Heading toward a square foot garden

I'm shifting the vegetable garden into a square foot garden.  Here are the first shots of the work in progress.

I'm really excited about the herb garden.   I'm not going to do 4x4's, but rather do some fun shapes and paths.

Hey. Dumbass.

Next year, take Claritin BEFORE raking up all the moldy wet leaves.

Yeah. I knew better.

sneeze-cough-itch-cough-cough-SNEEZE

Herbs I want to plant this year

sweet basil

cat nip

cat grass

chamomile

cilantro

rosemary

summer savoury

winter savory

oregano ( a second variety....the first one I'm getting tired of)

sweet marjoram

thyme

sage

parsley

fennel

bee balm

echinacea
anise
caraway
rue

Trying hard

When my mom died in October, it was hard.  The months afterward have been, well, hard.  My blogging on any of my blogs has been hit and miss at best.  I know she isn't reading any of them anymore and it hurts.

I've started my gardening this year.  The 100 small crocus that Rachel and I planted all over our yard last fall came up.  Tiny yellow, white, and purple flowers in random places.  My mother was supposed to see them.  I remember telling her about them when we planted them.

God this is hard.

The snowdrops came up on schedule in mid-March.  The larger crocus are up and in full bloom in the back flower bed.  They are gorgeous.

Tulips are starting to pop out as well as the ever-present-cannot-kill daylilies.   Rachel has requested daffodils for next spring and daisies.  The daisies I can accomodate this year and we'll plant daffodil bulbs in the fall.

I've planned my vegetable garden.  I'm implementing a square foot gardening approach this year.  I am putting in 14 4x4 beds.  (Yes, we have a large backyard.)  Plus, about 200 garlic plants are already up in my garlic patch.  In two of the 4 x 4 beds, I am planting nothing but "cutting" flowers.

I need to deal with the compost...turn it, mix it...etc.

I've been raking up all the left over leaves from the fall.  I managed to get most of the broken tree branches and leaves up out of the front yard last week.  (I still need to do the ravine edge.)  I've been working on the backyard today.

I designed a 10 x 10 shed (actually, 2) for our backyard.  We'll have an area between them with a potting bench.  I'm putting together the supply list to price them out now.

The weather is hit and miss.  We are actually having spring this year.  Coolish weather with frost still possible....I'm hesitant to put the gladiola bulbs out yet.  One started sprouting in the drawer...in the vermiculite of all things.

Oh, and I had the apple trees and the pear tree pruned.  (Actually, half the pear tree came down. It was pushing 60 feet.)  So, hopefully, we will have a really nice crop of apples this fall.

Silly flowers

Despite several nights below freezing, I still have three fall crocus that are blooming.

Walls, Trash, and Mosaics: Plans Part III

Where the fence is between our neighbor's yard and ours, I want to construct a fence that is about seven feet high.  Instead of a straight, boring fence, I want to do it in panels so I can mix in vertical succulent gardens, mosaics, and ivy walls.

Also, we are planning to do the deck next summer.  The plans have now been extended to include a greenhouse on the end of the deck....and a small hot tub in it. If I have to heat the greenhouse, I'd rather heat a hot tub. :)  I'm thinking heat and moisture in a greenhouse are a good thing.

Oh, and we need to build a trash/green bin/recycling container hutch. 

And, in the continuing stream-of-consciousness style of the last two posts, the morning glories were late this year, but are doing beautifully now.  I am going to line the bed so I can add some tri-mix.   I moved the white bricks from the back there last weekend.  Now I just need to dig them in.    Hmmm...here's a thought...what if I put mosaics on the edge of them??  They won't be walked on and would look lovely with the morning glories.  Let's see...clean them, put some thinset on them, add pretty things, grout and done. Yep. That would work.

Flowers, and bulbs, and fruit, oh My! Plans, part II

So, three of our apple trees will need to be pruned (a lot) in March.  They are lovely shade trees, but I want the apple off of them next year, so they need to be cut back.  The pear tree is too large to even try.

I think it would be fun to plant a hardy avocado tree in a planter. They are supposed to be self-pollinating. 

I planted 200 Grape Hyacinths in the gully last week.  They should look like a little stream when they bloom.

I also randomly planted crocus, in twos and threes, throughout the front and back yards.  Between them and the Snow Drops, spring should be quite pretty.

Oh!  My autumn crocus have gone crazy!  I have about forty white and purple ones.  What a change from last year.  I've tried to mark them with tags so I don't accidentally dig them up.

I want to re-do the wood chip walkway in the front of the house and use stones and thyme this fall.  Then, on the street side of it, I want to plant Hidcote Lavendar.  Someone suggested it to me this past spring, and now I'm loving the idea.  Curses John! :)  http://www.greatgardenplants.com/files/GGPimages/product/300/LAVHI1Q.jpg