Monday, June 24, 2013

So, I did that witchy thing again that I do.

While David and I mowed the yard yesterday, I pondered the old flower garden.  It is a garden that was in place when we moved in to this house.  It is an overgrown disaster.

So, I made a decision.  I mowed the garden down to the ground.  I decided to redesign the entire thing. David and I talked about what we might do.  I mentioned I wasn't sure where we would put the swing.

Well.....the universe must have agreed with the plan.  Within an hour or so, we had a weather cell come through with incredibly strong winds.

The swing and tree aren't really a design issue anymore.



Saturday, June 22, 2013

Harvesting Herbs and Mock Orange Starting to Bloom

I started harvesting herbs and came up with the idea of using my microwave chipmaker to dry the herbs.

Cilantro, Tarragon, Lemon Thyme, Thyme, Oregano, Basil,  Curly Parsley, Flat Leaf Parsley, Sage

The Lemon Thyme smells heavenly.

And, on a different topic, the mock orange out front is starting to bloom.  The smell is amazing.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Final plant order for the spring/summer

I've spent way too much money on gardening this spring. However, this should be the last order.

 Lavender, Hidcote Plug pack           
This is to fill in a couple of gaps on the front Lavender border.

Mint, Orange Plants          
Uhm....this is because....I thought it would taste good.

Sorrel, Profusion® Plants     
I ordered this for Rachel.  She loved Sorrel when she tasted it and I couldn't fine any locally.

Thyme, Purple Carpet Lemon Plug tray   
These are to replace all the seeds that didn't germinate.  There 120 plugs.

Verbena, Lemon Plants      
For the herb garden.

Tomato, Sweetie Plug pack             
Can one have too many tomatoes?


Edelweiss Plants                       
For the rock garden in front.

Front walkways and edging

I grabbed 40 Bugle Weed plants from Home Depot yesterday.  At a $1 a plant, it was good, cheap ground cover.  So, I finished the edging under the front window and planted Bugle Weed between the stones.





I don't think the Thyme seeds I planted on going to germinate, so I ordered 120 plugs to put between the stones heading from the driveway to the house.

I still need to finish the edging around the butterfly garden and add one little piece of edging to the street-side bed.

We also added two cucumber plants to the garden to replace the two that mysteriously disappeared.  I also dropped in an eggplant plant in an empty spot.


Monday, June 17, 2013

Finally.

I finally got the Harry Lauder Walking Stick Tree/Bush planted.  I put the Elder Berry Bush next to it and a trellis behind both where I will plant moon flowers.  The idea is that the dark leaves of both the bushes will be a nice contrast to the moon flowers.




Thursday, June 13, 2013

Harvest

I am stunned by how well the vegetable garden is doing.  Between the amazing growing medium I put in the raised beds and the regular rain, the silly plants have gone bonkers. (Yes, that is the technical word for it.)

Tonight, I brought in another huge bunch of kale, spinach, micro greens, and just for fun, we picked a beet.  It was still pretty small, but it was definitely big enough to make small chips.

I started adding more supports to the tomatoes (and pruning them a bit).  I also prepped another ten-foot gutter to mount on the fence.  I have 3-4 more strawberry plants I want to put in.

I bought some netting to put over the strawberry gutters.  Something is nibbling the berries. :(
I need to get it mounted tomorrow.  I'm still thinking about the best way to do this.

Cabbages

Beets

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Growing Plants

Lettuce growing in gutter

Potato Tower going crazy...they are growing so fast!

This is where the blueberry patch will go.

Chives!

Echinacea plant growing in herb garden.

"Nursery" bed doing well.  Several of the baby glads are coming up and the whole bed of zinnias  is doing great.

Let's hear it for great soil and lots of rain.  My kale, cabbage and tomatoes are thriving.

Rhododendrons and Iris




Saturday, June 8, 2013

Tenacious Plants

I started mowing/weeding the area where I had blackberry plants last year.  I had let it go while I was dealing with the rest of the garden.  The weeds were 2.5 feet high.  And, yet, when I cleared things out, there were robust blackberry plants. Seriously.  Photos tomorrow.

Finally got the alcove mowed and weeded.  The hostas are doing well, as are the transplanted ferns.

Repeat after me.  Quarter inch hose is not made for long runs.  To do long runs, use at least half inch. Tomorrow I have to re-do a section of irrigation.

I want to get all the weeds pulled tomorrow and the landscape fabric put in in the area on the perimeter of the garden.

I also want to finish cleaning the back porch.  I got it mostly done today. Yay me!

I also want to run to the other Home Depot to check their garden center for more of that spiffy edging material,

I would also love to get the blueberry patch put in.  However that requires help from David as I need to build up the bed on one side since it is on a hill.




Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Front yard coming along nicely

David finished the drainage landscaping for the copper chain downspout-thingy.








The front walkway is now in.  I'm just waiting for the bulk order of Magic Carpet Thyme seeds to arrive so I can plant it.




Sunday, June 2, 2013

For NEXT year....

1. clean out all those day-lilies on the north end of the house and plant shade plants
2. clean out ancient flower garden..although I might get to it this summer. Maybe.
3. put up wall between Charlie's house and ours up in the patio area.  I want it made out of 4x4 posts with flat panels between them.  I am planning on adding art, vertical succulents and mosaics to it.
4. clean out some more of the ravine
5. Clean out the gully and plant bluebells at the end of it.

The List of Doing

Southside Bed (in front of gate)
1. Move planters to back porch or shed.  All done.  Transplanted the Persian Buttercups into them.
2. add 7 more sprinklers for the new hostas Done.
3. weed and hose off walkway - I think I'm going to try the moss trick between the stones there. Or, I saw an interesting use of mosaic in the cracks.  July 22 - Bought a weed eater over the weekend and the weeds are gone off the walkway.  Just need to sweep it off and it will be done.

Front walkway
1. add 1/4 inch line and sprinklers for lavender and thyme - Done.
2. plant thyme  - Done.
3. plant moon flower and morning glory on front post next to copper downspout chain - Done.
4. Add valve back into flow line. - Done.
5. Plant Thyme plugs since seeds didn't come up. - Waiting for plugs to arrive.  Planted seeds in workshop.  They have sprouted (July 2) and I need to move the box into the sun.

Front Tree area
1. finish weeding
2. plant 2 astilbe ostrich plume bushes - Done.

Garden
1. fix irrigation - Almost done.
2. finish adding irrigation to last bed - Done.
3. add irrigation to raspberries- Done.
4. add irrigation to blackberries- Done.
5. add irrigation to gutter garden- Done.
6. weed and mow surrounding area  Partially Done.  The compost area is 90% done.  I've chopped down the weeds, put down landscape fabric and then covered it with straw. I've weed eated the other end of the garden, but need to mow it before putting down cedar chips.

7. build and plant a blueberry bed - Worked with David to lay out.  Will wait to plant blueberries until next year.  This year, I'll toss in some more cherry tomatoes.  July 2, Done
8. replace cucumber plants - Done.
9. update charts - Done.
10. put up netting over strawberries, raspberries and blackberries - Strawberries are done.  However, I had to take it down to put up the irrigation. So...this needs to be done again.  July 2, strawberries and raspberries are done.  Will do the blackberries tomorrow.  I used the bamboo sticks I won at auction for the braces to hold the netting.

Bushes under window
1. add edging -Done.

Rock garden
1. add edging - Done.

Back yard
1. Plant Harry Lauder Walking Stick - Done
2. Plant Elder bush - Done
3. Plant Korean Feather Grass, if it is still alive
4. Plant Flaming Bush, if it is still alive
5. Add pyramid trestle and plant moon flowers - Done. Trellis moved, moon flowers planted.

Containers
1. Transplant fig tree into the big pot - Done.

Back Porch
1. Clean off and set up patio furniture  - Partially Done.  I still need to finish cleaning off the south end of the back porch.



Lots of Progress

Spent time today pruning the grape vine on the arbour.  I cut it back from four main vines to three and pruned out a lot of smaller stuff.  My hope is that it makes lots of edible grapes this year.   It is a wild vine, but I have hopes.





 
I weeded and cleared a lot of excess plants from between these trees.  It isn't near



The rhododendrons are just starting to bloom!



These are blooming at the end of the gully.  I've no idea what they are.



And thanks to David's help, the trellises are all in the garden now.  I tied up the tomatoes, which really needed the support already.



And, tonight for dinner we ate our first harvest.  I made steamed Kale with a cashew cream sauce.  I also made a large salad of micro greens from the garden.