Got a little side-tracked over the weekend by the SNOW! 1 1/2" Saturday evening. It had melted by Sunday afternoon and I had managed to cover most of the crops with drop-cloths or leaves or flowerpots, so it was a minor blip. Even the uncovered peas look fine.
BUT- considering that last year's spring was almost as cool and wet, it might be a good idea to push back all warm/hot weather crop planting dates by a week or two.
Finished weeding the paths.
Weeded under the bench and put down fresh weed-block.
Weeded all back beds.
T/P bell pepper (green), eggplant and basil
Finished trellisses for driveway fence.
Painted iron pyramid and plant hanger, black.
Constructed and planted potato tower (with help from O). See separate post.
To-do:
Finish raking side beds.
Add 2 bags leaves to leaf corral
Attach trellises
Fill containers with dirt for potato tower build-up
Plant: cucumber, corn, radishes, sunflowers, zinnias, nasturtiums
T/P: cilantro
Plant blessed wheat in all bed corners
Cannot express what a welcome diversion working in the garden was today, after the politcal horrors of yesterday. The meditation of weeding, planting, and puttering is so calming and satisfying- such a positive action in the face of so much discouragement and negativity.
Showing posts with label transplants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transplants. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March 16, 2010
Week in review:
Made beds for side yard and filled with purchased topsoil and humus.
T/P strawberry plants
Collected 10 bags of leaves and 3 bags of grass this morning and used some of them and the old side yard open-ended bed to frame and fill a new passive compost heap.
Taped up the top of the green bin and will use it for kitchen scrap compost.
Turned active pile today.
Filled planters for the stair step: purple zinnias, big marigolds and Liliput zinnias. Fourth planter is chives, a golden thyme and a herb to be chosen.
Constructed and planted a Tomato Bag with a Sweet 100.
Weeded paths, put down newspaper, garden bags and the last of the weed block in bare areas and covered with new leaves. What I found when weeding is that the leaves/grass on the paths get trodden into great leaf mold. The new plan: rake cover off paths twice a year and sift for leaf mold. NB: BUILD OR BUY SIFTER.
Lost the weeder somewhere in the new leaf cover, but it will turn up.
Put in nails for twine trellises. Cut boards for green mesh trellises for driveway fence.
De-cluttered porch, swept and sprayed.
NB: DO NOT START T/P's IN POTTING SOIL WITH FOOD. The seedlings are VERY spindly.
Use Jiffy, not Miracle Grow. It was like feeding steroids to Morgan Jane.
Bought a load of dirt at Strong's and will use it to fill in yard and top off beds.
Hot weather vegs are supposed to go in on the 23 rd, but may wait a week. It is still quite cool and damp. Global warming, my foot. It was like this last year, too.
Peas are up.
To-Do:
Plant corn, radishes, lettuce, mesclun, morning glory, moonflower, sweet peas, nasturtiums and other annual flowers.
Finish and hang mesh trellises.
String twine trellises.
Have Ves figure out a yields chart on MSWorks.
Made beds for side yard and filled with purchased topsoil and humus.
T/P strawberry plants
Collected 10 bags of leaves and 3 bags of grass this morning and used some of them and the old side yard open-ended bed to frame and fill a new passive compost heap.
Taped up the top of the green bin and will use it for kitchen scrap compost.
Turned active pile today.
Filled planters for the stair step: purple zinnias, big marigolds and Liliput zinnias. Fourth planter is chives, a golden thyme and a herb to be chosen.
Constructed and planted a Tomato Bag with a Sweet 100.
Weeded paths, put down newspaper, garden bags and the last of the weed block in bare areas and covered with new leaves. What I found when weeding is that the leaves/grass on the paths get trodden into great leaf mold. The new plan: rake cover off paths twice a year and sift for leaf mold. NB: BUILD OR BUY SIFTER.
Lost the weeder somewhere in the new leaf cover, but it will turn up.
Put in nails for twine trellises. Cut boards for green mesh trellises for driveway fence.
De-cluttered porch, swept and sprayed.
NB: DO NOT START T/P's IN POTTING SOIL WITH FOOD. The seedlings are VERY spindly.
Use Jiffy, not Miracle Grow. It was like feeding steroids to Morgan Jane.
Bought a load of dirt at Strong's and will use it to fill in yard and top off beds.
Hot weather vegs are supposed to go in on the 23 rd, but may wait a week. It is still quite cool and damp. Global warming, my foot. It was like this last year, too.
Peas are up.
To-Do:
Plant corn, radishes, lettuce, mesclun, morning glory, moonflower, sweet peas, nasturtiums and other annual flowers.
Finish and hang mesh trellises.
String twine trellises.
Have Ves figure out a yields chart on MSWorks.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 3
And we're back.
Planted so far in Bed 1: lettuce, beets, romaine seedlings, onions and brocolli transplants.
Actually, planted most of that five weeks ago at the end of January and covered the 4x4 section with a plastic drop cloth over bent 1/2" PVC, per Mel's SFG plan. This worked very well, even in out unseasonable snow.
Compost heaps are building. One is the working heap, one is the kitchen waste heap. Took out the bin composter: didn't work well enough for the space it took up. Will probably store bags of soil, peat, etc. in it in the garage. Leaf mold container is up and being filled.
NO hanging plants this year. They are too labor/water intensive for Texas.
Will try containers again on the step-holder. This year will provide better drainage.
Inspected the Garden Box planter at Calloway's but at $70.00 per box, that is too pricey.
As an experiment, I'm drilling some extra-large holes for run-off in the bottom of one of my long plastic planters. Then, I'm drilling holes in some plastic take-out containers, cutting down the sides and placing them upside down in the bottom of the planter, to provide some air space for the roots. This seems to be a key element of the Garden Box. I will see how it works in a mini-me version.
Also experimenting with take-out containers as tiny greenhouses for seedlings, as well as a commercial one from Lowe's. Planted: lettuce, leaf lettuce, squash, cosmos and zinnias.
One goal is to plant pollinator attractors on all three sides of the vegetable beds in the two fence beds and the stair steps.
To do: make new grids.
Make new pipe trellis.
Transplanted: Oregano, rosemary, dill, lemon thyme, German thyme along back fence.
Planted: peas (3), strawberries (2)
Planted so far in Bed 1: lettuce, beets, romaine seedlings, onions and brocolli transplants.
Actually, planted most of that five weeks ago at the end of January and covered the 4x4 section with a plastic drop cloth over bent 1/2" PVC, per Mel's SFG plan. This worked very well, even in out unseasonable snow.
Compost heaps are building. One is the working heap, one is the kitchen waste heap. Took out the bin composter: didn't work well enough for the space it took up. Will probably store bags of soil, peat, etc. in it in the garage. Leaf mold container is up and being filled.
NO hanging plants this year. They are too labor/water intensive for Texas.
Will try containers again on the step-holder. This year will provide better drainage.
Inspected the Garden Box planter at Calloway's but at $70.00 per box, that is too pricey.
As an experiment, I'm drilling some extra-large holes for run-off in the bottom of one of my long plastic planters. Then, I'm drilling holes in some plastic take-out containers, cutting down the sides and placing them upside down in the bottom of the planter, to provide some air space for the roots. This seems to be a key element of the Garden Box. I will see how it works in a mini-me version.
Also experimenting with take-out containers as tiny greenhouses for seedlings, as well as a commercial one from Lowe's. Planted: lettuce, leaf lettuce, squash, cosmos and zinnias.
One goal is to plant pollinator attractors on all three sides of the vegetable beds in the two fence beds and the stair steps.
To do: make new grids.
Make new pipe trellis.
Transplanted: Oregano, rosemary, dill, lemon thyme, German thyme along back fence.
Planted: peas (3), strawberries (2)
Monday, August 3, 2009
August 3, 2009
Still working on getting the garden in shape for fall. Dug up two paths and laid down cardboard under the weedblock and mulch.
T/P: rosemary in Bed A, as a pollinator attractor.
Tomato, in Bed B
P: zinnia, sunflower and cosmos in back fence bed. Sunflowers in side fence bed. Bush beans and cowpeas in Bed A. Waiting on my Burpee's seed order for some plants. I have never tried growing annuals in the fall, and look forward to the results.
Turned compost heap, which is still heating up wonderfully. Every two-three days seems to work better than daily. I will 'un-sew' the leaf heap by the front gate from its wild morning glory vines and use them to replenish the paths and mulch. Any leaf mold will go onto the beds and the leftovers will go into the new heap.
Finished laying out the soaker hose system. Now to figure out a watering schedule for the beds in the evenings. Going in and out several times under the geckos lurking over the back door is not a pleasant vision. Maybe I can get it all done before it gets really dark and they come out.
I scavenged some nice rocks from a parkway and am looking for a place to sink my little plastic pond, so I can use them around the edges. It won't be a proper pond with water circulation, etc., but just a watering hole for, hopefully, frogs and toads.
Unless Evil White Cat gets them.
T/P: rosemary in Bed A, as a pollinator attractor.
Tomato, in Bed B
P: zinnia, sunflower and cosmos in back fence bed. Sunflowers in side fence bed. Bush beans and cowpeas in Bed A. Waiting on my Burpee's seed order for some plants. I have never tried growing annuals in the fall, and look forward to the results.
Turned compost heap, which is still heating up wonderfully. Every two-three days seems to work better than daily. I will 'un-sew' the leaf heap by the front gate from its wild morning glory vines and use them to replenish the paths and mulch. Any leaf mold will go onto the beds and the leftovers will go into the new heap.
Finished laying out the soaker hose system. Now to figure out a watering schedule for the beds in the evenings. Going in and out several times under the geckos lurking over the back door is not a pleasant vision. Maybe I can get it all done before it gets really dark and they come out.
I scavenged some nice rocks from a parkway and am looking for a place to sink my little plastic pond, so I can use them around the edges. It won't be a proper pond with water circulation, etc., but just a watering hole for, hopefully, frogs and toads.
Unless Evil White Cat gets them.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
And we're back...
Some things learned in the last two or so months:
- Gardens are alive. You just can't leave them to themselves.
- Grass mulch eventually dries out and must be replenished periodically
- Eternal vigilance is the only weapon against the squash moth
- All the culinary herbs I really need to grow can go into two strawberry pots.
- If you follow the directions for building a proper compost heap, its interior will indeed get hot as billy blue blazes with beneficial microbes eating everything up
- Pollinator- attracting plants are crucial. Try to find native ones.
- Some weed block doesn't, very much
I didn't exactly ignore the garden through June and July, but it didn't get the nuturing it really needed, because I was doing the summer musical. I won't attempt both next year.
This last week has been a matter of pulling up old plants, amending the soil, working on the paths, setting up a better watering system with soaker hoses, re-constructing the compost heap and other chores to get ready for the next growing season.
Re-working the bed grids, trying to work out the plantings for Fall. I bought the new Square Foot Gardening and he says not to worry too much about rotation, but I planted squashes, all of which eventually succumbed to heat/pests, in random spots and don't want any cucurbits in those areas. I constructed a trellis of electrical conduit, rebar and netting according to the SFG plans and am anxious to see how they work. The wooden/plastic net trellises from spring are going on the back fence for perrenial vines.
Happy surprise- nasturtiums. The seeds were in a four pack that I bought for the moonflower and morning glories, so I planted them on a whim. They were delightful, with their clear green round leaves and their hot, bright blooms. They did get a little out of hand- they are vines, after all, but I did love them and will grow them again next year. The best thing about them was their scent. It is very much like a moonflower's - light and clean. But, unlike a moonflower, you can cut them and keep them in the house.
T/P: cantaloupe
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Journal April 15
After the cold killed so many seedlings, I determined not to re-plant 'til after Easter.
It has gotten warm enough for various flower seeds, the pumpkins and the cowpeas to sprout.
Today is the first day in almost two weeks that there was anything really to do, or nice enough weather to work in.
Weeded beds, re-set pavers in Bird Area, which will be known as the Nature Preserve (NP) from now on, weeded in NP. Harvested lettuce.
V. has almost completed the tool rack- I assured him I could finish it while he was at the coast. I'm thinking of staining it a rust color, to blend in with the house brick.
Leaves are so compacted in the compost bins that it may be a good idea to turn them. A two-person job that might need a captive daughter.
To do:
Buy, TP peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, basil.
Re-plant squash, beans, cukes
Buy 1x2's to brace tool rack. Finish rack. Stain?
Mulch weeded areas in NP
Move dirt, plant sunflowers in NP.
Birdola, suet, seeds.
It has gotten warm enough for various flower seeds, the pumpkins and the cowpeas to sprout.
Today is the first day in almost two weeks that there was anything really to do, or nice enough weather to work in.
Weeded beds, re-set pavers in Bird Area, which will be known as the Nature Preserve (NP) from now on, weeded in NP. Harvested lettuce.
V. has almost completed the tool rack- I assured him I could finish it while he was at the coast. I'm thinking of staining it a rust color, to blend in with the house brick.
Leaves are so compacted in the compost bins that it may be a good idea to turn them. A two-person job that might need a captive daughter.
To do:
Buy, TP peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, basil.
Re-plant squash, beans, cukes
Buy 1x2's to brace tool rack. Finish rack. Stain?
Mulch weeded areas in NP
Move dirt, plant sunflowers in NP.
Birdola, suet, seeds.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Journal April 3
Temps still below normal for spring: only 71 today.
Finished digging up Bed 6 and since it is on the higher side of the yard, cut a deep trench
along the high side, to level it.
I notice that the bed I didn't dig out (being a lazy man in a hurry), but only loosened the sod and covered with several layers of newspaper before adding the topsoil, is completely weed-free.
The other two have problems. So, will cover 6 with paper as well.
Mulched the path between Beds 1 and 3 and the herb bed. One of the leaf bags had quite a few twigs mixed in, but I think they will break up when walked on.
One brave cowpea has sprouted. No okra yet- soil temp too cold still, I think.
TP the cherry tomato. The Big Boy shows signs of recovering, so I will leave it for now and save the new plant.
Moonflowers are up, two anyway. My very favorite annual vine.
NB: READ LABELS. I think the broccolli is actually brocolli rabe. This makes no difference when steamed and tossed with a nice lemon-garlic vinaigrette, but it would have been useful to know.
I was letting the 'heads' almost flower, waiting for them to form the big bunches.
V. bought the lumber for the tool rack he's making for me. I look forward to not having them lying about the porch. Because of the bank of windows that look out over the porch, he's constucting it horizontally, instear of vertically. Think of a car gun-rack, but with two sides.
Finished digging up Bed 6 and since it is on the higher side of the yard, cut a deep trench
along the high side, to level it.
I notice that the bed I didn't dig out (being a lazy man in a hurry), but only loosened the sod and covered with several layers of newspaper before adding the topsoil, is completely weed-free.
The other two have problems. So, will cover 6 with paper as well.
Mulched the path between Beds 1 and 3 and the herb bed. One of the leaf bags had quite a few twigs mixed in, but I think they will break up when walked on.
One brave cowpea has sprouted. No okra yet- soil temp too cold still, I think.
TP the cherry tomato. The Big Boy shows signs of recovering, so I will leave it for now and save the new plant.
Moonflowers are up, two anyway. My very favorite annual vine.
NB: READ LABELS. I think the broccolli is actually brocolli rabe. This makes no difference when steamed and tossed with a nice lemon-garlic vinaigrette, but it would have been useful to know.
I was letting the 'heads' almost flower, waiting for them to form the big bunches.
V. bought the lumber for the tool rack he's making for me. I look forward to not having them lying about the porch. Because of the bank of windows that look out over the porch, he's constucting it horizontally, instear of vertically. Think of a car gun-rack, but with two sides.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Journal March 21
Busy days. Babysat on Tuesday and took O to the nursery with me that afternoon, then had all the children overnight on Thursday through Friday afternoon.
Ordered another load of topsoil from Strong's, which they delivered the same day (Thursday).
Constucted and filled two 2x10' beds across back fence. O and I planted one (Bed IV) with coneflowers, zinnias, cosmos and moonflowers. The second (Bed V) has yarrow, summer squash seedlings and morning glories for now.
Drilled holes and filled pumpkin barrel with planting mix.
Ollas arrived from Path to Freedom. They were wrapped in T-shirts and a sweatshirt, which will be re-cycled to the Thrift Store. The kids and I planted them in Bed II, and filled one as an experiment. Checked the soil around it today and it is, indeed, damp.
Mixed planting mix for the hanging baskets and TP herbs to two of them to hang on back fence: one has three thyme varieties, the other has chives, sage and rosemary.
Bed I: TP summer squash, basil plants. Zucchini is up. Harvested romaine and mesclum for dinner. Watered with soaker hose.
Bed II: TP Roma tomato.
Bed III: Corn is up- most of it overnight at the same time! Watered with soaker hose.
Bed IV: Moved in shepherd's crook from Bird Area, hung with lantana in hanging basket.
Bed VI: (formerly Herb Bed): TP zucchini along fence.
Bought a new mom-friendly drill at Lowe's, as well as a new saw. Also bought V. a ratchet screwdriver for his poor old hands. He finished the little shrine for me - I think it will go on the back fence.
To Do: construct cuke trellis
Hang trellies for squashes on fence.
Put up strings for morning glory, moonflower
Hang shrine.
Finish paths: buy mulch, collect cardboard (from MSSC?), put down weed block.
Plant pumpkins, cowpeas, cukes, flower annuals, sunflowers
Dig up old rosemary
Hang baskets on fence
Construct bed in Bird Area.
Work out watering schedule: print
Ordered another load of topsoil from Strong's, which they delivered the same day (Thursday).
Constucted and filled two 2x10' beds across back fence. O and I planted one (Bed IV) with coneflowers, zinnias, cosmos and moonflowers. The second (Bed V) has yarrow, summer squash seedlings and morning glories for now.
Drilled holes and filled pumpkin barrel with planting mix.
Ollas arrived from Path to Freedom. They were wrapped in T-shirts and a sweatshirt, which will be re-cycled to the Thrift Store. The kids and I planted them in Bed II, and filled one as an experiment. Checked the soil around it today and it is, indeed, damp.
Mixed planting mix for the hanging baskets and TP herbs to two of them to hang on back fence: one has three thyme varieties, the other has chives, sage and rosemary.
Bed I: TP summer squash, basil plants. Zucchini is up. Harvested romaine and mesclum for dinner. Watered with soaker hose.
Bed II: TP Roma tomato.
Bed III: Corn is up- most of it overnight at the same time! Watered with soaker hose.
Bed IV: Moved in shepherd's crook from Bird Area, hung with lantana in hanging basket.
Bed VI: (formerly Herb Bed): TP zucchini along fence.
Bought a new mom-friendly drill at Lowe's, as well as a new saw. Also bought V. a ratchet screwdriver for his poor old hands. He finished the little shrine for me - I think it will go on the back fence.
To Do: construct cuke trellis
Hang trellies for squashes on fence.
Put up strings for morning glory, moonflower
Hang shrine.
Finish paths: buy mulch, collect cardboard (from MSSC?), put down weed block.
Plant pumpkins, cowpeas, cukes, flower annuals, sunflowers
Dig up old rosemary
Hang baskets on fence
Construct bed in Bird Area.
Work out watering schedule: print
Monday, March 16, 2009
Drunk Sailor in Port
That would be me- at Lowe's this morning.
But I am now supplied for the squash trellis, which I put together this afternoon. V. came out to see what I was hammering on and we had a little "Ur doing it rong" tiff. My take: it's a trellis, not a house. His: it should still be square.
Also set up my soaker hoses in Beds I & II. I cut the hoses to length, capped the ends and put these genius snap-on connectors on the other ends. Now I just put a two-faucet unit on the hose, attach the soaker hoses and turn it on.
Bed III gets the ollas. I'm wondering if something similar couldn't be rigged with a terra-cotta flowerpot and saucer. Just plug the hole in the bottom, bury the pot, fill it with water and cover it with the saucer. Might be worth a try. They might not be porous enough, though, for the water to wick through.
TP eggplant, red bell pepper, green bell pepper.
Bought cedar for the back fence bed, plus fence palings to put across the bottom of the fences. And some bee-attracting seeds: coneflower and cosmos. Plus pumpkin seeds for the tub.
I also bought some squirrel repellent spray for the bird feeders, called Critter Ridder. I'm not anti-squirrel, but enough is enough. They can eat corn off the ground with the doves.
There was a cute family- dad, mom and a little boy about five- looking at seeds with me, and trying to select some things for his garden. He wanted everything hard to grow: carrots, onions, flowers that needed to be started inside six weeks ago. I mentioned to his mom that the onion sets and vegetable seedlings were out front and saw them again when I went out to look for another basil plant.
If I were doing a garden for a small child, I think I'd use the bags of top soil method and plant:
Radishes- you plant a little seed and only leaves come up, but then you pull on them- and there's a radish! It's magic!
Cherry tomato
Lettuce seedlings
Sunflowers- so you can share with the birds
An annual from seed- probably a short Zinnia variety
and if possible, some vining plant: beans, or morning glories.
If they turned out not to like gardening, you just pull everything up and scatter the dirt on the lawn.
To do: order dirt
But I am now supplied for the squash trellis, which I put together this afternoon. V. came out to see what I was hammering on and we had a little "Ur doing it rong" tiff. My take: it's a trellis, not a house. His: it should still be square.
Also set up my soaker hoses in Beds I & II. I cut the hoses to length, capped the ends and put these genius snap-on connectors on the other ends. Now I just put a two-faucet unit on the hose, attach the soaker hoses and turn it on.
Bed III gets the ollas. I'm wondering if something similar couldn't be rigged with a terra-cotta flowerpot and saucer. Just plug the hole in the bottom, bury the pot, fill it with water and cover it with the saucer. Might be worth a try. They might not be porous enough, though, for the water to wick through.
TP eggplant, red bell pepper, green bell pepper.
Bought cedar for the back fence bed, plus fence palings to put across the bottom of the fences. And some bee-attracting seeds: coneflower and cosmos. Plus pumpkin seeds for the tub.
I also bought some squirrel repellent spray for the bird feeders, called Critter Ridder. I'm not anti-squirrel, but enough is enough. They can eat corn off the ground with the doves.
There was a cute family- dad, mom and a little boy about five- looking at seeds with me, and trying to select some things for his garden. He wanted everything hard to grow: carrots, onions, flowers that needed to be started inside six weeks ago. I mentioned to his mom that the onion sets and vegetable seedlings were out front and saw them again when I went out to look for another basil plant.
If I were doing a garden for a small child, I think I'd use the bags of top soil method and plant:
Radishes- you plant a little seed and only leaves come up, but then you pull on them- and there's a radish! It's magic!
Cherry tomato
Lettuce seedlings
Sunflowers- so you can share with the birds
An annual from seed- probably a short Zinnia variety
and if possible, some vining plant: beans, or morning glories.
If they turned out not to like gardening, you just pull everything up and scatter the dirt on the lawn.
To do: order dirt
Friday, March 6, 2009
Journal March 6
Sunny, windy, hi: 70's
First time in a week I've had time/felt like working in the yard, other than feeding birds and watering.
Picked up mobile butterfly garden plants, one more herb and two tomato plants at Lowe's.
Time to start P/TP the hot weather vegs.
Blessed Bed II and TP two tomatoes: Better Bush and a cherry type.
There are now two peas up in the herb bed.
Moved some pavers in the Bird Area (it needs a better name) to make room for the new bed, and cut down the rosemary, prior to digging it up. It's about 10 years old and we let it grow out of curiosity to see how large it might get. But it's now in the way of a bed and nobody needs that much rosemary. So, good-bye and thanks.
Washed the feeder, watered. First daffodil up in the BA.
Ves mowed and trimmed for the first time this spring.
If Sissy brings the kids by tomorrow, we will plant the butterfly garden.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Journal Feb11
Sunny, windy. Hi: 70's
Exciting night last night, with the tornado warning sirens going off and the power going out.
Heavy rainfall- the run-off from the back porch gutter cut a trough through the back yard.
I see a rain barrel in my future. All our premises are fine and the power came back on around daybreak.
T/P: chives, catmint, lemon thyme, two lavenders. Mint to t/p later, in pot. All from Calloway's.
Also bought cowpea seeds and corn seed. No inexpensive rain gauges, though. Try W-M.
Finished digging 3/4 of Bed II.
New book: How We Garden Now from library. Divided into small, medium and large projects that teach all the basics of gardening. One idea she has intrigues me: a sunflower folly. I don't have enough space to do this in the backyard and the front is out, due to street repair. But I might try this in modified format in the Bird Area. A short, medium and tall variety by the front gate, maybe.
I also want to try a no-dig temporary bed idea from MEN's veggie supplement. This is planting directly into cut open bags of topsoil, that are then covered with mulch.
Garden Now has two good trellis ideas, which I might use for the squashes and beans.
Two little skinks on the porch- one tail-less. Want to encourage them for bug-eaters.
Vile nut-grass already sprouting in herb bed. Sprayed it with clove-killer. Really don't want to use Round-up. Will explore other organic remedies.
Exciting night last night, with the tornado warning sirens going off and the power going out.
Heavy rainfall- the run-off from the back porch gutter cut a trough through the back yard.
I see a rain barrel in my future. All our premises are fine and the power came back on around daybreak.
T/P: chives, catmint, lemon thyme, two lavenders. Mint to t/p later, in pot. All from Calloway's.
Also bought cowpea seeds and corn seed. No inexpensive rain gauges, though. Try W-M.
Finished digging 3/4 of Bed II.
New book: How We Garden Now from library. Divided into small, medium and large projects that teach all the basics of gardening. One idea she has intrigues me: a sunflower folly. I don't have enough space to do this in the backyard and the front is out, due to street repair. But I might try this in modified format in the Bird Area. A short, medium and tall variety by the front gate, maybe.
I also want to try a no-dig temporary bed idea from MEN's veggie supplement. This is planting directly into cut open bags of topsoil, that are then covered with mulch.
Garden Now has two good trellis ideas, which I might use for the squashes and beans.
Two little skinks on the porch- one tail-less. Want to encourage them for bug-eaters.
Vile nut-grass already sprouting in herb bed. Sprayed it with clove-killer. Really don't want to use Round-up. Will explore other organic remedies.
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