The kids and I constructed a mini-greenhouse this week for snap peas. (Figure 3/13/09) They wanted to see some results soon, and with this recent cold snap, I needed to improvise. I wet two or three paper towels with warm water and placed the snap pea seeds between them and them sealed them inside a glass canister and placed it in the kitchen window. To help add heat and moisture, I add my green tea bags each morning and evening to the canister and reseal. In three days we had growth which pleased the kiddos immensely. There's not much room in the garden, but we may add a second row of peas along the fence, since the peas outside haven't sprouted in this chilly weather. Guess I could just stick them into window boxes and let them trail also. We'll see what the little sprouts decide to do with their little sprouts (:
We have radishes, spinach, carrots, pansies, early onions and peas growing in the veggie beds already - in fact, we've been covering the rows with biodegradable tarps at night. They will double later as landscape fabric to block out weeds in the new garden beds - since they biodegrade within one year, we'll be able to till what is left into the soil next season. The onions are a bit of an experiment this year - I've always had alliums scattered throughout my flower garden to help with pests, so I'm doing the same in the veggie garden this year. I'm using them as perimeter plants and sowing them pretty closely. Friends of mine have pulled the 2nd and 3rd for green onions, leaving the 1st and 4th and so on, giving them room to grow later in the season. We shall see...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Oh, what a night!
There could not be a more beautiful evening. I stepped out my back door, looked up to see a light blanket of lavender clouds behind the bark of the elm and dark shadows of delicate new growth emerging from its limbs. Farther to the west I became immersed watching the moon as it seemed to part the clouds in front of it, like a beautiful woman when she saunters through a room. I have no idea how long I just stood there, enjoying the breeze, the light scent of pear blossoms and new grass on the air. I remembered fianlly that I'd gone out to do some yoga poses to help calm my tired legs for the night. What scenery to enjoy, what peace and beauty.
I took a quick turn in the yard, dreaming of all the scents and sounds of the impending spring season. The soft hum of the hummingbirds buzzing in the sweet lilacs at midnight, the smell of dew as it drips off the limbs in the morning and the joy in the first harvest. Oh, what a night...
I took a quick turn in the yard, dreaming of all the scents and sounds of the impending spring season. The soft hum of the hummingbirds buzzing in the sweet lilacs at midnight, the smell of dew as it drips off the limbs in the morning and the joy in the first harvest. Oh, what a night...
Friday, March 6, 2009
Potatos are Planted
I brought in ten bags of topsoil to cover the seed potatoes this afternoon. Dylan and Ally and I had a blast filling in the bed and watering. It was a beautiful day - upper 70's - and we all got soaked in the spray. It was great to hear Dylan laughing and see him playing so happily outdoors.
We dug in the Brussels Sprouts in the rear corner bed and planted Blue Flax with the potatoes. There was a specific reason listed in my book on companion planting, but can't remember it now.
Gorgeous day to be outdoors! We spent most of it playing, not working, and enjoyed every minute. Guess we'll get to the rest of the onions, radishes and peas tomorrow.
We dug in the Brussels Sprouts in the rear corner bed and planted Blue Flax with the potatoes. There was a specific reason listed in my book on companion planting, but can't remember it now.
Gorgeous day to be outdoors! We spent most of it playing, not working, and enjoyed every minute. Guess we'll get to the rest of the onions, radishes and peas tomorrow.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Potato Planting
This afternoon we walked the five blocks from school, whizzed through snacks, and began planting onions and potatos. I forgot one major item, however. The straw to cover the seed potatoes. Oops! Good thing it will be dark soon. I'll run and get the bales tomorrow.
Preston happily planted onions and potatos, then proceeded to chalk a sign for the garden. Dylan and Ally each laid out one potato each, but were totally disgusted by the site of the eyes. Too funny!
We had a bit of a water fight. Preston "accidentally" sprayed me, so I sprayed him back, then the other kids wanted in on it, so everyone got a bit wet. Mostly we just played limbo under the spray while we wet the beds after planting.
We edged the outer raised bed of greens with red onions to fight pests and a few pansies to attract pollinators. We filled the flower boxes attached to the raised potato bed with 9 pansies each. We couldn't find enough Spanish moss to fill behind the wire, so we used red cardboard pizza boxes - we thought it looked cool and Preston is sure bugs will flock to the garden "cause bugs, butterflies, and hummingbirds love red." My hubbie isn't sold on the look, but we hope in time he'll come around.
After we finished garden chores, we ran around in the yard like lunatics - as usual - until Margie picked up her kiddos. We played soccer, ran obstacle courses, did some swinging, played in the sandbox. Nothing like a beautiful day to knock kids (and ourselves) out at nighttime.
Preston happily planted onions and potatos, then proceeded to chalk a sign for the garden. Dylan and Ally each laid out one potato each, but were totally disgusted by the site of the eyes. Too funny!
We had a bit of a water fight. Preston "accidentally" sprayed me, so I sprayed him back, then the other kids wanted in on it, so everyone got a bit wet. Mostly we just played limbo under the spray while we wet the beds after planting.
We edged the outer raised bed of greens with red onions to fight pests and a few pansies to attract pollinators. We filled the flower boxes attached to the raised potato bed with 9 pansies each. We couldn't find enough Spanish moss to fill behind the wire, so we used red cardboard pizza boxes - we thought it looked cool and Preston is sure bugs will flock to the garden "cause bugs, butterflies, and hummingbirds love red." My hubbie isn't sold on the look, but we hope in time he'll come around.
After we finished garden chores, we ran around in the yard like lunatics - as usual - until Margie picked up her kiddos. We played soccer, ran obstacle courses, did some swinging, played in the sandbox. Nothing like a beautiful day to knock kids (and ourselves) out at nighttime.
Ally and I had a wild time this morning. It was such a bright and beautiful sunny day! We flung open the front door (and barricaded it with the Headwater's Stool, so Nika, my old golden retriever, wouldn't barrel through into the soil). We brought out paints and our clean terra cotta pots and set up a giant potting station on the front porch.
We cut open the potting mix bags, so it was easy for Ally to reach in with her little pink panda trowel and shovel dirt into containers. We used a mix of terra cotta, wood and metal planters this year in a mixture of sizes and shapes. Then we massed them together in a few spots around the front flowerbeds. Some of the larger terra cotta planters became stacked to add some height to what is mostly just bare dirt at the moment. The yellow eyes of the deep violet pansies seemed to brighten things up and pulled the cool grays and blues of the iris and lamb's ears together with the deep greens of bulbs and perennials attempting to peek through the earth. The yellow crocus and daffodills really make the purple pop!
We buried some of the daffodill bulbs that we excavated last week underneath the pansies - they may or may not bloom, but we had to put them all somewhere. We've run out of flowerbeds to layer them into. I really don't feel like taking my bulb planter to the grass near the trees to naturalize them, but it may come to that. Yuck! I'm a lazy gardener and hate back-breaking work!
Ally added some great color to the terra cotta pots and placed them all in very fun locations around the garden. She hid a few surprises for me inside as well - a tiny Smurf, little ceramic turtle, and our love bug. I had an area that sunk drastically, so I dumped some soil inside the hole and added rocks and some accents to create a bit of a cascade effect. It looks great from my art/sewing station inside.
Off to do a bit of planning for this afternoon's escapades in the veggie garden with all three munchkins. We have a big agenda, and I imagine there will be pretty short attention spans - at least where Dylan and Ally are concerned. I have a hard time getting Preston to leave the garden at all. He is such a tremendous helper, and, thankfully, loves doing all the muscle work.
Keep you posted....
We cut open the potting mix bags, so it was easy for Ally to reach in with her little pink panda trowel and shovel dirt into containers. We used a mix of terra cotta, wood and metal planters this year in a mixture of sizes and shapes. Then we massed them together in a few spots around the front flowerbeds. Some of the larger terra cotta planters became stacked to add some height to what is mostly just bare dirt at the moment. The yellow eyes of the deep violet pansies seemed to brighten things up and pulled the cool grays and blues of the iris and lamb's ears together with the deep greens of bulbs and perennials attempting to peek through the earth. The yellow crocus and daffodills really make the purple pop!
We buried some of the daffodill bulbs that we excavated last week underneath the pansies - they may or may not bloom, but we had to put them all somewhere. We've run out of flowerbeds to layer them into. I really don't feel like taking my bulb planter to the grass near the trees to naturalize them, but it may come to that. Yuck! I'm a lazy gardener and hate back-breaking work!
Ally added some great color to the terra cotta pots and placed them all in very fun locations around the garden. She hid a few surprises for me inside as well - a tiny Smurf, little ceramic turtle, and our love bug. I had an area that sunk drastically, so I dumped some soil inside the hole and added rocks and some accents to create a bit of a cascade effect. It looks great from my art/sewing station inside.
Off to do a bit of planning for this afternoon's escapades in the veggie garden with all three munchkins. We have a big agenda, and I imagine there will be pretty short attention spans - at least where Dylan and Ally are concerned. I have a hard time getting Preston to leave the garden at all. He is such a tremendous helper, and, thankfully, loves doing all the muscle work.
Keep you posted....
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Spring Fever
I went a bit stir crazy at the HIC's today. I had an hour before a dental appointment and the crews were moving in tons of stock, so......
Four flats of purple pansies, two bags each of potatoes and onion sets, plus too many packets of larkspur, globe artichoke, sunflower and marigolds later, I was out the door. The clouds had rolled in and it was colder than ever, but I pressed forward with a smile, hopeful that the newsman's predictions would hold true and the temp would reach a mild 60.
After my appointment, I picked up my neice Ally - the seed charmer - and we rolled on to my mother's house. We swiped my old Barbie Dreamhouse and the boxes of clothes and accessories to keep Ally busy once she eventually lost interest in the seeds and planting. Anyway, after we had some lunch, we cleaned up the ancient toys, and then pulled the booty out of the caravan and got to work.
First we sprinkled Larkspur at the back of the front flowerbeds - my hope is that they will bloom alongside the Orange California Poppies we seeded a few weeks ago. The first year in the house they bloomed together for just one day, and it was breathtaking while it lasted. The red and blue anemones were open then, along with the few late red tulips, the first yellow Happy Returns daylilies, that year's oddly early purple alliums, baby blue pansies and our sea of purple iris - so striking! I keep hoping for a repeat performance one season.
We didn't have time to start the delphiniums, marigolds or artichokes in egg cartons, but we did start planting some sprouting blue hyacinth and today's purchased pansies into pots.
Most of my time was spent bleaching dirty pots/seed flats, but Ally didn't mind at all. She dressed and redressed her Barbies while the cats watched her from inside the Dreamhouse. All the sudden my fifteen minute warning bell was blaring, so we walked to school to pick up my kindergartener. He wasn't as interested in the planting as all the new Ken doll clothes I'd acquired, so I decided to put off pansy potting for tomorrow.
I hope to get all the potatoes and half the onions in the ground. We'll see rabbit, we'll see...
Oh, that reminds me, we forgot to check the garden for emerging seedlings. Maybe I'll head out with the flashlight when it's time to take my loyal old retriever out for the night - it may dip into frost levels and I'd hate to see the little babies blasted before they gain any momentum.
Four flats of purple pansies, two bags each of potatoes and onion sets, plus too many packets of larkspur, globe artichoke, sunflower and marigolds later, I was out the door. The clouds had rolled in and it was colder than ever, but I pressed forward with a smile, hopeful that the newsman's predictions would hold true and the temp would reach a mild 60.
After my appointment, I picked up my neice Ally - the seed charmer - and we rolled on to my mother's house. We swiped my old Barbie Dreamhouse and the boxes of clothes and accessories to keep Ally busy once she eventually lost interest in the seeds and planting. Anyway, after we had some lunch, we cleaned up the ancient toys, and then pulled the booty out of the caravan and got to work.
First we sprinkled Larkspur at the back of the front flowerbeds - my hope is that they will bloom alongside the Orange California Poppies we seeded a few weeks ago. The first year in the house they bloomed together for just one day, and it was breathtaking while it lasted. The red and blue anemones were open then, along with the few late red tulips, the first yellow Happy Returns daylilies, that year's oddly early purple alliums, baby blue pansies and our sea of purple iris - so striking! I keep hoping for a repeat performance one season.
We didn't have time to start the delphiniums, marigolds or artichokes in egg cartons, but we did start planting some sprouting blue hyacinth and today's purchased pansies into pots.
Most of my time was spent bleaching dirty pots/seed flats, but Ally didn't mind at all. She dressed and redressed her Barbies while the cats watched her from inside the Dreamhouse. All the sudden my fifteen minute warning bell was blaring, so we walked to school to pick up my kindergartener. He wasn't as interested in the planting as all the new Ken doll clothes I'd acquired, so I decided to put off pansy potting for tomorrow.
I hope to get all the potatoes and half the onions in the ground. We'll see rabbit, we'll see...
Oh, that reminds me, we forgot to check the garden for emerging seedlings. Maybe I'll head out with the flashlight when it's time to take my loyal old retriever out for the night - it may dip into frost levels and I'd hate to see the little babies blasted before they gain any momentum.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
March 1, 2009 - Lasagna Garden basics
With a bit of help from my 6 year old, Dylan, I planted mesculin, spinach, carrots, radishes, mint and wild onions in the rear triangle of the veggie garden. We used compost to fill the top 8-12" of the 24" raised bed. The dirt had settled that much since we filled it last spring in the lasagna garden style. I didn't need to water because yesterday's snow made the dirt perfectly moist. This is a great project for Dylan since radishes, lettuce and the like sprout so quickly.
Last year we constructed the rear triangle bed that measures 26' x 26' and we're pushing back the rear fence 3' this year so we can access the back of the 4'x12' raised beds. We're also adding another triangle of similar size toward the front. In between the two triangles, along the fenceline, we'll have a pathway and three compost bins. We built the raised beds with scrap from our fencing. It had sat for years - much to my man's chagrin - so it had to be put to use, and quickly. We only purchased a few extras - otherwise totally free!
A few years ago I read Patricia Lanza's book Lasagna Gardening, and it totally transformed the way that I garden. When you garden this way, you don't dig - you layer up. I'm an avid recycler and being both a mom and nanny to four kids under six, we have lots and lots of cardboard to lay at the bottom of flowerbeds, so that's our first layer. My mom and grandma's newpapers are piled on top of that to make layer two. I usually add compost, dirt or peat moss for layer three - there always seems to be some spot I'm digging around with extra to spare. Layer four is leaves, small sticks, paper towels, kitchen scraps, vacuum refuse, pet hair, grass clippings, and anything else that will compost. My mom's horses supply a layer of barn litter next. I usually purchase a few bags of peat moss to top off the litter, maybe some wood ashes (lots are available this year after the January Ice Storm) and top it all off with at least 6" compost.
I do know that it will all fully disintigrate in one year because today my husband Brent and I moved one of the beds we constructed last year toward the front of the yard. Yesterday we dug it out completely (to top off the rear bed) and it was all composted (except the few plastic bits that had stuck on the cardboard toy boxes at the bottom of the pile.) I wish I had pictures of what happenned next. The two of us used a tiny little dolly to move this very heavy 12x4x2 bed about fifty feet uphill - not a big hill, but still, uphill. We filled it with boxes, newspaper, garden refuse, grass clippings, etc. It's now completely full. Of course, it will compress when we add peat, barn litter and more compost, but it felt like a huge accomplishment.
I had tons of garden refuse because over the past few days I've completely dug out the dogwood's front circle. That's what I call the area inside our circle driveway that holds the mailbox. It became completely overrun last year, much to my dismay, because I was still learning how to balance the life of a new mommy. Dylan came to live with us as a foster child last October and that was my first garden season juggling his needs, my needs, and the garden's needs. That front bed is a time-sucker because it demands constant weeding since it is by the road. Anyone who thinks they can swap perennials and some mulch for the grass patch between the sidewalk and road and walk away maintainance-free is sadly mistaken. Between the wind, heat and the runoff it's nearly impossible to keep that area clean.
I'm going to comprimise with Mother Nature this year and give her a few feet of grass and TRY to claim the rest for daffodills, iris and daylilies. They're all natives to the yard, along with the pink dogwood. It's my homage to the families who've shared our yard for the past half-century. They're the anchor plants in our garden, so the circle sets the tone for the rest of the yard.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to finish removing the grass in the circle so my three-year-old neice, Ally, can help me plant the daffodills we dug out of a dirt-pile in the backyard last week. She and her six-year-old brother Preston have been gardening with me for years since I get to "play" nanny to them for my youngest sister. Right now she's home with her three-week-old son Aidan, so I have a pretty cushy schedule until she goes back to work. Ally asked to buy Brussels Sprouts seeds (of all things), so we'll plant those tomorrow as well. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she tries those for the first time.
Last year we constructed the rear triangle bed that measures 26' x 26' and we're pushing back the rear fence 3' this year so we can access the back of the 4'x12' raised beds. We're also adding another triangle of similar size toward the front. In between the two triangles, along the fenceline, we'll have a pathway and three compost bins. We built the raised beds with scrap from our fencing. It had sat for years - much to my man's chagrin - so it had to be put to use, and quickly. We only purchased a few extras - otherwise totally free!
A few years ago I read Patricia Lanza's book Lasagna Gardening, and it totally transformed the way that I garden. When you garden this way, you don't dig - you layer up. I'm an avid recycler and being both a mom and nanny to four kids under six, we have lots and lots of cardboard to lay at the bottom of flowerbeds, so that's our first layer. My mom and grandma's newpapers are piled on top of that to make layer two. I usually add compost, dirt or peat moss for layer three - there always seems to be some spot I'm digging around with extra to spare. Layer four is leaves, small sticks, paper towels, kitchen scraps, vacuum refuse, pet hair, grass clippings, and anything else that will compost. My mom's horses supply a layer of barn litter next. I usually purchase a few bags of peat moss to top off the litter, maybe some wood ashes (lots are available this year after the January Ice Storm) and top it all off with at least 6" compost.
I do know that it will all fully disintigrate in one year because today my husband Brent and I moved one of the beds we constructed last year toward the front of the yard. Yesterday we dug it out completely (to top off the rear bed) and it was all composted (except the few plastic bits that had stuck on the cardboard toy boxes at the bottom of the pile.) I wish I had pictures of what happenned next. The two of us used a tiny little dolly to move this very heavy 12x4x2 bed about fifty feet uphill - not a big hill, but still, uphill. We filled it with boxes, newspaper, garden refuse, grass clippings, etc. It's now completely full. Of course, it will compress when we add peat, barn litter and more compost, but it felt like a huge accomplishment.
I had tons of garden refuse because over the past few days I've completely dug out the dogwood's front circle. That's what I call the area inside our circle driveway that holds the mailbox. It became completely overrun last year, much to my dismay, because I was still learning how to balance the life of a new mommy. Dylan came to live with us as a foster child last October and that was my first garden season juggling his needs, my needs, and the garden's needs. That front bed is a time-sucker because it demands constant weeding since it is by the road. Anyone who thinks they can swap perennials and some mulch for the grass patch between the sidewalk and road and walk away maintainance-free is sadly mistaken. Between the wind, heat and the runoff it's nearly impossible to keep that area clean.
I'm going to comprimise with Mother Nature this year and give her a few feet of grass and TRY to claim the rest for daffodills, iris and daylilies. They're all natives to the yard, along with the pink dogwood. It's my homage to the families who've shared our yard for the past half-century. They're the anchor plants in our garden, so the circle sets the tone for the rest of the yard.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to finish removing the grass in the circle so my three-year-old neice, Ally, can help me plant the daffodills we dug out of a dirt-pile in the backyard last week. She and her six-year-old brother Preston have been gardening with me for years since I get to "play" nanny to them for my youngest sister. Right now she's home with her three-week-old son Aidan, so I have a pretty cushy schedule until she goes back to work. Ally asked to buy Brussels Sprouts seeds (of all things), so we'll plant those tomorrow as well. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she tries those for the first time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
