May 5, 2012

Last week we had several really hot days.  Eighty-five degrees and above.  I had the air conditioner on  for those days.  I always drag my feet, dreading the electricity bill, but when we have company, special gatherings, or too much heat, I have to give in.  It did cool down nicely at night, but our brick home with few trees around it soaks up heat and it is hard to cool it down at night.  Plus, it was so humid, that once the a/c was on, we didn't want the humidity to sneak back in.  One day, we had the pea-soup fog we had to put up with last summer.  There is so little visibility it is scary.  And there are always a few people who obviously think it is unnecessary to use headlights in such weather.  I send my daughter off to school to turn onto a highway that she can't see 1/10th of a mile.  She just goes in faith, and I wait for 15 minutes to pass with no phone call so I can relax.  
Jim planted another two rows of Incredible sweet corn.  This makes six now.
The turnips, swiss chard, peas and potatoes are all up.  The onions are looking very well, and two rows of sweet corn are up.
We planted the tomatoes and cucumbers we started from seed yesterday.  The tomatoes are about six inches tall, we used milk jugs to protect them, not from frost, but from wind.  We have about 12 plants, mostly Romas. The cucumbers are about as big, we planted them three to, whatever those little fibers planter thingy are called, half picklers, half slicers. But one of the pickle plants was broken.  That isn't too surprising since the flat of plants sits in front of the deck door to get sun, and is kicked around by enterers and outerers, and little boys.  It's a wonder more weren't damaged since I'm sure our grandson fell on it once.
I spent a few hours weeding and wood chipping in the flower garden. The end is getting nearer, but it is taking me a long time, and weeds are growing where I've already been.
I sprayed the bind weed, but I see where the tops have died, new growth is coming up from underneath.  Sometimes I wonder if spraying is really the answer, but pulling it out it a full time job.

April 20, 2012

I forgot to write about these photos last night and this morning, the computer was still trying to load a photo!!  What a waste of energy.

Lilies of the Valley are some of my favorite flowers.  The are so delicate and beautiful and have a lovely scent.  (Which I can't smell right now because I have a sinus problem.)  

I remember one time when I was a grade-school girl, I took lilies of the valley to my teacher on May Day.  I don't remember it ever happening again.  

It isn't going to happen this year either, they will be long gone. 

These lilies come from my mom's house, from the same plants I loved as a child.  I've tried for several years to get some established, and I think I finally have.  

You do have to be a bit careful or they will take over as long as they are in shade. 

Strawberry Jam

I bought strawberries Saturday for 98 cents a pint.  You don't get a deal like that every day!  I bought 8 pints, and we ate them for dessert on Sunday, I made two batches of jam and a strawberry pie.  

I used the cute little flat 8 oz. jars.

March 31, 2012

Today, we had temperatures in the upper 80s and it is supposed to be the same way tomorrow.  It is hard to not to go in and plant everything we can since we could very easily have frost yet.  I went to Steinbrinks to attend a miniature garden class and they said the May 10 is the frost date here. We have had frost up to the 15th at our place though.

So, the garden is tilled; the grapes are tilled; the place were we are going to plant baby trees is tilled.  Jim planted potates, Red Norland, Gold Rush, Kennebec, and Yukon Gold.  He also planted white and yellow onion sets.

I planted pansies north of the shop.  It doesn't get sun there.  I also put some yellow violas, and a forget-me-not.  I've wanted one of those for years, but they don't do well in sun, and I mostly have sun gardens.  I've also planted some nasturtiums there too, from seed.

The chickens have had some outside time (in their hutch).  I've continued to weed and wood chip in my flower gardens.

I have all my plants that I over winter for the deck out on the patio.  I found bugs on them.

I planted my mini garden mostly with plants I bought, and the bench and swing were pretty pricey, but I used my birthday money for them.  The trees are coffee plants, the "vine", a wire plant, I also bought some cute little hen and chicks thingys..  I have some sedum from my garden.  Most of the stuff is tropical house plants, I have a polka dot plant and I don't know what the other is.  They are so cute, but I suppose you need to buy the little ones every year or they will get too big.

March 24, 2012

I guess we are calling it spring even though it is pretty early.  I was debating taking more pictures of the same things I took last year, since my flower gardens look pretty much the same from year to year, at least at the beginning.  

Here is my celery 10 days after the picture in the previous post.  Celery seems to need lots of water so while we were gone for spring break I put it in water in this cool whip container. It sucked up about half of it, in a week. 

These were blooming when we got home, March 23rd.

The daffodils were blooming before we left, March 18. Last year these flowers were blooming mid-April.

My grape hyacinths are starting to take hold in the rocks.  These photos show where they are so I don't dig them up. 

I want to keep these here, too. 

I don't think I want these here by the table and chairs. 

We've been wanting to get some landscaping done around the shop for awhile, and I killed grass here last summer so we are ready to start.  I don't have much in here, and I'm waiting for inspiration before I plant more. I have Stella d'Oro lily, iris, a holly hock and some larkspur

(front and west of shop)

I'm just starting over here.  I planted a few things from seed.  I have a columbine, and some bush.

(front of shop)

March 14, 2012

Spring work has started so the second year of tracking my gardening has started also.  We have had a particularly warm dry winter and spring.  Today we had a high of 78 F, and no night freezing for several days. There is no wind today, which is very pleasant, but not the norm for the last week or more.

Over the last two days I've cleaned out the terrace gardens east of the house, yesterday with Zane's help, which took a LONG time to get much done.  As much today, in a half hour.  Yesterday I also swept up the patio of old leaves and corn husks and leaves, which I MUST do more often, I killed a centipede out there. (with a shovel, so he was a long way away from me, ewww.) I cleaned off the steps, too.  Now just to keep going.

I've got a hyacinth starting to bloom on the west side of the house, spring bulbs are up and going strong.

Jim bought a manure spreader at auction and the jack is broken, but he will use it as is to get compost on the garden.

March 12, 2012

I planted a few spinach seeds out by the front steps a couple of days ago.

I saw on pinterest to grow celery from the base of a stalk from the grocery store.  I soaked it in water and it is starting, I hope the transfer to dirt isn't too soon.