Garden Spider Hollow

May Day and some photos

2011-05-01T21:16:00.006-04:00

Today is the first of May and the peas decided to come up! I had almost given up on them. But there they were this morning, perfectly spaced and about 1 inch high.

The lettuce is still small, but coming in nicely. This week I'll have to thin it out a bit.

Out front the trellis that Jon built is becoming surrounded by hostas and clematis. It within stood a wind storm last week and Jon is going to reinforce the top so it will withstand any strong gusts.

As the hostas are coming up I thought now would be the best time to move them before they start spreading more. As we were short on time because of our weekend schedule and the kiddo, I decided that the front four center ones were the most important to move. These are dead center on the lawn and if we took those ones out we have an opportunity to fill in the large gap that started when a rhododendron died a few years ago. These hostas took up a good part of the space, but I want to put something else in front of the house. Plus, the hostas are killing the lawn, and it is most apparent in the center.

I moved the hostas to the rock area bordering our neighbor's driveway. They look pretty good and I hope they survive the transplanting. I gave them a nice drink of water to make sure the roots would stay hydrated.

Hostas on the left...on the right is a barren patch of land I've been trying to resculpt for years.

Area in the front where the hostas were. You can see the bare patch in front of the stones where the grass has been killed from the hosta's large leaves.

Our good friends J&K in Dot gave us 2 giant trays of petunias today that will be going into the window boxes soon.

In a quick walk around the garden today I noticed that the tulips are at their peak. These two are GIANT...well over 2 feet high. You can see them in the right hand side of the photo below too.

The bees are going crazy for the andromeda (below). I never knew what these were until we had them. But my favorite memory of this plant is when I was little and over at my aunt's house in New Jersey. I was playing with my sister and two cousins and one of the neighbor's had this cool plant. We started pulling off the little beaded flowers and throwing them at each other. I'm pretty sure we stripped it bare, but it was a lot of fun, throwing the little flowers at each other.

And lastly, the dogwood is starting to bloom! In a few days our backyard will be in full blossom...

The Gray Northeast

2011-04-26T08:40:00.007-04:00

The garden is slowly growing. Spinach, kale, and lettuce have sprouted. The peas and beans are no where to be seen. Jon built a nice trellis in the front for the clematis, and the hostas are all coming up.

My plan is to move many of the hostas from their current locations as they become so huge each year they kill the grass around the front of the house, block the front path, and in general are annoying. I think I will move them to the edge of the property where our neighbors have just built a lovely rock wall. Then we can focus on landscaping the bare areas.

Our plan is to bring in a bulldozer, but I'm not sure that will work out.

From the bulbs I planted when we moved in nearly 4 years ago (that long!?) in the front rock area only about 7 came up. There is a chipmunk village living underneath so I'm sure a few have kept them going through the long winter. But there are some lovely hyacinth.

The weather has been atrocious, but the grass is slowly turning greener. I'm hoping for some good weather tomorrow to get out there and clean up the front area. All the leaves and trees are even behind. This time last year the blossoms were all past and there were lots of leaves on the trees. Now the daffodils are still blooming, the tulips aren't open yet, and the trees are just starting to bud. I'm hoping this weekend will be a nice showcase of blossoms. Just in time for May Day! Get your May Poles ready...

Next up: window boxes! Any suggestions for spring window box flowers?

A sturdy garden

2011-04-16T22:06:00.005-04:00

With the vegetable garden planted last week each day I went out to see if anything was sprouting.

Nothing. Not yet anyway.

However, that doesn't mean the garden isn't moving forward! We have early spring flowers like periwinkle (or myrtle)

lots of forsythia, which I will be cutting and bringing inside tomorrow....

and of course spring daffodils.

This week Jon decided that THIS was the year that the veggie garden border became more permanent. Not only will this help keep creeping crab grass and other weeds easier to control, but the lawn mower will no long chew the black plastic border and some of the edged plants. He went to Lowes and bought some pressure treated wood yesterday at lunch and borrowed our neighbor's chainsaw.

Jon cutting pieces to fit the border.
Jon knocking the corner posts in...
D watching his daddy fit the last section.

Once the spring plantings have passed we will bring in a load of nice planting soil for the summer veggies and fill this great garden box up!

A late start, but a start!

2011-04-09T21:13:00.008-04:00

I decided that today was the day I was going to do something with the yard. At first I looked at the wall of forsythia bushes and saw that the leaves and other debris needed to be cleared away, then I saw the falling rock wall that edges the driveway that really should be repaired. But then something caught my eye: the barren vegetable garden. I located the seed packs I had bought weeks ago and decided to pluck them in and see what happens.

But before that could happen I had to uncover the fallow plot and rejuvenate the soil. Last fall after the last peppers and basil had fallen under October's frost, I had piled the ground with grass clippings and dead leaves to protect and nourish the soil. Then I added a pile of sticks, cause I was busy and couldn't get them to the other end of the garden. Then some garden trash. Empty containers, a hose, and some hose attachment.

This is much better than the year before when the Christmas tree went on top too. This year our Christmas tree (and wreath) are on the front lawn. It gives the front stoop a very nice smell, and complimented the still hanging lights. Don't worry, those came down today and the tree and wreath will be gone by the 2nd weekend in May. Or sooner. Hopefully sooner.

So I stepped out into the morning sunshine and began the first ritual of spring gardening. Where is all my stuff?

One hour later I have a few rakes, a garden weasel, a spade, and a couple of garden forks. Those were the easy things to find. My garden gloves were on a bucket of plaster in the sun porch. My trowel, dandelion weeder, and hand rake were in various buckets in the back room of the garage. My nice garden stool (which has pockets for all my garden tools) was also hidden in the garage. The wheelbarrow had been wedged upside down under the workbench. I never found my kneeling cushion.

So I began raking out the side of the house. Uncovered lilies, iris, and daffodils. There were enough leaves to fill a giant paper leaf bag, which is odd because I raked the yard last fall of all it's leaves. So I'm not sure where these came from. But then I moved onto the veggie patch, honestly not even remembering how to start.

Do I rake all the leaves and stuff off or mulch them under. Do you mulch a veggie garden before you plant? I walked around it a few times and decided I should at least move the sticks. I brought them to the back of the yard next to the compost pile.

Finally, my head seemed to be clearing. Compost. Yes. Must put a top layer of compost into garden.

I started the compost pile in 2007 when we bought the house. It is housed in 4 wood pallets with an open top. I never water it, and it barely sees the sun. But I edged the top layer of whitened grass clippings and saw it: black gold. A lot of it.

I've never used the compost at all, and three years of broken down organic materials (and some inorganic stuff that didn't break down like a bic pen, a sandwich baggie, and the metal from a small candle that went into a jack o'lantern) were ready.

I filled up the wheel barrow and moseyed on back to the garden. Something had clicked when I saw the compost pile and I was ready.

First we weaseled the garden...

The first round of weaseling shown here...note the color and overall look of the garden. You can tell winter was here...

Then we turned under the top layer, essentially a double digging without digging out a trench first. Although our family loves digging ditches, I was under the time constraint of my baby's nap and figured that a good dig and flip following by some serious raking and weaseling would be almost as good. We went down probably between 8-10 inches instead of the 12, but had we gone that deep we would have encountered some pretty sandy soil.

The goal here was to turn under the newer organic matter that was left over from the winter and also to aerate the soil. One thing I did get to see were lots of worms!
<-- big juicy worm!

Then we added the gorgeous compost!

Wheelbarrow 1 of 3 that went on the garden. Once the compost was spread over the garden I weaseled it so it was mixed with the turned soil.

Turned, composted, and watered! Isn't this an improvemet over picture 1?! Ready for planting.

I have to say that using my own compost was really exciting. It was also hard work. I had to pick out a ton of acorns that had either fallen or been planted by squirrels. 5 or 6 of which had sprouted. I plan on moving the compost pile from its shaded location this year and obtaining a compost bin from my town. But it really was gorgeous looking!

OK, so then I began planting. For my spring planting I chose Swiss chard, two types of lettuce, mesculin, spinach, bush beans, and two varieties of peas (pole peas which grow to 30+ inches, and an unsupported type that only go to 12 inches).

With the peas and beans I used Burpee Booster. I've never used it and will get to see if it works as one of my rows went unboosted.

I ended up not putting in the pole peas, as Im going to plant them by the driveway after J builds a giant trellis for them. Hopefully that will happen next week. This way I'll have more room in the garden!

Rows of salad greens...

Full view of the planted garden.

I have about a 4 ft area with nothing planted...any suggestions?

PS.

2011-04-07T10:21:00.003-04:00

I'm no longer posting the weather. Not only has weather.com changed their layout so I can't grab the pictures anymore, but spring weather depresses me. Last Friday it snowed. On Tuesday it was rainy and 60. Today it's 48. Monday will be 75.

I don't need a reminder of manic New England weather is.

As the saying goes, "if you don't like the weather in New England just wait a few minutes..."

Reactivation

2011-04-07T09:15:00.004-04:00

I have decided to reactive this blog as I stare out into the wasteland that has become my garden.

OK, it isn't that bad, it's just that winter has stuck around a long while. We had snow 6 days ago.

What's blooming? Amazingly I do have blooms. My hellebore has greenish white blossoms that are turning pink as they age. It's a small plant that I put in last year, and the flowers are larger than the rest of the bush so far. Hellebore is an early spring flower, which is why I put it in.

[Above: Hellebore blossoms covered in snow] A full description of Hellebore is easily found on Wiki.

There are many crocus (croci?) in my lawn. I planted a whole bunch in the fall of 09 and they have begun to spread. Some of the more established daffodils are up but not open, and my tulips are also up. Not sure if these will open as it's their 3rd or 4th year and tulips tend to have short bulb life...especially if you buy them from the bargain bins of supermarkets or home depot like I do. My 100 daffodils that I planted in 2009 are just beginning to come up. Last year they were up and blooming by now, so it's interesting to see the variance in seasons. We definitely got rocked this year by winter, and I honestly am ready to skip this cool spring and head into a hot summer. I need warmth.

But the weather is picking up and with no snow in the forecast this weekend and seasonable temps (50s Saturday, 60 on Sunday!) I may trudge out into the garden and begin cleaning. I have seed packets ready to be planted. Mostly cool weather crops like lettuce, spinach, and peas. I decided to not begin any indoors this year as the porch is still not set up and my 11 month old tends to put everything in his mouth...I'm sure the soil filled peat pots wouldn't last long.

Since last updating this blog, I've joined my town's garden club. So far that has meant going to winter teas and updating their Facebook page. I'm excited for the spring plant sale though as I got a gorgeous hanging plant there last year. Planning on buying 4 this year to make my front door area pretty.

For now though the daffodils are in the grocery stores. I got 3 for $5 at Idylwilde Farm in Acton last week. They are one of my absolute favorite flowers. I love having fresh flowers in the house!

A new season

2009-03-26T09:46:00.002-04:00

Mostly Cloudy

High
53° F


Precip:		20%

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 53F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Showers

Low
37° F


Precip:		70%

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 37F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Sunrise: 6:38 AM

Sunset: 7:05 PM

Spring has officially been here for 6 days, but this week started out cold and windy! However, the garden must be attended to, and two weekends ago we began cleaning and rebuilding the yard. Looking back over my blog posts from last spring, I found that I've started gardening nearly 2 weeks earlier!

Last year we had to start from scratch, and it was very nice this year to go out to the garden plot and simply turn over the compost. I planted lettuce, mesclun, spinach, and radish seeds--all good for cooler weather. As the frost free date is 2 months away here in New England, I went down to the hardware store and bought a giant sheet of clear plastic to cover the plot. The south side of it was still frozen, but I managed to find enough frost-free dirt for 6 rows. I secured the plastic with the rocks that had risen through the soil over the winter, and within an hour the underside was already coated with moisture--a sign of the sun's thawing the dirt. I checked yesterday and many of the seeds have sprouted. A good sign in 38 degree weather!

As Jon did not have to dig out a cable trench or any stumps, he spent the day building a wonderful cold frame. I will have to post a picture because it really is nicely constructed. In a month or so I will be able to harden off seedlings. He used two of our extra storm windows and the remains of some kitchen cabinets that had been damaged in one of the many garage flash floods (we still don't know where the water comes from!). It is just off the patio, and receives full sun all day long.

The tulips are coming up around our dogwood trees in the back, and out front the crocus are blooming. The front rock area seems to have taken a hit over the winter by the chipmunks. I can't find a single daffodil. I'm hoping they are just taking their time! I will have to plant more in the fall. This does leave room for the lavendar I plan on putting in though.

I'm happy to report that some of the herbs are coming back! I noticed the Greek oregano sprouting the other day--a herb I thought would be killed by our freezing, long winter. Also the chives are very green and spreading. If the rosemary and thyme come back there will be very little to replace. I'm keeping my eye out.

We've started a new season, and have a solid plan for the vegetable garden. Some of the changes will be tomatoes in pots near the patio or in the front yard, more bush beans rather than pole beans, and hopefully a pumpkin that grows!

Imbolc and Candlemass

2009-02-05T08:58:00.003-05:00

Partly Cloudy

High
17° F

Partly cloudy. Cold. High 17F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
Sunrise: 6:55 AM

Partly Cloudy

Low
3° F

Partly cloudy. Low 3F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Sunset: 5:05 PM

"If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, / winter will have another bite. / If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, / winter is gone and will not come again.

Groundhog day was Monday, and boy did that sucker hide. Groundhog day was brought over by German immigrants, and is actually a holiday that is celebrated in many cultures and religions for as long as civilization has been around. It is celebrated on February 2, which is the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere. Also known as Imbolc and Candlemass, the groundhog is only one of the manifestations of a spring prophecy. The Scottish used a snake, the Celts used Cailleach, the hag, and some English used bears or wolves. Celtic legend states that Cailleach gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter on this day, and if it is sunny and bright she can gather a lot of wood...meaning winter will last longer.

"Down with the rosemary, and so

Down with the bays and mistletoe;

Down with the holly, ivy, all,

Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall"

— Robert Herrick (1591–1674), "Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve"

February 2nd is also the day to take down any remaining holiday decorations! Although your trees may have already been taken down, many wreaths (and our outdoor lights!) still hang. This is the time to hang a spring wreath or use other decorations. Candlemass has the word "candle" in it because many people burn candles in their windows to show a cheery home and to welcome spring. I myself lit the candles in our unused fireplace and it made the room feel very warm and homey.

So this is a gardening blog...oh yes. Well, I keep reading in the papers how the groundhog is wrong and that we will be cold for another 6 weeks no matter what, and I really want to remind people of one thing: this tradition is not an American one, and does not represent American weather patterns! These traditions come from western Europe, and the main thing that western Europe has going for it is the warm Gulf Stream. The latitude of that part of the world is considerably further north, but February 2 is also the beginning of the planting season in many of these countries and recognized as the first day of spring. As the ground does not usually get a hard freeze (but as I write this London is "buried" under 5 inches of snow) so seeds can begin to be planted for early plants like lettuce and beans. Comparing a hardiness map of Europe with one of the US, we see that much of western Europe is in zones 10-8. Those zones in the US are all south of the Mason-Dixie line! While these zones are all pretty cold right now due to the arctic air that seems to be hell bent on pushing further south this year, in 4 weeks--the "early spring" of the groundhog--these zones will be averaging 70 degree days with nights at 50. At that time in zone 6, we will be averaging 40 degree days with nights at 20. That's a big difference.

So I think people should lay off the groundhog...

Our backyard is under 2 feet of snow, and the past two days have been frigid. Saturday is due to warm up to a wonderful 40 degrees, but with the amount of snow around the air will have a hard time getting here. Next week they are expecting the low 30s, and it will be nice to get to the freezing point again.

It's currently 8 degrees with a warming sun. But I was just looking at some flower pictures, and cannot wait for the tulips and daffodils of April and May!

A silent garden in December

2008-12-03T09:56:00.003-05:00

Sunny

High
41° F

Plentiful sunshine. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Sunrise: 6:58 AM

Mostly Clear

Low
31° F

A few passing clouds. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Sunset: 4:13 PM

While we still have over two weeks until the calendar start of Winter, it's already here. While the greater Boston area has not had snow, other parts of the northeast have already had their first snowfall of the season. Darkness falls early, and it's getting to be that time of year when seeing the sun is a treat. During the Thanksgiving holiday I was in Carlisle, PA, and the extra 1/2 hour of daylight they get was wonderful! The 9 hours of sunlight each day do not leave me any time to be outside during the week, and I'm looking forward to Saturday to do a quick look around the garden in the sunlight rather than by star or flashlight! The stars have been clear though lately, and the triangle of Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon this week was beautiful.

Over the past holiday weekend, I got the chance to work out in a garden! It was my mother-in-law's garden on her farm, and while the ground had already frozen some, we worked to dig up the Canna plants for the winter. We filled about 5 grain sacks of tubers, which she said was more than she planted the previous spring. Luckily, I got to take a sack home. As the plants need full sunshine (and grow to 6 feet!) there is limited space in my own garden for them, but I plan on sharing with my sister and sister-in-law come spring. Which made my sister happy as she is redoing doing her beds next year and she said the Canna tubers can be fairly expensive (about $10 for 3). Now the sack is on my 3-season porch, where it hopefully won't freeze. In the spring, I plan to put them in my front yard against our derelict fence. There is an old stump there that will probably need to come out, but the small hillside gets full sun and I'm hoping they will do well.

Even though I did not get a chance to put in any more spring bulbs, I've been browsing through some catalogs to begin planning next year's garden. Pinetree Garden Seeds, Garden's Supply Company, and Breck's (for bulbs) have all given me good ideas. I want to expand the cutting garden, develop the front yard to the right of the driveway, do more with the rock garden, and expand the vegitable gardens.

Lots to plan!

Enjoy the holidays!

Freeze warnings

2008-10-19T19:24:00.004-04:00

Clear

Low
33° F

Mainly clear skies. Low 33F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.

Sunset: 5:57 PM

Sunny

High
57° F


Precip:		10%

Mainly sunny. High 57F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.

Sunrise: 7:05 AM

There is a freeze advisory tonight for our region, which means the killing frost will most likely set in. Outside right now you can see your breath and would be uncomfortable without a jacket and even a hat for more than 5 minutes! I went out a few minutes ago to cut the last of the cosmos and zinnias. They would be blackened tomorrow, but are still so pretty! There haven't been any new blooms recently, but the ones out there have done well in the cool days we've had.

We have been working on putting the garden to rest for the winter. The colors in New England this fall have been wonderful so far, and this weekend brought a steady wind to shake a lot of the leaves off the trees. There are still two very green trees in our back yard that won't change until late-October or November, which means more raking! Our first town leaf pick up in next Saturday and we only have 6 bags so far. Last year we put out 32, and I remember raking mostly in November, so I'm betting our next pick up in late November will have a high number.

Last weekend we harvested all the herbs, which are drying on our back porch. I froze rosemary, chives, and mint as they tend to keep the best that way. The back porch smells heavenly, and the herbs make a great decoration too! I've already been snipping some of the dried parts off to use in our dinners, but they won't be ready to take down for another week or so.

The vegetable garden is on its last legs, and I've covered 1/4 of it with a compost mixture. Jon and I are already making notes on what to plant for next year, and as we continue to enjoy this summer's green beans, I know they'll be back on the list!

Next weekend I'm turning my attention to the rock area in our front yard...I need to decorate it for Halloween!

As everything winds down for the season, I'm beginning to look at my houseplants to see what can do to make them more healthy. My spider plants and blue gingers were outside all summer and all doubled inside. My spider plant flowered, but since brining it back in does not get a lot of sunlight and has begun to brown underneath. Any tips? Daylight is sparse in our house!

Keep warm!
Some fall pics below!

Jon raking gathering and bunching the herbs
herbs drying out on the porch.

Week before Autumn Officially Starts

2008-09-18T08:42:00.005-04:00

Sunny

High
69° F

Plentiful sunshine. High 69F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Sunrise: 6:29

Clear

Low
39° F

Mostly clear. Low 39F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

Sunset: 6:49 PM

Fall begins Monday, but the signs that it was just around the corner have been here for a few weeks. There are apples and pumpkins in the fields, the leaves are starting to change--especially on the Maples--and this Friday night there is the chance of a first frost in New England. I've already switched from iced coffee to hot coffee in the morning, but I'm not sure I'm ready for the frosts yet. Although it will kill off the mosquitoes!

One thing that the frost will begin to do is kill the plants in the garden. While I am sure this will not be a killing frost (generally a heavy frost), the squash and tomatoes which are already on the way out will need to be composted afterwards. The flower garden should survive intact, as zinnia, snapdragon, and the sunflowers are resistant to light frosts. However, I'm hoping the cosmos will survive.

This weekend I am hoping to get the chance to clean up the garden a bit for the fall. The back lawn needs to be mowed, and I am going to begin to prepare the garden for winter. The compost heap has reduced itself again, so I'm sure that the bottom of it is black gold, ready to be spread across the soil. It's pretty amazing to watch it go down each day. A few weeks ago we had it filled with garden debris, and now you can't even tell what was in it! It's just a brown mushy pile.

This evening I will have to bring in the houseplants I had outside all summer. In June, I set out my two spider plants and my blue ginger plants. The spider plants had looked extremely anemic from being inside, and now they both have flowers and lots of new growth. The blue ginger plants, which I had brought back as root cuttings from Hawaii back in 2000, are tropical plants and loved the wet, humid summer we had. The trick is getting them to last another winter in New England! They loves lots of light and heat, which the winters up here don't tend to give. But, we are finishing our porch this weekend, so they will have a lot of light for another month at least while being sheltered from the cold nights. Remember that when you bring in houseplants from their outdoor life you should check them thoroughly for aphids and other critters! I plan to move mine inside in stages. First the porch for a few days or weeks, then inside next to the other plants. Otherwise all your houseplants could become infested.

I'm beginning to think about planting for the spring too. I don't know how many of my front tulips will come back in the rock garden, so I plan on putting in just a few there. But, I want to line the driveway and front paths with daffodils and tulips. Last year I think I put in 200, and it was a beautiful show! I may shoot for 500 this year. The bright flowers do help bring on spring! I have to begin researching types of bulbs. While my mother says the yellow and reds last longer, I do love the striped flowers, and deep purples too.

Lastly, in the spring my sister and I had both planted pumpkin seeds. I had visions of tangling vines with giant fruits overrunning my garden. My vine is 2 feet long and still flowering; not a single pumpkin grew. My sister, however, grew 3 pumpkins. One is a normal size, and the other two are smaller gourds. But, it's 3-0, so she is the official pumpkin champion of 2008. Neither of our watermelons produced anything substantial.

Next year, the giant pumpkin will be grown!

After a week away

2008-09-07T18:35:00.006-04:00

Sunny

High
79° F


Precip:		10%

Mainly sunny. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Sunrise: 6:18 AM

Mostly Clear

Low
59° F


Precip:		10%

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 59F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Sunset: 7:07 PM

I went away for a week and left the garden completely unattended. It survived, for the most part. I had to count on Mother Nature to water it, but did pick beans and tomatoes before I left and gave them to a neighbor. I didn't want to let the fruits of my labor spoil on the vine.

I am not sure on the weather while I was gone, but we did come back to the remains of a hurricane or tropical storm. Things looked pretty good, and nothing had dried out at all (no chance of that this summer anyways!). One of the bean bushes had collapsed on itself, breaking its support. But that didn't stop the bush from producing a huge amount of beans during the week. The first thing I had to do was bring in 2 full pots of beans and about 15 tomatoes. There are still some (ok, alot) of tomatoes ripening, and today I saw a squirrel running around with a small green one in his mouth. At least they will get eaten. Unfortunately, 4 or 5 did rot during the week, but I'm sure they will be put to good use in the compost heap. Or by the theiving squirrels.

The flower garden looked amazing. The sunflowers opened, and of the many many seedlings I planted, 7 flowers remain. But, they are pretty. One of the flowers had broken weeks ago, but I left it where it was and was rewarded for my hope (lazyiness) with an open bloom. I cut a nice bouquet from all the blooms....

The time of the tomatoes

2008-08-27T10:08:00.002-04:00

Sunny

High
77° F


Precip:		0%

Mostly Clear

Low
56° F


Precip:		10%

Sunrise: 6:06 AM

Sunset: 7:28 PM

I haven't posted much in the past two weeks because the garden has been relatively quiet. At this point, we are still pulling in beans about every 2 days, and I have a bunch of bags in the freezer for eating once the plants die from the frost...which I am expecting to be early this year. The night lows are into the 50s, although last Tuesday we hit 48 degrees at night. It's chilly! The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a long, cold winter for the Northeast, and I think they may be right on target. We have had so many flocks of birds in our yard at the feeder in the past week; it looks like some are getting ready to head south! Some of the trees are beginning to change as well...and not just the maples! I saw a birch with yellow leaves, and one of our neighbors has already broken out the rake. The earlier evenings are another sign of the end of summer. Just 26 Days until Autumn! It's weird that the amount of sunlight we have now is the same as in early April. At least it's much warmer. That is why I love fall so much! Residual heat...ahhh.

Other than the beans, the tomatoes have set all the fruit they are going to and are ripening on the vine. However, the plants themselves don't look too hot. There is a blight in the region from all the rain, and an article ran in today's Metro about how to prevent the spotty and brown tomato leaves--next year. Because of all the rain, the blight really hit the plants hard, but the fruit itself is not affected. However, once the plants are done they need to be pulled, and it is essential that rotation is put into effect for next year's planting as the spores can survive in the soil. So, don't plant tomato or potato where you have either plant this year. Find a new sunny spot!

We are going away on Friday for a trip north to Maine for a week, so when we get back the tomatoes should almost all be ripe. The squash and zucchini haven't set any fruit in about two weeks although they continue to flower, and I think this may be because of the weird weather as well. It's odd as these two plants usually are extremely prolific, but we got maybe 5 zucchini and just 10 squash this season. I guess the beans made up for everything though!

We are beginning to dry herbs for the winter. I tested out some oregano, and it turned out ok until the fuzzy cat sat on it. Not the herbs have hair all over them so they cannot be used (or rather, should not!). This will be a great saving to us as we use herbs for cooking all the time. Especially on chicken. The fresh herbs have been great in the tomato sauce we use on our pizzas, and I don't know what I will do when the basil is done. I'm tempted to dig it up and pot it for my kitchen.

The flower garden is fantastic! I am so happy that I planted a cutting flower garden, and have been able to bring flowers to work, give my friends bouquets, and keep the house filled with fresh flowers. The gladiolus I planted have not bloomed like I thought they would. Instead of the tall multiflower stalks, mine look more like a white iris. I have a different type, and will post a picture later tonight. The zinnias are fantastic, and look wonderful next to the cosmos and ever blooming snapdragons. Next year I plan on doing even more flowers and beginning it sooner.

Well, soon we will begin preparing the garden for fall. Once the squash is done I will either cover the area with compost or plant red clover, which is a great fall ground cover that replenishes nutrients in the soil. Any any ideas for fall plantings? Let me know in the comments!

Rain, rain go away!

2008-08-11T20:36:00.011-04:00

T-Showers

High
74° F


Precip:		60%

A few showers early then thundershowers developing later in the day. High 74F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

T-Showers Early

Low
59° F


Precip:		60%

Showers likely along with a possible rumble of thunder during the evening. Becoming clear overnight. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

It's been raining for weeks. Seriously, weeks. I haven't watered anything is a few weeks and the garden is green and grass is super long. The only thing that doesn't get wet are three window boxes of impatiens that are under the eaves. However, I have thrown some water on them, and they are doing much better than the ones I had in last year!

This past weekend we went to Bolton Spring Farm and Appleseed Farm (Bolton and Stowe) and bought some of the first peaches and a few plants on sale. I was surprised how many garden centers in my area had already closed for the season. Many of the signed said they would reopen in October or November, but also pointed the way towards the newly opened orchards. While it is a bit early for apples, the peaches are coming in as best as they can with the rain. We bought seconds (meaning they had fallen from the tree and not picked) and I made my first peach crumple and peach pie. But wow did they go soft quick. Today, two days after I bought them, the one I didn't use was nearly liquid on my counter. It was a quick trip to the compost heap! By the way, I dug down into the compost over the weekend and really saw what they mean by black gold! I cannot wait to spread it over the garden to prep it for the winter. Until then, I piled up the pile of forsythia and evergreen branches that I had trimmed last week. Our front yard no longer looks like serial killers live in the area. Except my butchered job on the front hedge. But hey, it looks good from OUR side!

So, besides the rain, there has been the coolness. Today's high was about 73, yesterday was 69, the day before in the low 70s as well. As a result of this early coolness, I do not think I will get a watermelon or--and this hurts--my giant pumpkin. The vines continue to grow and sprout yellow leaves, but no fruit. I think that the great pumpkin contest of '08 will need to be called off.
Squash flower....there are tons! If you know a good recipe for stuffed squash flowers, please let me know! The veggie patch has been giving us string beans every day. I've been blanching them (boiling water for 30 seconds) and then freezing two portion bags of them so we can eat them in the winter. Makes me feel like an early settler. Or just smart.

In the flower garden, the cosmos, zinnia, and aster are beginning to bloom, and the morning glories give a great show each day. The snapdragons continue to grow and rebloom, and I clipped a nice bouquet this morning to bring into my office. The baby's breath is almost done, but the bachelor's buttons are just popping out their blooms as well. Today I realized I had a lot of blue flowers, and am hoping some of the aster are bright red. The morning glories are blue and white striped, and even when they close they are interesting--kind of like marshmallow candies...or maybe I just like candy! Below left is one open, and right is one closed. They really do give the broken down fence a new look each day. Next year I am going to see if I can really cover up the entire fence. It's a bit easier and less expensive than replacing it. ;)

Over the weekend my mom and I weeded and weeded some more. With the rain comes the weeds. I planted a delphinium that is bright purple and light blue (yes, yes more blue), and it looks great next to the yellow coreopsis. I also bought some neat bright pink globe thistles. Below is a pic of some of the coreopsis and the white baby's breath. Yes, that IS baby's breath! I double checked the seed packet. While it's not the type that florists usually have in bouquet, I like this version more. Adds volume to bouquets.

One thing that has changed since I began gardening and cutting my own flowers is the desire to cut flowers from other people's yard. Today I had a pair of scissors in my car because I cut the snapdragons while on my way out. I passed an awesome set of black eyed susies and sunflowers and really had to restrain myself from not pulling over and snipping them. Although they were in the community gardens...and I live in the community. Maybe I'll sneak down after dark...

Back to the swelter

2008-07-21T22:30:00.006-04:00

Partly Cloudy

High
85° F

Mostly cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds light and variable.

Showers Late

Low
68° F

Partly cloudy skiesearly giving way to a few showers after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Sunrise: 5:29 AM

Sunset: 8:15 PM

Another weekend, not enough weeding. I really had good intentions to rid the garden of weeds these past two days, but life got in the way. As in bridal showers, thunder showers, and a beach day. But what a great beach day it was (in between the rain clouds!).
Floridian weather has returned to the northeast in the form of violent thunderstorms. Each time I see a black thunderhead in the sky I run to shut all my windows, sturdy the growing bean vines, and hope my two cats continue to ignore the thunderclaps that shake my house to the slab foundation. Today the garage flooded once again, but I was just happy that I cut flowers yesterday before all the rain could flatten them into the mud. Here is a picture of my wonderful fresh garden bouquet!It consists of snapdragons, Shasta daisies, pansies, curry flower, chive, and lavender.

Here are a few more pictures of the garden over the past week...

clematis blooming...they are pretty much done now.

Yellow and orange day lilies.

The veggie patch! Pole beans are in the back, then tomatoes, the cuces, squash, and before I pulled the lat of the lettuce. :)

We are expecting thunderstorms every day now, and I am crossing my fingers that the pumpkins and watermelon get enough sun to develop full fruit. The squash are all fruit bearing right now, and I think the first harvest will occur on August 1, if not sooner!

Be prepared for veggies...

Mid-July

2008-07-18T10:30:00.003-04:00

Isolated T-Storms

High
89° F


Precip:		30%

Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon. Warm. High 89F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Partly Cloudy

Low
71° F


Precip:		20%

Partly cloudy skies. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Sunrise: 5:25 AM

Sunset: 8:18 PM

Summer heat has set in, but I have been vigilant about watering. Very, very vigilant. As in get up at 6 AM to make sure my flower garden doesn't droop and the squash and tomatoes don't wither and die. So far, so good.

In the vegetable garden I've pulled the majority of the lettuce. The butter crunch went mostly to the compost bin as we really took a liking to the romaine! However, the butter crunch that we did eat was really refreshing (it's a bit like iceberg). But, I have to make a note to not plant so much next year. The pole beans are in flower and have climbed beyond the stakes I set up. The vines have clawed upward by wrapping themselves around each other. I'll post a picture soon, but it looks really wild. Next year I'll have to get bigger poles!

The squash and pumpkin are both in flower, and some of the yellow squash plants have already set fruit. I can't wait to see how big they are going to get. Speaking of big, one of my tomato plants is enormous. It's like a bush. I have not seen one this big ever. It doesn't have any tomatoes on it yet, but lots of flowers. That's ok, as the two early setting tomato plants have big green tomatoes on them. With the scarcity of tomatoes (or price, rather) in the store due to the Salmonella scare, it will be good to have some nice fresh, disease free tomatoes in a few weeks. Just waiting for them to ripen.

The bush beans, cucumbers, watermelon, and onions are all still in early stages of growth. The watermelon is putting off some good vines, however, and I am excited to see it flower. I love watermelon and could eat it every day. I finished putting in the bush beans and onions just last weekend when I pulled the lettuce, having been delayed by roofing, running, and my other past times, but the garden is nice and full again, and the ripples of harvest that will begin soon should take us well into September. There is still some spinach too that tastes wonderful. And the beets are being watched by me very closely. They haven't seemed to grow very well, and I think it is now too hot for them to do much. We'll see though!

In the flower garden the snapdragons are in bloom and I've begun cutting them. I've gotten one nice vase full so far that I also added shasta daisies, Queen Anne's lace, a purple bell flower that I don't know the name of, and some black eyed Susie's that I picked from a parking lot. The gladiolas are shooting out of the ground, and while I'm not a huge fan of them, I can't wait till they flower. The morning glories have climbed their ropes, and all the other seedlings are doing well. Except the sunflower. I have lost many sunflowers to squirrels and other ground munchers, so next year I'll to put out some nets. But, there are about 5 left, so in a few weeks we'll have great food for the birds!

The plants my sister gave me in the spring are doing nicely--mostly. The shasta daisy, coreopsis, lamb's ear, sedum, and a few others are tall. A few others have been lost in the weeds that are constantly invading. I hope to find the purple coneflower this weekend when I weed the front area. I've spent the past two weekends weeding the other areas. So many weeds...and grass growing where it shouldn't be!

The herb garden has come in very handy, and we love stepping outside the kitchen door while cooking. One of the tarragon plants got harvested and is drying in the kitchen. I've noticed the difference in flavors of fresh and dried tarragon. When it's dried it loses the pungency of licorice flavor (which neither Jon nor I are big fans of). However, I have been using it fresh in hamburgers. Also, I notice that thyme changes when it is dried. The best part about the herb garden is that it improves our pizzas. We make pizza about twice a month and have used the fresh herbs (and the fresh spinach!) every time. We finally got in the basil plant too, and I've been enjoying fresh basil and goat cheese for snacks. Yum!

No sign of the golden garden spider yet, but we still have hope...

When it rains...it floods

2008-06-30T15:38:00.004-04:00

Scattered T-Storms

High
84° F


Precip:		30%

Showers in the morning with isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 84F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Partly Cloudy

Low
62° F


Precip:		20%

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.

Sunrise: 5:13 AM

Sunset: 8:26 PM

The weather lately has been more like August than June in the Northeast. Everyday has been in the mid-80s with a chance of thunderstorms. And they usually come too. Last Friday we had a flash flood in the area, closing roads and leaving our entire garage with 3-5 inches of water. While it all drained out fast (I have no idea where it went), any boxes we were storing are soggy and trash-bound. Thankfully though, the vegetable garden was not flooded, and the squash plants--which are notorious for being finicky about wet leaves--live on.

I began planting my window boxes yesterday. I chose impatiens because they do well in the shade, and are pretty low maintenance. I plan on putting ivy in between the flowers to fill in the boxes a bit. They are under an eave so they stay very dry. This evening I will finish the other two boxes, but I have to do it through the windows of the house. While I'm not thrilled about lugging the bag of soil over the carpets, it will be easier than going into the overgrown jungle of the shrubbery and fighting the buggies. I am pretty sure I developed an immunity to mosquitoes this summer as I've been ravaged! I barely notice the itchy feelings anymore, even though my back is a mess of bites.

The cutting flower garden is growing nicely and the snapdragon bloom appeared this morning. The second clematis vine opened and it is a very deep purple bloom. Very different from the pale ones on the lamppost. The orange lilies have also opened in the front of the house, and I am thinking the ones on the side will be a few days behind because of the shade.

Cucumber, onions, and bush beans have been planted in the garden, replacing spinach and some of the lettuce. The garden needs to be a bit bigger, and I've begun planting outside the borders. Next year we'll increase it a few feet all around so the plants can have more room. Or maybe I'll have more plants.

Garden Pictures...summer solstice

2008-06-21T16:20:00.008-04:00

Partly Cloudy

Low
61° F


Precip:		20%

Partly cloudy. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

PM T-Storms

High
77° F


Precip:		50%

Partly cloudy with afternoon thunderstorms. High 77F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Sunset: 8:26 PM

Sunrise: 5:09 AM

Picture of clematis flower
Clematis vine climbing the lamppost
The next clematis blooms to open
The lovely lettuce patch
Spinach ready to be picked
Pole beans!
The new seedlings in the cutting garden

Reaping some benefits!

2008-06-20T09:20:00.002-04:00

Isolated T-Storms

High
75° F


Precip:		30%

Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing this afternoon. High near 75F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Scattered T-Storms

Low
57° F


Precip:		30%

Isolated thunderstorms this evening followed by a chance of showers overnight. Low 57F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Sunrise: 5:09 AM

Sunset: 8:26 PM

This morning I woke up early to go into the garden to harvest some lettuce and spinach for a big salad. It felt wonderful to get produce ten feet from my kitchen! I brought in some butter crunch lettuce for my boss who gave me a big hug for the fresh from the soil gift. It's amazing how much greens make people happy.

But will he still greet me with a smile in August when my squash plants start producing the masses of vegetables? Squash is known as a prolific plant...it's when people who go to church start locking their car doors in fear of coming out to a bag of squash on their seats!

We shall see! Happy summer solstice!

Presummer Respite

2008-06-19T08:48:00.005-04:00

AM Showers

High
76° F


Precip:		30%

Chance of a shower or two during the morning, followed by partly cloudy skies this afternoon. High 76F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.


Partly Cloudy	Low 56° F


Precip:		20%

Some passing clouds. Low 56F. Winds light and variable.

Sunrise: 5:09 AM

Sunset: 8:26 PM

The past week has been almost relaxing in the garden. Last Wednesday all the cutting garden seeds were put in, rows marked, and seedlings transplanted. This week the seeds have sprouted, making me excited for a few weeks from now when I will be able to cut baby's breath, cosmos, zinnias, and other lovely flowers for inside. As of right now there isn't much in bloom! The rhododendrons showed bright purple blooms in the front of the house, and lavender colored ones in the back. A pounding rainstorm took off most of the flowers though, and I am convinced that the show was quite longer last year. But, the clematis vines are full of buds, and just this morning I saw one big purple flower open on the light post. I'll post some pictures of it this weekend. The rest of the yard seems to be in transition from spring to summer as the spring blooming plants break down and the summer ones begin to take their place.

In the woodland garden (the area with the mayapples), I began weeding around my lovely transplants yesterday but left a large spot covered. I had disturbed a small wolf spider and her egg sag, and she took refuge in the grass growing around my lamb's ear. As spiders are great for the garden, the wolf spider is not harmful, and the fact that I like spiders, I figured leaving her be and skipping a patch of weeds was ok. This is garden spider hollow after all! Plus, I found out that the wolf spider is a wonderful mother and carries her young around with her on her back instead of them wisping off on long webs a la Charlotte's web.

In the vegetable garden, the last of the seedlings were transplanted (squash, giant pumpkin, and watermelon) and I only lost 1 squash in the process. I'm thinking it was a skunk or a hungry bird. The lettuce is giant and ready to be picked, and tomorrow I am bringing a garden salad to a party with the three different kinds we grew, plus some spinach that is ready to be picked as well. I will sow some more spinach once the three rows are harvested this weekend. Or maybe use the rows for another veggie! The tomato plants have bright yellow flowers on them, and I'm looking forward to seeing the fruit grown on the small (for now) plants. And of course my beans are strong and winding their way up the poles. I weeded yesterday, but that black cloth we put down in the spring really helps with the weeds. I had to weed in the gaps between the sheets only. As annoying as it is to work with when planing, it has saved me tons of time and back pain weeding.

We mulched the herb garden area last weekend with some nice black mulch, which has kept the weeds down. The thyme and oregano plants are doing wonderfully--very tall and thick. The lavender is coming along nicely as well, although there are not many blooms on it. However, I recently found out that the type of lavender we have likes dry conditions, and the heavy downpours we have been receiving may have pushed the blooms back a little. If you have lavender in your garden and it starts to turn gray, give it special attention as it means it's on its way out. They hate having their roots disturbed, so cover them deeply! I have to research rosemary a bit more. I grew it successfully in containers before, but it looks stunted in the ground as well. Any tips out there?

Our strawberries have gone the way of the birds and chipmunks, although I did salvage one little one yesterday. It was juicy and flavorful. Next year we will have to put a bit of netting around them.

The rest of the yard is shaping up nicely as well. We have been cutting the grass high so it won't dry out later in the summer, but I guess using the term "grass" is being kind. We have a wild yard full of violets, dandelions that grow in fuzzy clumps, clover, moss, wild strawberries, mustard flower, buttercups, and wood sorrel. Instead of fighting the "weeds" this year, we've been enjoying the flowers that these produce and figure that as long as it's green we're ok with it!
Plus, it's kind of nice to have an interesting lawn. Makes our little area less suburban for us.

Remember, a weed is only a flower growing in the wrong spot in your garden!

Mid-week ramble

2008-06-04T08:53:00.003-04:00

Rain	High 65° F


Precip:		80%

Periods of rain. High around 65F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall may reach one inch.

Showers Early

Low
54° F


Precip:		30%

A few showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Sunrise: 5:10 AM

Sunset: 8:19 PM

After a few days of beautiful weather, we awoke this morning to a nice drizzle. Hey, not every day can be a gardeners' dream! But I am happy for the rain--even though we thoroughly soaked parts of the lawn and flower beds yesterday evening. As this upcoming weekend is going to be hot, hot, hot, the flowers and vegetables need all the moisture they can get.

Yesterday I tied up the clematis on the front trellis with some twine. The trellis has rails that are a *bit* too far apart for this flower, and even though my training of the vines has worked so far, when a stiff breeze comes the plant caves in. Hopefully the tying back of the heavier stalks will ensure its survival through the summer. It is already larger than it was last year, and the one on the front lamppost has no where else to climb. I'm looking forward to it's blooming.

In the vegetable patch, one of the early tomato plants has yellow flowers on it. We bought two early bearers and two regular ones so that we can enjoy tomatoes through the summer. The lettuce continues to look (and taste!) good, and I've been pulling leaves off the romaine for a few weeks now. The summer squashes are ready to go into the garden I think. They have been hanging out with the cats in the sun on the porch during the day, and I am happy to report that no nibbles have been taken from the leaves. The spinach is growing nicely, although a few rows were dug up by some animals. But this will leave room for watermelon and pumpkins to go in, I guess!

We finally finished prepping the soil for the cutting garden yesterday. After days of pulling roots and rocks--so many rocks--we raked and hoed it into a nice base and added a large bag of topsoil to it. This weekend the seedlings (sunflowers, morning glories, and snapdragons) will go in, and the rest of the seeds will be sowed outdoors. The area has completely changed from the overgrown jungle it was last year!

Scrubbing the dirt off now...

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-25T11:21:00.008-04:00

Sunny

High
77° F


Precip:		20%

Sunny. High 77F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.

Partly Cloudy

Low
52° F


Precip:		0%

Partly cloudy skies. Low 52F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Ahhh, a 3-day weekend to work outside. The weather is beautiful today, although yesterday there was a chill when the sun went behind the clouds. I began digging out the cut flower bed yesterday and took out the roots of a Russian Olive tree that had taken over the area until we cut it back last year. I also found the roots to a few other bushes that I dug out. Today we are going to finish clearing out the maple and oak saplings that have taken root and hopefully will be off to the garden center for the first row of flower plantings this afternoon!

The iris flowers are all open on the east side of the house. We have yellow and light blues, which have filled in where the daffodils were blooming a few weeks ago.

Jon and I have been trying to identify plants that the last owners had put in, and besides the weeds and this one below, we're doing a pretty good job. One of the plants I had posted on my "Weed or Flower" blog has been identified as Sweet Woodruff. I found it in a Better Homes and Gardens yard care book. If you know what this blue groundcovery flower is, please send an email! It's growing under lilies, next to bleeding heart and myrtle.

It's too nice to stay inside to blog, so I'm off to the flower patch!

Weed or flower?

2008-05-21T15:56:00.004-04:00

Showers

Low
46° F


Precip:		40%

Rain showers early becoming more intermittent overnight. Low 46F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Showers

High
58° F


Precip:		50%

Overcast with showers at times. High 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Sunset: 8:07 PM

Sunrise: 5:18 AM

Well, according to the weathermen and maps, it's been raining for a week straight. But, we haven't had a drop of rain. While this is great, it's really taking a toll on the garden. Because the weather predictions have been so off, it's hard to judge when to water. The skies look threatening, but it will splatter for a second or two, then nothing. Today we woke up to bright blue skies and sunny weather, and the weather channel said it was cloudy and rainy.
I watered the garden before I left, and am hoping it won't rain buckets now and drown everything!

Some new photos of the garden are here!

The lilacs are blooming, and I brought a bouquet of them inside my house, and into the office to enjoy. We have white and purple iris outside the back door and they looked beautiful this morning [pictures of those to come!].

While working in the garden this week, trying to week out the hordes of dandelions, I've come across some plants that I am unsure of...weed or flower (or plant!)? So, help me out! Look at the pictures here and let me know what is ok to rip out. I'm planning a cutting flower bed, so I need all the room I can get to bring my garden inside to my vases this summer. Nothing dresses up a room like fresh flowers.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T18:53:00.000-04:00

Mostly Cloudy

Low
44° F


Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Low 44F. Winds E at 15 to 25 mph.

PM Showers / Wind

High
51° F


Monday

Windy with a few showers developing later in the day. High 51F. Winds ENE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Sunset: 7:57 PM

Sunrise: 5:27 AM

Happy Mother's Day! This Sunday Jon and I spent the morning planning out the re-roofing of the porch then going to brunch with my family. We got into the garden in the midafternoon though with a new weeding gardening tool. I spent most of the afternoon digging up the many, many dandelions growing, and much to my dismay, most of the greenery in the backyard were weeds. Oh well, the war has been declared on all forms of weed (unless they are pretty of course) and we will be diligent on the grass seeding until the end of the month. Jon watered the new growth and the gardens overall while I weeded. I then finally planted my sweet peas after soaking the seeds for 12 hours. The seeds opened nicely, and I have great hopes for some flowers. I put two rows in the front of the house at the top of the walk. There are already clematis and hostas growing there, and I made sure to put the seeds close enough to the arbor so that I can string lines, but out of the shadow line of the hostas--I had a guide of dead grass to follow so it wasn't hard. I made sure to transplant the grass that was growing there to around the crocus area. No grass will be wasted. I put some seeds around the back drainpipe as well, which gets full sun. It will be nice if the flowers grew up the side of the house!

Other than that, I began sweet basil, dill, sweet marjoram, and cilantro in pots. I was going to begin some tomato inside as well, but I found out my nephew is selling tomato and pepper plants for $0.50 per piece, so I will have to make sure I get some! Maybe not the peppers, but Jon has been asking when we can plant tomatoes, so they are a must.

I posted more pictures online, specifically the stump removal and more of my tulips in bloom. Lat week I was outside when the school bus arrived and a little boy yelled to me that he liked my flowers. It was very cute :)

The past two nights have been quite chilly, and there is a cold wind blowing right now. Very cold actually! Keep those extra blankets around, but remember that warm nights are just around the corner!

Sweet May

2008-05-08T15:51:00.000-04:00

Partly Cloudy

Low
48° F

Some clouds. Low 48F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.

Heavy Rain

High
57° F

Showers in the morning with a steady rain developing in the afternoon. The rain will be heavy at times. High 57F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Rainfall possibly over one inch.

The past week and a half in the garden has been very productive! Jon and I took some time off to work on the house and garden (and got to a wedding), and we are happy with the progress. Since the stump came out of the garden (I know, pictures are still pending...) I put in the pole beans, but I think they may have gone in a little too early. We'll see! Also, I planted lettuce (3 types), 2 types of spinach, and beets. This weekend I will begin some seeds inside for the warmer weather veggies. We used landscaping cloth for the veggie garden to keep the weeds down, and I am finding it a bit of a pain as I have to slice through it to plant. I think I would rather just go out there everyday and pull up the darn things than smother them!

In the front garden, I planted a few different types of phlox and ripped out every single dandelion I could see. I also pulled up the dead grass and found grubs, so we went out and bought grub killer. We have bare patches on the lawn, but it's still early in the season and we reseeded the whole area. Also, I cleaned out another rock garden area to the right of our house and identified a plant that I knew was something, and not just a weed. It's a mayapple plant, and they grow wild to carpet the forest floor. They look like little umbrellas that frogs and toads would use, so I kept a few of them. I also found a white fern bleeding heart. It's tiny! And another flower I've seen before but can't identify. Click here for some pictures. I've been having some issues uploading the pictures here, so these are on the Kodakgallery website.

In the back I've expanded the herb garden to include curry, rosemary, and strawberries! My sister gave me a bunch of cuttings from her yard including beebalm, rose campion, lamb's ear, shasta daisies, black eyed susies, purple coneflower, hollyhock (we think!), and some sedum. There are a few others I can't remember right now, but she labeled the pots for me and I made a map of the new plantings. Jon is talking about putting in a walkway from the herb garden to the garage so we dont keep trampling on the grass seed. That may be a next year project though...we have a few lined up already!

So, this weekend it's: seedlings inside, planting of sweetpeas, weeding or the OTHER rock area, and more general clean-up! Our 3-season porch isn't finished yet (a new roof is delaying it now) but I'm hoping by the 4th of July we'll be able to sit and look out at all the greenery!

Enjoy the spring weather!

Conquoring tree stumps

2008-04-26T17:16:00.000-04:00

Showers Late

Low
41° F

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 41F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

AM Showers

High
60° F

Showers in the morning, then cloudy in the afternoon. High around 60F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%

This past week has been very busy in the garden. Last weekend we transplanted the white hostas that were blocking the way into the garden. I ended up giving some to my mother and my sister-in-law, and still have enough to line the driveway, back fence, and area on the side of the garage. All in all, I had a full wheelbarrow of them. When I shut my eyes the image of hosta roots was burned into the back of my eyelids.

This past Monday I planted perriwinlke's cousin Myrtle between the two dogwoods in our yard, and began the herb garden where the hostas had been. Jon has put in a path in the middle of them with some stones, and will be building a small stair into the backyard as well. He also reseeded the backyard so hopefully we will have some beautiful grass this summer to sit on. I also began digging up the vegetable garden, and had gotten to the top of it when I discovered it: the hidden tree stump. All morning I had carried the brush pile off the potential garden plot, turned up the dead grass and tore out roots. Being that last fall I dug up 3 smaller stumps, I assumed that I could do it. Four hours later I was still digging. The stump had lots of large roots and a large base. Come Monday evening I was still digging and had to stop for the week.

On Saturday, we finished putting the herb garden in, and had a great victory over the pine stump in the garden. Jon kept saying we would need a truck to pull it out, but we went and bought a pinch bar and managed to dig and lever it out. It only took a few more hours, but we did it!
Here is a picture of the garden before we finished it...more pics posted later :)

Spring Frenzy

2008-04-15T18:39:00.001-04:00

Clear

Low
29° F


Precip:		10%

Generally clear. Low 29F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Sunny

High
64° F


Precip:		10%

A mainly sunny sky. High 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Sunset: 7:28 PM

Sunrise: 6:02 AM

With Tax Day now here, there is a frenzy in the air. Unfortunately, for me it hasn't spread too much to the garden. However, while I've been working on presentations and taxes, Jon took last weekend off from gaming to officially (and safely!) connect the house and garage's electricity together. He dug about a 20-foot ditch that was 10ish inches deep to bury a cable wire that brings power to our freezer, workbench area, and car emporium.

The hostas have begun to come up on the side of the house and in front a bit, and we need to get going on diving and conquoring them. Last year they were very much a lush part of our garden, but as at every party, the overly lush is only tolerated for so long. The hostas eventually blocked our entrance into the back yard, and combined with the lilies, tried to overtake the front walk too. The ones we are most concerned with are the backyard blocking ones, so we will be moving them to the side of the house to border the driveway, and pruning back the ones that border the front walk. I've been offering them to people, and since my mother is so far the only taker, we may have to learn to live with them--or train them better anyway. Instead of diving through the jungle to get to the yard, we plan on putting the herb garden near the back path, and placing stepping stones to get into the yard. The area gets a good amount of sun (southern facing) and will be a real treat for us coming home from work, as we can enjoy the herbal smell as we enter our house. Also, it's a quick jump to the bar-b-que for grilling with fresh herbs!

Today I finished cleaning out the dead leaves from the side of the garage, and turned the soil nice. I am thinking of picking up some pansies this weekend and have a few places in mind {like here by the garage} and I really want to get a few hanging baskets for outside the front door.

Also this weekend I really need to dig out the garden plot. The peas are ready to be planted in the soil. We first need to get rid of the brush pile we've been storing there all winter though.
The flowers are really coming up now, with the established daffodils in bloom. One I planted is in bloom, but rest of them, along with the tulips and hyacinth are really growing. One thing that I am really excited to see coming up in the garden is the bleeding heart plants. I love their flowers in the summer...like dripping little hearts.

Go play in the dirt!

Left: Established daffodils outside the back door. Right: Bleeding heart emerging from the soil.

Waiting in the wings

2008-04-03T11:31:00.000-04:00

Sunny

High
55° F


Precip:		0%

Sunny. High around 55F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.

Rain / Snow Showers Late

Low
35° F


Precip:		40%

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies with light rain and snow developing overnight. Low around 35F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

The cold weather moved back in the past few days with a biting wind, making it hard to work outside. Yesterday I got home in time to check on the new bulbs coming up and took some pictures. To the right is one of my crocus patches. Yes, I need to clear those leaves, but the wind is really shuffling things around our yard...and blowing our neighbors unbagged leaves all over our lawn.

The tulips are coming up more each day. Here on the left is a row that are coming up in the front of the house. I planted a whole bunch, and it's nice to see my hours out in the garden last fall are paying off!

New buds have formed on the lilacs (pic to the right!) and forsythia bushes. We are lucky to have 5 lilacs and two giant forsythias to give us flowers quiet soon. I found a friend hiding under the forsythia bush...a robin! Our yard has been full of robins lately and I hope that they make a few nests around our house. We have lots of earth worms for them.

I am glad that I cleaned out the lilies last week because I noticed some new growth! It's great seeing green come up from the cracking earth.

This weekend I am hoping the weather holds out so I can finish cleaning the yard up. I am also going to organize my supplies and see what I need to start seeds and such. Even though the frost free date is well over a month away, I'm very eager to begin. Just one or two more weeks before I can begin sowing indoors. As our southern facing back porch gets lots of warm sunshine, it is the perfect place to set up shop. Once we finish drywalling and setting the floor of course!

Beginning the clean up

2008-03-27T12:23:00.000-04:00

PM Showers

High
48° F


Precip:		30%

A mix of clouds and sun this morning followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers this afternoon. High 48F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.

Rain / Snow

Low
32° F


Precip:		80%

Light rain...mixing with snow overnight. Some sleet may mix in. Low 32F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.

Yesterday we had great weather, and I won my race for the early express train out of Boston. I got home at 5:30 (a rarity!) and was able to begin the spring clean up!

I began raking the side of the house where I remembered seeing daffodils last year. Sure enough, under all the leaves were a bunch of flowers coming up. They are about 5 inches high, like the ones in the sheltered area of the yard, and there are also some iris coming up as well. Because we had construction on that side of the house last summer I think we lost a few bulbs, but the ones that survived look hardy. The daffodils are just outside the French doors of our kitchen, so when they bloom we should be able to see them while we have our coffee in the morning.

Then I moved on to the areas lining the driveway. Unfortunately, the previous owners threw a large collection of florescent light tubes in the foliage on the right side. We though we found them all last year, but while raking I came across more. Grrrr. We are planning on renting another dumpster for the remains of our construction, but we need to take the light tubes to the hazardous waste dump as there is mercury in them. Which is why I get so angry at the last owners! But moving on...underneath all the leaves and broken glass I found that the periwinkle was sending off fresh runners and looked healthy. A bit sparse, but I think that there will be some lily of the valley coming up to fill in the gaps. On the back side of the driveway, up on a circular rocked in area, the Russian olive that we chopped down last year was making a comeback. We will have to dig out the stump soon so that it doesn't overtake the area again.

Jon came home and helped clean up the hosta beds along the fences. Some of the leaves were still encased in ice as that area is in shadow most of the day. I dethatched some of the grass, but will have to go out and do more soon. The front arbor over the walkway rusted out, and I think we are going to take it down. There is a beautiful climbing flower that grew on it last year, but I am planning on moving it to the lamppost so it has some support.

There were lots of sticks and branches down (or caught in other branches) and we began gathering these for our kindling box. Even though it's getting warmer, the nights are cold and a good fire is always cheery. While Jon marked out the trench to bury the electrical cable from the house to the garage, I turned the compost heap for the first time since last November. It was heavy! But, once I got a foot down, there was wonderful black material that will be great for giving the garden a nice, fertile foundation.

Early spring in Zone 6

2008-03-26T12:02:00.000-04:00

Partly Cloudy / Wind

High
57° F


Precip:		20%

A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 57F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph.

Clear

Low
31° F


Precip:		10%

Mainly clear. Low 31F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.

Spring has finally arrived. Although waking up this morning with a dusting of snow on the ground was disappointing, the warm air that blew in this morning is wonderful! This week the tulips are beginning to pop above ground, and some daffodils that are sheltered are about 5 inches up. There are also 2 hyacinths coming up, but I'm worried that the weather will freeze them! As they are left over from the last owners, I'll just have to wait and see.

I received seed packets yesterday from my sister. Bush beans, pole beans, zinnia, giant pumpkins, summer squash, sunflowers, and more. We are going to have a pumpkin growing contest this summer. However, before anything is planted, much is needed to be done to what will be my garden. This spring I will be digging out a new garden, revitalizing some of the flowers that were there when we moved in last year, moving and dividing hostas, building a herb garden, and in general re-landscaping the yard. I have 1/3 of an acre to work with, and cannot wait to begin digging in the dirt.