Southern Spirit Hunters
Gardening => Gardeners Chat => Topic started by: duh on May 26, 2012, 09:28:07 AM
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I'm hoping this topic will motivate me to get out there everyday and do something. Today I got out there and planted 4 o'clock seeds, peach pompom zinnia, and red cockscomb. These are not fresh seeds so I've got my fingers crossed. I planted them in the new birdbath flower bed. Now I'm excited but it is hot out there so I think I am in for the day. Maybe I'll start getting up earlier.
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Sounds good, Tammy. I hope your seeds sprout.
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I didn't even go to the garden today but Johnny said it looks good. It's been hot these last 2 days so I hope we get a little rain.
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I got all my plants planted.... but my girls that I forgot about.
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Tammy, I love four o'clocks. They smell good enough to eat for dessert... :licklips:
Shame, shame, Megan. :naughty: The girls' plants should have made it in the ground first.
What kind of plants do the girls have? :ScratchHead:
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They have morning glorys, forget me nots, carrots, and tomatoes.... I thought I had them all out there with me and didnt realize they wasnt out there till I took a shower.. Desi said mommy you dirty u need to take shower I never seen you this dirty... she was as dirty as I was tho... I have a christmas cactus, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, marigolds, and 3 other plants I forgot the names of at the moment.... Josh mom bought me a few plants today and Josh even brought me one home for a surprise
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I've never done 4 o'clocks before. I'm looking forward to that bed sprouting.
I forgot I started this topic so my gardening chores got put in my blog lol. I have such a short memory.
I have to get out there this evening and water that bed so the soil stays moist. I don't want the flowers to die due to lack of water. I think I'll also try to dig up some compost for some pots I want to put on the deck. I have some up there already but I want a bunch more. We're doing a veggie container garden this year because of the wildlife in the area. They really made a meal out of my garden last year. This year I'm going to leave the ground veggie garden for onions, garlic and other things the bunnies won't touch.
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I wonder if squirrels eat tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers cuz I got a yard full of squirrels in the morning havent seen any bunnies this year tho
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squirrels usually go after nuts and fruits from what I understand. I've never had anything but bugs bother my tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. But those are all heavy feeders and require a heavy compost soil mix to do well for me.
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duh, I love 4 o'clocks. The only problem I have with them is they can't take the sun.
desirey, I've never noticed squirrels in my vegetables but they sure like my birdseed.
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Squirrels are notorious for robbing bird feeders. If you want to feed the squirrels, they love corn.
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Well it was a busy day today I think. I did a bunch of little stuff. I transplanted a blackberry lily that was in a too small pot. It's in the ditch bed now. I cut alittle bit of the lawn, I filled the pots on the deck and then added more pots. I'll plant flowers in it this year and veggies in it next year. I pulled some of the weeds in the side foundation bed. I watered the new birdbath flowerbed. I pulled up all of the thistles in the veggie bed. I think that is about all today. Oh I fixed the weed wacker after I broke it. That's a new thing it's the first time I've been able to fix any of the power tools I've broken. It seemed like more when I was doing it.
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Great work!
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today I dug up the last of the finished compost for the containers. Then I watered the new flower bed. I think the compost didn't get hot enough because I have a bunch of sprouts that look like crabgrass. We'll see maybe I'll get lucky and it will be flowers.
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Jim, I'm not trying to feed the squirrels. I wish they'd go away.
We've got to hill our potatoes or we're going to be in big trouble but it's raining this afternoon.
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I did some clean up on my front walk, both sides. That was about it for me out there. And it is only half done.
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I had to do the beds on each side of my walkway over a series of days too. I just can't get as much done as I used to.
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Weeded.
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you got me beat. I walked through on the way to the car and that was it.
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Walking through is working if it makes your mind work on planning what you are going to do next. At least that is what I tell myself.
Today I got out my pole saw and got the stuff trying to lean onto my roof in front. And all that I could reach hanging over my roof. And then cut those branches and hauled them to the road for removal.
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That's one hefty chore.
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This sort of fits here. Today on the way back from town. I stopped and got a cutting off of one of the wild roses that grow in the area. It is now at home in one of my posts of homemade compost with rooting liquid on it's cut. Cross your fingers for me.
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Good luck, Tammy.
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good luck tammy. i will wish you well on that one!
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:thgoodluck-vi:
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Thanks everyone. I went grocery shopping today and you know they had miniature roses out front for 7.88. Well I had to have the orange red one. I just had to. So now it is sitting in it's pot in the sidewalk bed waiting for evening when I can plant it. Where will it ever end?
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It never will end, Tammy. There are too many beauties out there to lure us. I have resisted buying plants until I get my spaces under control.
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I am thinking you may want to invest in some blinders (like horses wear in races) when you go where there are flowers... :giggle:
I would have had a hard time passing up an orange-red rose, too. They are so pretty...
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I hope they have binders in a wrap-around style. Where is the smiley with the sunglasses when I need him?
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8)
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lol see noone has the wraparounds lol.
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i had to go replant some things... We have moles digging up my flowers
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I'm sorry to hear about your moles. I have them too. They eat all the tulips and crocuses and asian lilies that I try and plant.
Today I cut 1/6th of the back yard grass, raked it up, and composted it.
The compost got turned and I took the last of the finished compost and screened it. It looks wonderful. I don't think there is anything better.
The rose that I bought yesterday got planted and is looking great. The temperature and skys are perfect for the transplant.
I now have soil in the hanging posts on the shed. I just have to figure out what I want to put in them. I'm happily accepting ideas. These are small pots maybe 6 inches.
The containers now all have wonderful compost soil in them.
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I hilled the potatoes again. Some of them anyway. We planted those suckers deep but I guess because of all this rain they've grown like weeds. I've already had to add dirt 2 other times and today a few were too tall. If I had bent them over they would have broken. If we hadn't planted them so deep they'd be 10 feet tall by now.
I also sprayed my insecticidal soap on the squash. The bugs have found my plants already. I read somewhere to plant dill with the squash because the squash bugs don't like it. Not true. The plants where the dill has come up the fullest are the plants where I saw the bugs. Next year I'm planting squash in raised beds.
I also brought in a lovely cucumber.
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Awesome, Sheri. Enjoy the fruits of your labors.
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Some bugs never get the memo.
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It's still too wet to do anything in my garden. The weeds are growing so fast, I may have to mow them before I can get the tiller through it. :tickedoff:
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I can understand that. I'm glad for the rain but it really is giving the grass a head start. What I'm wondering is how all the weed seeds got into my compost. That is disheartening.
Today I managed to cut another 1/6th of the back yard which gives me 1/3 done and 2/3rds to go. I then raked up the grass and stashed it into the compost pile. Then I dug up a bucket of rocks to add to the ring around the birdbath flower bed which is currently full of grass sprouts. You don't want my thoughts on that subject they aren't polite. And that's it for outside right now.
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Today I went out and harvested the ripe blackberries. Dug up the canes that don't produce any fruit so I could get to the ones that do. Then dug up the little canes that are trying to invade the blueberry bed.
Other than that my work was limited to pruning the mums in the foundation and sidewalk beds. Except for one clump which just grows bigger than the rest. Larger leaves larger stalks. That one I'm leaving alone. We'll see what it does. It doesn't have any buds on it yet.
The prunings went in the compost pile and got mixed in.
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Well today I managed to get over halfway cutting the backyard lawn. I raked up the cuttings and mixed them into the compost. Then I cleaned the birdbath and filled it with fresh water. And with the rest of the clean water I watered that bed. I believe it is full of grass from the compost. Can you say aggravating?
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Walked out to see if it was dry enough to hoe out some weeds and noticed the deer had visited. They seem to like young cucumber plants and of course peas. They may have really damaged my cucumbers to the extent that I may have to replant. I have 8 rows of peas so what little damage they done there won't matter much. I guess after I get the weeds out this weekend, I'll have to put my electric fence up. I did stake out some tin pie pans so when the wind blows it will make some noise.
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I hope you have all the luck keeping those pesky deer away from your garden.
The only thing i managed was to not buy the purple dying miniature roses at the grocery store. only 5 bucks.
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i decided where i want to move some of my plants, does that count?
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Planning counts. It is sometimes the hardest part.
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I have to agree with that. I end up moving things over and over again because I just don't plan well.
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Looked at the grass in the garden and then the rains came.
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me too for the last 2 days.
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Got a few more cucumbers this morning and killed a squash bug. I'm gonna have to get out there when the Neem Oil again this evening. This rain is killing me.
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We don't have any vegetables yet. Between starting the garden so late, weeds trying to eat the plants alive, wildlife (deer and rabbits) trying to eat all the plants, and rain, I am wondering if we will harvest anything this year... :(
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I gave up and planted a Magnolia tree where garden was...soil is just to sandy to grow vegetables.
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Magnolias are pretty trees, but they sure do make a mess!
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Well today I managed to finally cut the grass in the last 1/3rd of the back yard. Of course by now the first part needs cutting again but the front yard hasn't been done at all. So I'm way behind.
I took the shovel to the blackberries that were growing around the shed. I managed to get about 1/2 of them dug up. Of course the problem are the ones underneath the shed because they just continue to put out roots and start the problem over again.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
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I am fighting this battle with ivy, Tammy. It means more diligence than I have put into it. But eventually, I will win.
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We have blackberry vines growing under the gazebo. They come up between the slats. 'Bout drives me crazy... :Wacko:
It, also, grows in the pond garden. When it rains really well, I try to go out and yank it all up by the roots. It is easier when it is wet out there... :grinnnn:
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Frank and I used brush killer on a large patch of ivy successfully but he had to use the chainsaw to get up the bigger roots first. Had to buy a new chain for it after that use.
Definitely have to wait until the ground softens to go after it. When the clay is hard I can't even get the shovel in the ground lol. Although that area is softer than many other places in the yard.
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Tina, how did all those plants do you planted several years back on your hillside?
We got a lot done in the yard today. Cleaned a lot of under brush, seems like we just did this, and put out some pine needles. It looks good out there.
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Some of the plants are there. Just buried behind, under, around weeds. I need to work on all of it. The critters keep chewing my hoses and things. It makes for an uphill battle (pun intended).
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Today is an off and on shower day today. So I got out there before the sprinkles and cut about 1/3 of the grass. I'm feeling good about that. I got the weeds out from around the Bridal Spirea which needed doing. I don't want it choked out. Then I made a tether for the new blueberry to keep the long branch growing in an upward direction. It kept trying to lie on the ground. Then I took the banana peels out to the compost pile. And I got the garbage in the car to go to the dump this evening when I head into town. So I feel really good about my accomplishments.
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Sounds like a wonderful day. Tammy.
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I cut the grass yesturday, so today i need to water a little, and do some weeding.
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I put some clippings in my compost bin yesterday. Today all I have done is look at the pretty squash blossoms and am wondering if the plant will survive without many leaves. I want some squash... :licklips:
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I brought in some tomatoes and cucumbers and pulled up another squash plant that looked almost dead. I don't know if I killed it or the squash bugs did. I didn't see any eggs or bugs on it. I've got 4 plants left with only 1 bloom. I have a friend who is getting tons of squash but no cukes so I'll be able to trade. So aggravating though.
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Our tomatoes and squash look pitiful after all the rain. They got drowned. The leaves turned yellow, then brown. :tickedoff:
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1 more squash plant bites the dust.
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you all almost make me happy that my veggie patch is overgrown with weeds. It sounds like one of those years that just makes you want to scream.
My lettuce has bolted and I'm letting it so I can get some seeds out of it. Just because I don't like this variety doesn't mean other people won't.
I've been busy tweeking my seed packets and making them up. I packaged up 17 packets of Columbine seeds that I harvested the other day. That's one big bunch of seeds. And I've noticed that they are self seeding in there spot pretty good too. There are lots of little plants out there around one of the tall ones. I'm excited to see that. Wish I had some more colors in there. Right now it's just blush pink and the purple and white ones.
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I have never had luck with columbine seeds from a packet or saving them myself.. But I have had wonderful luck with fresh seeds. I have spread the seeds around where I wanted plants to grow and transplanted the self-sown baby plants to places.
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I have good luck with the seeds if I use the refrigerator. This is the first time for self-seeding but then I'm a relatively new gardener. Only been at it for 7 years now.
But on to what I managed to get done today.
I cut the front yard and only had to wind a new bobbin for the weed wacker once. Then I cut the south facing side yard. Had to fight the blackberries, black-eyed-susans, and the hickory or chickory or something. They are the wildflowers with the purple flowers on a powdery blue bush. I love them but they were trying to take over the compost pile and that's a no-no.
Then I weeded the sidewalk bed again.
I transplanted the zinnia that were crowding the peach rose. I hadn't gotten any blooms on that rose since the zinnia grew up around it and the rose guy I talked to yesterday said roses don't share space at all well.
So I'm feeling pretty good about everything at this point.
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A great day!
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Busy, busy, busy... :grinnnn:
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Now if just every day was that busy I might get somewhere.
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Yeah, I tend to rest on my laurels a little too long sometimes, too.
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Well the zinnia's wilted, that I had transplanted. I weeded the Foundation bed on the left side of the front door. And I staked the gladiolus that didn't fall over. The two that did are now sharing space in one of my bud vases. They are the gorgeous deep red ones.
That's about all I managed to accomplish today. Better than nothing though. Then I went off to the meeting and after that did some end of month shopping. It was hard picking and choosing what would carry us through the end of the pay period. Hopefully I made the right choices.
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duh, I've never transplanted zinnias after they were planted in the yard. Wonder if it ever works.
I'm getting lots and lots of cucumbers but no squash. Several of the plants are trying to live through the squash bug assault and have blossoms but no squash. The tomatoes are finally turning red.
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I need to get out there and treat the roses but I'm not moving lol.
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Tammy, it is too hot to be outside right now. Wait until it cools down. Hopefully, this heat will cool down next week... :hot:
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I'm hoping so too. But I got to get out there and water and the outside spigot is leaking so I have to use the inside one.
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Well it may not be spring on the calendar but it's spring at the hooper house. How do I know, I just planted roses.
I got two Climbing Red Fountain everblooming climbing roses that can grow as tall as 14 feet, two Climbing White American Beauty everblooming climbing roses. And then I just had to get 4 minature yellow roses. So now they are all planted.
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My garden is tilled and I'm set to put out a few seeds but the wind won't allow it. I did put out a few strawberry plants the other day.
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That's a good start. March sure can be windy. I hope you get a nice calm day for planting.
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Today I treated and fertilized 10 rose plants. Wow that is one heck of a lot of roses and I still have two inside the house that I haven't planted outside yet. That makes a dozen doesn't it? Wow
I also began phase one of cleaning up the shed. How did it get so messy when I didn't do any gardening last year?
Well I'm glad I got a start anyway. And I'm grateful they all survived so far.
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I've got a row of carrots planted and the pea trellis up. That's it.
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That is great, Sheri.
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We're back in freezing temperatures. I've got my fingers crossed that the new roses survive this. I didn't get out there today. After about 4 hours this morning I went to bed and stayed in it all day. I've definitely gotten my hours messed up.
I hope you veggies do great.
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Today I did about 20 minutes. I clipped all the mum dead branches from two of the clusters and put them in the compost pile. Then I piled the leaves that had escaped the compost confines back inside it. I still have the entire yard to rake but it is a start. Needless to say I have a great deal to do yet.
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Today I did 45 minutes. I cleaned up two mums clusters so I only have one more to go. Then I took the compost and put it around the largest mums cluster, some in the foundation bed, and then the rest in the birdbath flower bed. Then I pulled the weeds out of the birdbath flower bed. There were not a great many there to start with.
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I wasn't out there very long. But I raked up the leaves in the foundation flower bed along side the house. maybe 28 feet? As I was trying to rake it into the compost pile I realized it would be best if I dug out the finished compost before I added new leaves. That's when I knew it was time to come in. But it's progress and I'm happy with that.
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My carrots got tilled up so Colby and I replanted them today.
Jen, I can't find butter crunch lettuce seeds. Today Colby and I went to Lowe's and ended up buying butter crunch lettuce plants and putting them out. If I see seeds I'll get them.
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i will check my lowes to see if they have the plants. here, they will bolt early, so when they do, i'll collect seeds :BigGrin: and share with you! but if you find seeds before i find plants...
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I'll have to look I may have some.
I found money, yeah! So I splurged of course. I got 4 bags of mulch for the roses and I got 1 bag of mulch for the blueberries (they really need it for the moisture retention) I got the pine mulch for the blueberries since they like acidic and pine is acidic. The others got the natural bark. I don't go in for the died mulches. Of course they are still in the car. 10 cubic feet to lug around I need a rest first.
So I took the compost that I dug up yesterday and spread it in the bird bath flower bed. I'm still preparing it for summer and the zinnia, portulaca, and then the fall when I transplant the mums over there. BTW compost at wal-mart here costs 2.27 per .75 cf so my own compost has saved me 4.54+ cents so far this year.
Then of course heavenly father hear me grumbling about not transplanting any more wild moss, so what did I find in the plant section? Moss. I bought 3 pots full and put them out in the walkway. And weeded 2/3s of the walkway. I figure if one can dig up moss and then put it in a blender with buttermilk to spread the spores the moss shouldn't be to unsettled if I break it up going after weeds if I smooth it back down building little berms of soft moist soil around the mounds to keep them happy. We'll see what happens. either it will spread or it will die.
The I bought 8 starter kolrabis and put them in the deck planter. So that is probably my entire 45 minutes today but this afternoon if possible I'd like to get back out there and spread the mulch in the blueberry bed and finish weeding the sidewalk. Then tomorrow I'll be ready to weed the sidewalk flower bed and put the mulch down there. Or at least that is the plan for now.
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Mulched and weeded 1/2 of the sidewalk bed. Took one bag of mulch. It isn't the big bark pieces I like it is the shredded but it will do for now.
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Well I composted around 3 of the fruit trees. The moonglo pear seems to be ok without any.
Then I mounded some more of the compost in the birdbath flower bed.
I got 10 gallons of compost in two of the large tires so I can plant a couple of tomatoes in them. Now I just have to figure out where I'm going to find garden soil to add to the compost. Who knew that would ever be a problem.
I hope to do a second stint out in the garden today and work on the sidewalk bed some more; or atleast, get the bags of mulch out of the car.
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18 sq ft weeded. At this rate I'll get the flower beds weeded once for the entire growing season. I hope my energy improves alot.
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I repotted by Brug tree, and sprayed weed killer in the lawn (supposedly grass safe, we'll see, though there's not much grass left)
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Let me know how it works. My lawn are just weeds that get mowed rather than pulled up.
Ok today I put 5 gallons of compost and sulpher on the blueberry bed. Weeded another 18 sqft (the blueberry bed). And then mulched the bed with pine bark. I kept it thin because I know the blueberries have shallow roots. Two have started to green up. One isn't looking to good but I'm not ready to give up on it yet. For some reason I have a hard time keeping more than two bushes healthy in that bed. Maybe I'll get out there and snap a picture or two of the bed. It's the only thing that is starting to look good. Well it's only the end of week one of April so I have time yet.
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A second session out in the garden. I'm very please. I dug up another bucket of compost and moved it over to the peony patch. I raked the leaves away from the peonies. Most of them are getting a very late start this year. But that's ok so am I. I found seven. The gay paree never came up. I'm so disappointed with springhill nursery it isn't funny. But tomorrow I'll be already to scratch in the compost around the peonies and give them a nice feeding. They will love the compost and bone meal.
I hadn't noticed that the primroses had flowered until I was out there looking for the peonies. They are so bright and charming. They need more humus in their soil. In Washington state they would have already divided by now.
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I found an 8th peony. I've really got to mark them better. I amended the peonies according to plan. I'm very happy with the results. Then I took the remaining compost and put it around the azalea but I think it bit the dust because I didn't bury it deep enough when I bought it. I really can't buy plants after April because the ground is to hard unless I dig the hole and amend the soil before I buy in case the ground is to hard or rocky.
Primula (s) have also bloomed. They look great.
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I'm going out to see if I can find my peonies.
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Found white peony and red peony. I think it was last year that Johnny cut them down even though they were full of buds. I think I'll put a sign up in front of them this year.
I put fertilizer in the holes in my straw bales, put a marker in the garden where, by the way, radishes are coming up nicely, so sign of carrots or peas, something has been chewing on the lettuce though. The squash Colby and I planted and put in the greenhouse has broken through the dirt. I also planted a pot of parsley.
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Your garden is comming right along. I hope the carrots and peas show up soon. I love radishes. What kind of squash did you plant?
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Straight neck summer squash.
And today I went to Lowe's and got a patio tomato plant. The place was swarming with people buying vege plants. Isn't it a bit too early even here. Seems like we don't start planting until sometime in May but the place was packed. I'm just today starting my cucumber seeds. Mr. Rape, did I tell you guys Mr. Rape is back, just now told me he's already got out tomatoes and squash. I didn't know I'm behind.