The garden is starting on its blooming journey through spring. Daffodils and hyacinth followed by a profusion of freckles violas and grape hyacinth. And Dog Tooth Violets and Veronica. Tulips should be blooming soon... and i noticed a columbine that is in bud.
We have been working on extending our vegetable garden space. It is now approximately 8 x 18. We went through digging it up, breaking up the clay soil, running the tiller over it once... and then a second time. Tonight was the third time we tilled (joseph did) and we added in pelleted gypsum to assist in amending the clay. Then we will add in compost next time.
I'm very excited about the new garden space and i need to research what grows best where. Since the garden plot is next to the driveway, i need to figure out what vegetables like the extra warmth and plant them on that side. I need to go back and reference the Shaker Garden book that Jim got me :-)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Instant Summer
Today we jumped into instant summer... 84F (27.77C). I'm not a fan of summer temperatures so i wasn't real thrilled with the heat and sun.
I managed to get a lot done in the morning before the heat took over. A couple buckets of weeds were pulled, a bunch of plants were dug up for Aubrianna's garden (my little gardening protege... i think she's about nine yrs. old).
Earlier in the week we doubled the size of our vegetable garden. It still needs to be tilled and the soil amended but the basic outline is in place. The little mantis tiller doesn't seem to be big enough to handle the job... so i might ask Dad to bring down his tiller.
Currently in bloom: daffodils, viola, veronica, hyacinth, grape hyacinth.
I managed to get a lot done in the morning before the heat took over. A couple buckets of weeds were pulled, a bunch of plants were dug up for Aubrianna's garden (my little gardening protege... i think she's about nine yrs. old).
Earlier in the week we doubled the size of our vegetable garden. It still needs to be tilled and the soil amended but the basic outline is in place. The little mantis tiller doesn't seem to be big enough to handle the job... so i might ask Dad to bring down his tiller.
Currently in bloom: daffodils, viola, veronica, hyacinth, grape hyacinth.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Transplant Day
This morning I moved two holly seedlings that were growing in the lawn area. And another holly that is much bigger than a seedling and growing up beside the house was also moved. I am going to have a wall of holly for the birds to enjoy. I also moved a Serbian Spruce seedling that hasn't liked the spot that i was. Hopefully it will thrive in it's new home.
I also dug up what was left of a lavender that didn't make it through the winter.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Almost Spring... clean-up
We've had a warm week and it has melted all of the snow... I thought it would take forever. I went about trimming all of the ornamental grasses. The pampas, fountain and oat grasses... i'm looking forward to watching them grow where i've divided and transplanted them. I'm especially looking forward to the fountain grass near the patio. I think it will make a nice wall. I'm also contemplating adding more ornamental grass between us and the neighbors basketball court. We are on the downside of the basketball and one of my beds is in the line of fire... it could use a barrier. In that bed is two crab apple trees... i trimmed back the smaller of the two trees to force it to fill in rather than get tall. I also found a small pine seedling near the house that i put in a pot... we'll see if i can get this little pine tree to grow. I also have a holly growing nearing the house that i might transplant tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
One shot of yellow
It has been a very long cold winter. On December 9th we dipped below the 50f (10c) mark and stayed below that mark for three months. February was brutal with a lot of snow ...(bringing the total accumulated snowfall up to 73 inches ( 1.8542 m) and my garden remained buried until last week. Surprisingly Spring is on its way and my garden is telling me so. The earliest bulbs are starting to bloom. the aconite and crocus a couple weeks later than last year but the mini daffodils are a week early. So i guess it will all balance out. I'm hoping that my emotional state will balance out with it as well. I'm winter weary and, it's been a long one.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
There is plant life under all the snow...
Today the temperature heated up to 52 degrees... the first time since December 9th... three months of cold or frigid weather. We've had a total of a little over 70 inches of snow this season (Dec.-Feb.)... 30 inches over the norm. This winter has been extreme.
But today the breezes felt almost spring like and the glaciers are melting. When I got home from work, Joseph was anxious to point out buds on our winter aconite! Yes, there will be flowers. And even tho' i was dressed in a suit, i proceeded to start cleaning up the garden. Trimmed off some plants that had died, trimmed a russian sage, rose and a coreopsis. It felt so good to be doing something outside in the garden. I also pulled out a few pieces of chicken wire to protect some of my plants that the deer tend to like. I've not noticed any deer in the area, but i still wanted to protect some of my plants.
But today the breezes felt almost spring like and the glaciers are melting. When I got home from work, Joseph was anxious to point out buds on our winter aconite! Yes, there will be flowers. And even tho' i was dressed in a suit, i proceeded to start cleaning up the garden. Trimmed off some plants that had died, trimmed a russian sage, rose and a coreopsis. It felt so good to be doing something outside in the garden. I also pulled out a few pieces of chicken wire to protect some of my plants that the deer tend to like. I've not noticed any deer in the area, but i still wanted to protect some of my plants.
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