Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Photo Update

Since I last posted, our weather has had quite the mood swings. We've been from Winter to Summer to Winter...must mean it's Spring!

We were out of town the weekend of the 18th. We barely missed one heck of a snowstorm. It was snowy that Friday for about 30 miles and the rest of our trip was just rain. While we were gone, we got enough wet snow to leave almost an inch of water in the rain gauge. By the time we got home Sunday, the roads had thawed and the snow was disappearing fast. Just a few miles north, they were snowed in for the weekend, but I think we got less than a foot. Then we had a few beautiful, sunny, warm days in the mid to upper 70's. Soon, winter returned. Sunday night, we got another 3-4" of snow (and another 7/8" of moisture - very very wet snow). Today was cold (40's) and wet until afternoon. By dinner, it was 60!

The tulips are so close to blooming. Last year when they got this close, they froze. I've tossed a bit of straw over them when it's been nasty this year. I'd really like to see them bloom!



I started some more seeds winter sowing style. These are my lettuce sprouts. I have lettuce, mesclun, broccoli and spinach all sprouted in the jugs. I will do these this way next year for sure.



This is one of the rhubarb roots I got through Freecycle trying to pop up. I have another one that I ordered (a couple days before the Freecycle offer) that is finally showing some signs of life. I wasn't sure, it didn't look great when I got it.

Some of my berries arrived. Here are the Caroline & Anne. The Caroline looked so-so but alive for sure. The Anne looked really good. Large canes with lots of healthy roots. I was impressed.

You can only see the indent, but the patch is now it's intended U-shape. I used some cedar pickets I scavenged from the neighbor's scrap wood pile and pretty much built a floor, 2 boards thick, to act as a center barrier to help keep it orderly later. It shouldn't be terribly hard to keep track of varieties when they creep. Caroline -red, fall bearing- are on the left. Anne - yellow, fall-bearing- are by the fence and Canby - red, thornless, summer bearing are on the right.
The Honeoye strawberries came right before our trip. They are doing quite well. There were 26 in the bundle and they all are still there. I put the plastic hoop over the bed to help warm it a bit more. The ends don't close on this one, so I can just leave it for a while. These have been in the ground probably 12 days at the photo time.


The rest of my fruit is en route. I need to use the one nice-weather day (Wed) to do some prep work before they all come. The blackberries, Canby raspberry, grape, saskatoons, 2 apple and 2 peach trees are all on the way. Here's hoping they arrive in good shape! I will admit, I succumbed to the $25 coupon on the catalog with the iffy ratings (the yellow, G one...). So far, I think I'm doing ok. The asparagus roots seemed a little more dry than I would have liked (and I'm still waiting for them to come up) but otherwise, the plants have been alright.

If you noticed, I slipped a couple more items into my fruit selection. I was planning to use a $100 gift card to get 2 apple trees locally. When we went to look, I couldn't get the kind I want in a price that I could justify. They were about $99 each. I just couldn't do it. I'll use my card for another tree and some shrubs. I ordered 2 semi-dwarf apples (Honeycrisp & Golden Delicious) and 2 standard peach (Red Haven & Intrepid). I bought all 4 of them for less than the cost of one local apple.

The Sugar Snap Peas are still growing and the row I added is making some progress. I take off the plastic whenever the weather is over about 50 so they get sun and fresh air.
I have 3 little Daikon radishes started. The other 3 didn't make it. I don't really water enough under the plastic. I need to start some more. I'm not sure how well they'll do since they are considered a winter radish (planted for fall) but I wanted to try.


The little lettuce has been out there for quite a while. It's finally starting to grow, just a little.

Finally, a little trip to the backyard. The lilacs seem to be doing well. The bigger white one gets a bit of a lean after a strong wind, so I know they need some serious root growth. They are getting ready to bloom soon though. I'm hoping that's a sign that they are doing ok and not a last-chance-to-reproduce-before-I-die reaction. With the thick mulch and having gotten lots of moisture, I think they should make it. Lilacs are tough plants.


Hopefully winter will finally end soon. Our last frost date is May 15. I had really hoped to get more veggies planted out early. The weather guy mentioned the other day that we're really not safe from snow until about Mother's Day. Let's hope it's sooner.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Slow Progress

I haven't posted for a while because I was hoping to have a bit more to show for the week. I think we've had more snow since the official beginning of Spring than we had all winter. We very much need the moisture here, so I won't complain too much. We seem to have a couple of fairly nice days and then a little return to winter. It's coming again this weekend.

The asparagus and rhubarb arrived last week. After a couple days in the garage (because of snow) I got them planted. I worked on the raspberry patch last week to change it from a giant lasagna bed to the U-shaped patch it was intended to be. I used some of the "lasagna" to top off a couple of the newer beds that have settled down a few inches, to create rings #3 & 4, and soon will take some more to prep for the blackberries. I need to make some progress with the blackberry spot because they should be arriving in the next week or so. The strawberries should be arriving any time now. I hope they come tomorrow so I can get them planted before the weekend.

I did have a surprise this morning though. Last week, while I was out planting potatoes -and let me tell you, I had A LOT of potatoes - I even had to dig a couple small beds because I ran out of planned space and still had some more to plant! Anyway, I was out planting potatoes, and I saw the power company cutting some shrubs at a house down the street. I wandered over (after much debate with myself whether or not to do it) and asked if they had any wood chips to dump. They didn't have much in the truck then, but took my name and address. This morning, I had a load of pine mulch delivered (Free! Yay!) . Of course, it's A LOT of pine mulch... it looks a little funny because the pine needles are still green, but I don't think it matters, they'll brown and blend in before too long. I wish I had known when he was coming, I could have had a better spot for him to dump it, but I'm not going to complain. I don't have to hook up the trailer and go get it, so it works for me. I wonder if the pile will heat up since it has the chipped wood and green needles (and is about 4' tall and 6-8' around).

I've collected a couple buckets of snow from these storms. I'm making a bucket of compost tea (though I'm not sure it's doing anything, maybe I'm just making dirty water??). I also want to try making lacto bacillus (sp?) or something... I need to do some more reading so see just what I am going to make. I collected the snow now, because it might be a long time before I can collect a bucket of rainwater. I also collected a little bit of fresh, clean snow for something else I haven't had in years, Sugar on Snow. For those who don't come from the land of maple syrup, the syrup is boiled down a little more and drizzled onto the bowl of snow. It is supposed to be sort of chewy and candy-like. I must have boiled a little too long. I made some really hard-to-eat maple candy that seemed to completely encase a couple of my molars for several minutes before I could finally pry it off (pretty huh?). What was left in the pan turned to a much easier-to-eat bit of maple sugar. I have one more bowl of snow in the freezer, so I may attempt it again one of these days.

I've had a few more seeds sprout (indoors), moved the wintersown containers to the front porch (where they should be warmer), took some cuttings of the creeping phlox we have out front to see if they will root, moved another small tree (I needed to fill about a foot of dirt around the corner of the patio, so the tree had to move), and moved the 2 clematis from the front to the back.

The poor clematis, I'm surprised they were doing so well. I moved them because I'm going to plant Jostaberry bushes in front of the front porch (where the clematis were). When I dug them up, I discovered they were planted in bottomless coffee cans. One of the cans was mostly rusted away, the other I had to cut off. They were very rootbound. I'm amazed they got enough water to survive (and bloom quite nicely) last year, as I rarely watered directly where they were. I assumed they had roots out around the plants. I can understand if they were mint or something, but I have never heard of planting clematis that way (of course, I've never had clematis before). I think if they can survive that, they just might make it growing up the posts to the back deck.

***update*** Steve over at Valley Gardens (see my blog list) tells me that rootbound clematis are supposed to bloom better which is probably why they were in the coffee cans. Thanks for the info!!

I've been working on quite a few things, I just haven't gotten so many things finished. I don't even have any new pictures (can you believe it? I'll take more soon though). I actually feel a little more productive now that I have written down what I have worked on. It didn't feel like I had done much, even though I have been busy. If the weather is decent tomorrow, I need to take the poor puppies out for a walk. We've played ball a bit, here and there, but they need some good exercise and attention.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

It's Spring, Why Does it Feel Like Winter??

WhooHoo, April Fool's Day...

This is what it looked like out my front door on Wednesday evening. You can't see it, but it is snowing sideways. This is also what it looked like today, except I think the wind was a little worse today. With temps in the mid-20's and strong winds, it was cold out there! At one point, the sun did try to come out through the blowing snow. It actually got up to 70 in the garden! I've gotten nothing done outside for days now because it has either been cold or really windy, or both. Tomorrow is supposed to be cold but Monday and Tuesday are supposed to be nice. My rhubarb and asparagus came in the mail today. I'll plant them, and some potatoes, on Monday.

Since I haven't gotten too much done this week, I thought I would share my garden plan. Please forgive that it's a bit messy, and truly not quite complete (pretty close though).

The first scan is the overview of the garden area. I drew this up quickly tonight for this posting but I really did need to do it. I took the layout from a partially completed drawing and I never completed the measurements, so this is off by just a bit. The space between the potato bin and ring 4 is not that large and the 2.5'x 11' bed is about 3' closer to all the other beds than this looks (that's my guess at least)


This next one is the one I actually use. This comes to the garden with me. I still have a few details to decide on. I'm not sure exactly the number of tomato plants I'm going to try to include as well as the final numbers I'm going to try with the cukes, squash & other vines.

You may notice the center of the first bed is shaded in blue. That's the area I'm trying to get started early. Some are doing better than others, but I do have life out there at least!

I am a little concerned that I'm planning to plant some major chaos in the 2.5'x 11' bed. All of the vines will be trellised, but I may be underestimating the jungle potential.

Since the zucchini really take up a lot of space, I'm putting them in the "rings" instead. I have 2 of them built but the other 2 aren't quite finished yet. I should add that to Monday's list.

There are also some companion plants marked here. That's to remind me which plants will help which crops (and one to avoid).

We've decided not to use the sprinkler system this summer so I put the potato bin back where it was last year (they were watered with overspray from a sprinkler head & DH didn't realize it. While I was out of town, he watered them some more...they didn't make it). Most of my potatoes are going in containers along the side of the house this year (north edge of the garden area).

These are the perennial edible varieties I am planting.

ANNE RASPBERRY
CAROLINE RASPBERRY
TRIPLE CROWN THORNLESS BLACKBERRY
CHIPMAN'S CANADA RED RHUBARB
JERSEY KNIGHT HYBRID 2 YR ASPARAGUS
HONEOYE JUNEBEARING STRAWBERRY
CANBY RASPBERRY RASPBERRY
SEEDLESS RED CANADICE GRAPE
SASKATOON BLUEBERRY

I also have 2 more rhubarb roots I received from someone on Freecycle recently. They are planted on the north side of the house (far enough away from the house to get good sun though). I also want to try some Jostaberries along the front of the porch as a backdrop to the flower garden.

Here is the list of vegetables, herbs & companion plants.

SWEET BASIL
BORAGO OFFICINALIS (BORAGE)
NEPETA CATARIA (CATNIP)
ORIGANUM VULGARE (OREGANO)
THYMUS VULGARIS (THYME, ENGLISH)
ITALIAN PARSLEY
NASTURTIUM, MARIGOLDS, PETUNIAS, SWEET ALYSSUM, BLUE FLAX, (as companions)

RATTLESNAKE BEANS (POLE)
GOLDEN WAX BUSH BEANS
KENTUCKY WONDER POLE BEANS
LANDRETH STRINGLESS BUSH BEANS
CONTENDER BUSH BEANS
CHEROKEE WAX BEANS (BUSH)
GREEN SPROUTED CALABRESE BROCCOLI
DANVERS HALF LONG CARROT
CHANTENAY CARROT
GREEN DRAGON BURPLESS CUCUMBER
NATIONAL PICKLING CUCUMBER
SWEET SALAD MIX MESCLUN
BLACK SEEDED SIMPSON LETTUCE
WHITE LISBON BUNCHING ONION
WALLA WALLAONION
RED ONION
SUGAR SNAP POLE (PEAS)
SWEET MIX PIMIENTO DULCE (multi-color) PEPPER
SWEET BANANA PEPPER
POTATOES: ALL BLUE, KENNEBEC,PURPLE MAJESTY, VIKING, RED PONTIAC, DARK RED NORLAND, and a few that sprouted in the pantry.
SMALL SUGAR PUMPKIN
SPARKLER WHITE TIP RADISH
DAIKON RADISH
SPARKLER RADISH
CHAMPION RADISH
TETON HYBRID SPINACH
BLACK BEAUTY ZUCCHINI SQUASH
CALABAZA FLYING SAUCER HYBRID SQUASH
SMALL WONDER HYBRID (SPAGHETTI) SQUASH
RUTGERS SELECT TOMATO
ROMA ORGANIC TOMATO
GALINA'S GOLD CHERRY TOMATO
BLACK CHERRY TOMATO
PAQUEBOT ROMA TOMATO
THESSALONKI TOMATO
KELLOGG'S BREAKFAST TOMATO
IMUR PRIOR BETA TOMATO
NEVE'S AZORIAN RED TOMATO
SUGAR BABY WATERMELON

So, there's the plan...we'll have to wait for the reality...

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