Spring Garden Chores

I absolutely LOVE spring, even though it's the busiest time of the year for the gardens. Day before yesterday I was able to burn off part of the slope garden (it has been sadly neglected for the last two years.) The numerous bunches of daffodils weren't so happy-looking by the time the fire reached them. Did you know that daffodils melt? I tried to rake the dead leaves away from each group of daffs, but couldn't quite stay on top of it. Sadly enough I had to let the fire go out and then do a breathing treatment because of my asthma.

I'm ready to till up the garden and put out radishes. There's already three hills of potatoes in the ground. Normally I wouldn't till in the spring because it just brings up more weed seeds, but last fall I didn't get a chance to till in the leaves. They sat on top of the garden all winter long, thinking about decomposing but stubbornly not doing so. I will also add a few bags of commercial cow manure and compost (from my own bed) to enrich the soil.

Tomorrow, if Alana doesn't go into labor, I plan on mowing the west side. Last year the leaves were allowed to lay where they fell (I ran out of time) so I want to get them mulched up before they kill out the Kentucky Bluegrass. It's important to get the lawn cleaned up because there will be an Easter Egg hunt in the yard.

I can't wait for the wood pile to dry out. There's nothing better than hamburgers cooked on the fire pit! The winter winds and heavy snow broke off many branches, so I will have to spend quite a few hours collecting them. It would be easier if I had a wagon to pull behind my Sears Craftsman lawnmower, but I don't. I've had one on my Christmas list (and Mother's Day list, and Valentine's list, etc.) for the past two years. I miss my wagon!

It's a little too early to fertilize, but I have gone ahead and put out grass seed in the obviously bare spots in the lawn. I take the easy way out...instead of raking or tilling up the soil so that there is good seed-to-soil contact, I sprinkle the seeds and then cover them with a light coating of potting soil. The birds can't see the seed that way, plus it gives the roots a nice easy soil in which to develop. (That was an awkward sentence.)

I have hundreds, if not thousands, of dead stems to remove from the gardens. I leave the purple coneflower and black-eyed Susan stalks on during the winter because the birds enjoy eating the seeds, and it gives interest to an otherwise flat garden scene. Obedient plant and hosta stems also need to be removed and put into the compost pile.

There are many other spring chores to do (spread mulch, distribute Preen) but my hands are going to be full over the next few days taking care of the basics.

I'm SO glad it's spring!
shel

Daffodils!!!

A few years ago I planted 500 daffodil bulbs. Now I have hundreds of 'Baby Moon' in bloom, plus a few of the 'King Alfred' (at least I think that's what they are...the marker was missing.)

Crocus are still blooming in the back and east side yard as well. There are teeny, tiny bunches of lilac buds that are just waiting for warmer weather before they pop out.

I was able to get out in the yard yesterday and cut down more of the volunteer Japanese honeysuckle. That stuff is just horrible; it's terribly invasive. While the leaves are still a dream, I can get into the regular shrubs and prune out the junk.

Oh, how I love spring!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Oh What a Beautiful Day

I felt like singing today because the song was just so darn appropriate. Today WAS beautiful. I got to work outside all morning (after popping an apple crisp into the oven) and loved every second of it.

The black pussywillow is in full bloom. Unfortunately, I didn't trim it back last year so the branches are much too high for me to be able to cut them for a centerpiece. I will give the shrub a pretty strong pruning after it finishes blooming. (Spring bloomers like lilacs and pussywillow should always be trimmed right after blooming, so that you have a strong show for the next year.)

I was lucky this year. The rabbits missed eating about 20 of my crocus, so they are happily blooming in the back and side yard. Only the dark purple and bright yellow blooming plants were spared for some reason.

This morning I raked up all of the leaves from the garden area on the west side of the driveway, between the cars and the koi pond. I was able to get them burned, thank heavens. The bad part is that I have asthma and it really acts up when I've been playing in the smoke. I've had to take quite a few hits from my inhaler.

The ruts in the driveway are getting deeper and deeper. Pretty soon my van will fall in and disappear. Max wants to hold off on spending money for new gravel to go into the drive, but I'm afraid we'll end up with big problems if we put it off again. We have lived in his house for almost 10 years and haven't had the drive re-graveled, so it's well past time to do so.

I hope you were all able to get out and enjoy this wonderful spring day.

shel

I think I'll pick up some pansies tomorrow to put in the freshly emptied containers (I burned the evergreen boughs today as well.) Pansies and snapdragons thrive in cool weather, and can even stand light frosts. I hope I'm not jumping the gun, but I just can't help myself.

Signs of Spring

It was a beautiful day today, the kind of day that makes it seem like winter is behind us. I had a leisurely walk in the front yard and noticed that the daffodil foliage is about 3" tall. My 'Rustic Rubra' magnolia has buds that are beginning to swell, and the two redbuds do as well.

Chickweed gives everything a nice green appearance. Oh, how I hate that weed! Saturday afternoon, if the weather holds, I will go around with my five-gallon bucket and dig out as many of the pesky weeds as possible. They will go onto the burn pile instead of the compost pile.

Today I noticed a red winged blackbird and a robin. Spring can't be too far away! I can't wait to get out in the gardens.

Happy day,
shel

Weed Prep Time

Well here it is, almost March 2010. Where does the time go? Days are starting to get longer and warmer, so now is the time to think about weed control.

Cool weather weeds like Chickweed are getting ready to rear their ugly little heads (if they haven't done so already.) I am going to go out next week and sprinkle Preen, a product which keeps seeds from sprouting, everywhere that weeds are a problem. Keep in mind that Preen, or it's generic counterpart, will not hard perennial weeds like dandelions. They come back from the roots every year, so perennial weeds must be either hand cultivated or sprayed with a Round-up product. Chickweed is a perennial with a hairy root rather than a tap root which puts out millions of seeds, so I will have to use both methods of control for this pest.

I can't wait to get started on my outdoor work. Come on, spring!

shel

Man, I HATE being broke, especially since it's garden catalog season.

I got the spring catalog from Gilbert H. Wild and Son and immediately started circling things that are on my wish list. I've ordered from them before so I know that they're reputable. In the past, I had ordered 100 hosta for $100. Most of the roots had two or three eyes to them, so I actually got at lest 200 hosta after cutting the starts. The hosta plants have matured beautifully.

It was about five years ago that I placed the order, and the prices haven't gone up. (Unlike everything else in the world.) As much as I'd like to get another 100 hosta, I have to be strong and use the money to pay bills (and repay debts) instead. Darn, I hate being practical!

By my calculations, winter is not even halfway over. That's SO depressing!

hoping for spring,
shel

Is It SPRING Yet?

Oh, how I long for those warm spring days. In early March I will spread Preen in all of my flower gardens. The doggone birds drop Japanese honeysuckle, poison ivy, and mulberry seeds each time they defecate, and the volunteers pop up at the drop of a hat, so I have to stay on top of things.

Chickweed is trying to take over the place so I'll have to stay on top of the young plants as they green up early this spring. It's a cool-season weed and the bane of my existence.

The geraniums in the sunroom are looking leggy. I intend to cut the fresh shoots off, dip them in rooting hormone, and then stick them in a tray filled with soilless medium. They should root relatively quickly and will be ready to transplant into six pack containers within six to eight weeks. By mid April, I should have a lot of nice FREE geraniums to plant outside.

I'm dreaming of an early spring.

shel

Missing It

I haven't been out in my gardens for quite a few days now, and man, am I missing it. Weeding can be quite therapeutic. We have had a wet, wet spring so the weeds are having a great time taking over the gardens. I'm hoping that it holds off on Wednesday, as I won't have either grandson and I will be able to get some mulch spread.

The hosta are fabulous as are the lupines. Sadly, the oriental lilies are being eaten by deer before they have a chance to show off. Same with some of the daylilies.

shel

Occasionally I Just Gotta Whine - Sorry!

Life is back on an even keel for me. Alana is acting much nicer, and has even called just to talk a few times. Max has apologized and has tried to make it up to me by helping me spread mulch. This is a rare thing for him...he HATES to be outside, unless he is shooting.

Garden-wise, I have got to say that it's turning out to be a sunny place. One year I planted 500 daffodils, and they have multiplied wonderfully. Therefore they are blooming their happy little heads off right now, turning my landscape from leafy brown to yellow glory. The redbuds are just teasing me with the promise of color. I hope that they are blooming tomorrow in celebration of Easter.

Since I'm in the middle of the woods, deer abound. Tulips and crocus are usually nipped off before they can bloom, so after the first naive year of living here, I have avoided planting such tempting treats. I do see, however, that a few of the strong-willed bulbs have survived.

A few years ago Becky Heiden gave me a pink pussywillow shrub. This is the first year that she has put on such a magnificent display of softness. I love to use the branches for floral design, so I'll have to go out to cut a few twigs to use for tomorrow's centerpiece.

Friday I found my first snake. It was an interesting little thing; muddy brown with black stripes running vertically along the 6" length. I must have nearly scared the poor baby to death, as she quickly crawled under a rock. Jaden and Bryan both like snakes so I hope I can show them a few this year. They need to accept snakes as beneficial, and not be afraid of them. Supposedly we have no poisonous snakes here, but we won't push our luck...we will admire the snakes from a safe distance.

As far as my huge koi pond goes, well, it's not good news. The sides have collapsed even farther during the winter. I was able to catch two of the small koi (one a buttery yellow and one a platinum white) and transfer them to a holding tank up by the house. I can see from the window that there are two larger koi, both dark, still in the leaf-filled pond. As soon as the weather warms again I will pull them out. Max has promised me that he will help me reduce the size of the pond by building walls 2' in on each side, backfill with soil, and get the boardwalk around the top this summer. I hope this is one promise that he carries through on.

Daylilies need to be thinned this year, as do the hosta along the side of the house. I must take the iris from the holding bed and plant them at my parent's home in Decatur in July. Hopefully they will give me a good bloom here before I bid them good-bye.

The 'Rustic Rubra' magnolia is just starting to show her colors out in front. In the back, the yellow magnolia (I forgot the variety...good thing I have it labeled!) is dragging her feet, waiting for warmer weather. She is a late-bloomer. I do need to transplant her this year as there is too much shade where she currently resides.

Mowing was a challenge. Since the lawnmower has sat all winter, the tires were flat. There were dried oak and hickory leaves still littering the yard from the strong north winds, so mowing them up was my first priority. Unfortunately I didn't think to wear a face mask, and I inhaled quite a bit of leaf dust, which set off an asthma attack. Guess who won't be mowing bare-faced again!

To spice things up a little, I bought a flat of the huge faced yellow pansies. They are planted in medium-size containers at the top of the stairs near the pond. I also filled the planter under the mailbox so that Deb, our mail lady, would have something pretty to look at when she delivers our goodies.

I can't wait to get back outside to work but for now I have to be content with looking out the window. Bryan is here and has not been feeling well so we will stay inside. Hopefully this week I can see if the veggie garden has done any growing. The radishes were up, but the peas have stubbornly stayed buried and inactive. Fingers are crossed for a good crop!

My next project involves building a raised veggie garden for green beans, zucchini and cucumbers. I'd like to get that done in the next week or so.

Thank you, dear readers, for putting up with my whiny day. I don't have many of them, I promise. Stay tuned to see pics of the gardens in the upcoming weeks.

shel