oh dear.  I emailed the Dixondale and the delivery firm when I discovered my package.  Dixondale, immediately sent us more onions and said, "Just throw those out."  Wonderful customer service.  I did not ask them to do this, I just told them what had happened so they would know and could discuss it with the delivery firm.  My husband, who it seems cannot throw anything away, said, "Let's wait and see what happens to them."
A couple of weeks later we now have 2 boxes of 6 bundles of onions, 60 plants in each bundle that is 720 onions or so we think.  We plant 3 rows and still have over 7 bundles to plant.  We make a new garden space and plant 5 more bundles.  My husband counts the onions in the first 3 rows we planted,  over 600 plants.  Oh my!  That is a lot of onions.  I think I overdid it just a little.  Oh well.
We also have garlic planted and we planted broccoli and sugar snap peas!  Yum!  Yum!
My husband warned me that I could only buy 60 tomato plants.  I just smiled.