Today in the garden

Eric cut down an old apple tree that was too close to a Doug fir.

We left a stump to put a mail box on top for Charlotte.

We finished putting the last post to a fence we've been working on for awhile.

It's good to be almost finished with that project.

I transplanted seedling into 3 flats Nasturtiums, cauliflower, and squash.

Then made soil mix and put in sterilized containers. I filled several strawberry pots and put them next to the strawberry bed.

Later I will plant all these pots with strawberries.

We are calling it a day in the garden because it's wet outside.

no gardening today

I would have loved it.

Tomorrow I'll be out there.

I think tomorrow I will the bed under the exercise room and guest room. There is a lot of wild garlic and other random weeds. Then I need to take out the day lilies and move else where or just give them away or pot them for know.

Once the bed is weeded and clean we can fill in compost.

I'm thinking this bed by the parking area surrounded by concrete is a concrete bed of sorts. It would be a good place to plant the various mints we have and it would be contained.

Also the dear wouldn't bother it.

I like mint, in tea and as garnishes.

It wouldn't take long for the mint to cover that area if I plan it right.

We plan on painting our home in mid July. I could just prepare the area and not plant anything till the house is painted then transplant the mint at that time.

The other thing about mint that I like you can forget to water it and it's ok.

I love gardening

These were harvested in February

It's fun to plant a seed and see it sprout. It's fun to plant that seedling and see it grow. It's fun to see that plant fruit. It's fun to see that fruit grow. It's fun to see that fruit turn to seed.

The cycle of life.

I bought one chocolate mint plant and planted it in the ground. Mistake, a very invasive plant.

I love mint I need to plant it where it doesn't matter if it takes over. I do love mint tea.

Or plant it in a container to contain it.

After digging it up today and dividing it into several pieces. I planted 3 flats of starts, and still have a bucket full of starts I haven't planted yet.

I think I will be selling chocolate mint plants at my roadside stand.

This makes me think of:

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains.

It doesn't take much to move mountains a little faith will do it.

Nature is healing, fresh air, exercise, and the nourishment it gives us. All that God intended for us the natural way.

I feel better when I garden, the fresh air and exercise.

I feel better when I eat fresh grown.

I sleep better because I've worked so hard.

I'm encouraged that spring is on it's way.

The pansies I planted today brighten the path, the colors make me smile.

Playing in the dirt is fun. You get dirty and it's OK no formality involved there.

I know the ground is happy when I see large worms when I dig.

Today I put handfuls of hair in each hole or chili pepper flakes before planting the pansies. We have moles and I'm hoping these natural remedies will take care of these unwelcome guests.

Eric had his hair cut yesterday and he asked the barber for a bag full of hair.

We heard that moles don't like the scent of hair. Hair is full of protein too. I also heard that moles don't like hot stuff. If they take a bite in the hot pepper flakes I think they will think twice before eating my flowers.

In the green house I planted many heirloom tomato seeds. This means they will stay true to what they are. They are non gmo seeds. Gmo stands for genetically modified. Well that's code for a Frankenstein seed that can mutate and has lost it's nutritional value. You want to stay away from GMO seeds they can cross pollinate with your other plants causing all sorts of problems. We like organic gardening here. I don't want to spend all this time and energy only to end up eating something that isn't good for us.

Hybrid seeds are not worth saving because they are unpredictable as to what they will be when you save the seeds. They will probably not grow or they will revert back to one of the parents used to make it a hybrid in the first place. So if you want a hybrid vegetable, you will have to buy the seed every year.

I'm trying to stay with heirloom seeds.

I will also try to save seeds.

I saved pea seeds last year that I'm planting this year. So exciting I won't have to buy that variety of seed again if I keep saving the seed. Peas seeds usually last 3 years.

I also saved tomato seeds, and some squash seeds.

Things like radishes, carrots, lettuces, beets I don't save the seed. We don't have a long enough growing season to do that. These seeds usually last only one season and are not that expensive.

We have two beds of strawberries right now I don't need that many so I will be potting some of them up.

I feel like a little kid at Christmas I can't wait to go outside every day and see the treasures the garden holds.

chocolate mint

Chocolate mint , I found this picture on line

This is the plant that is taking over an area in our front bed.

I dug it up today, and divided the cuttings, and replanted in containers.

It's an aggressive plant.

Chocolate Mint

This is a very strong mint used for teas.

Has a smell like a peppermint patty.

Add fresh leaves to strawberries for a special treat!

Great dried and added to black tea or used by itself.

Easy to grow, spreads rapidly.

Grow in containers to contain it.

Plant Chocolate Mint in the spring after the last frost, or in the fall 2 to 3 weeks before your first frost and have beautiful well-established, rapidly growing plants come up in the spring!

Water regularly until well established (you will be able to see new top growth and may notice that the plant has begun to lay over and put down roots wherever it touches the ground) and provide about a half day of sunshine. When first frost approaches mulch to protect from the winter weather. The leaves of the Chocolate Mint plant do die back in the winter, but you will see new shoots come up near where it was planted early the next spring.

A lovely day in the garden

I planted 108 pansies, then a bunch of heirloom tomato seeds of various kind. Then dug up a lot of mint that has taken over the front bed.

Mint is invasive.... That's why putting it in a container is a good idea.

Trouble with power

The power in the greenhouse is not working and Eric can't figure it out.

We are going to have to call an electrician.

Meanwhile the lights and heat mat are not working and haven't for 3 days.

So I hope my seeding hasn't gone to waist.

This problem make take some time and money to resolve.

We are also having trouble with our bathroom fan.

Planting more seeds

black beauty zucchini

scallop bush squash

spaghetti squash

micro greens

and long island cheese squash

more seed in the mail

I ordered some heirloom seeds from

Amishland Heirloom seeds

www.amishlandseeds.com

They were on back order because the demand for their seeds were high.

I almost forgot.

I received:

Dinosaur kale

purple Italian Marconi bean

capucijners blue pod heirloom peas

coyote tomato- a gift for being Patience

The peas are soaking in water, I'll put inoculant on them tomorrow and plan

I'll try to plant everything else today or tomorrow.

heirloom tomatoes

Prudens purple

German Johnson

Aunt Ruby's german green

Big rainbow

Box car willie

Brandywine

These are some tomatoes I can plant soon.

Also radish french breakfast

Radicchio

ching chaing oriental vegetable

Moving blueberries

Eric bought for Christmas in 2009 four blueberry bushes, they were planted by Isaac's tree and the large dedora ceders. It was too shady there and the soil didn't drain well.

Two of the berries still had their tags the other two didn't.

#1 Earliblue

#2 Blue Ray

#3 Duke

#4 Blue Crop

They pretty much haven't grown at all in that location. So I moved them today to the front yard in the front bed near the house by Lissa's bedroom.

We had taken out 3 birches there. So there is lots of light now. I think they will do better in this location, of sun and good drainage.

I put fertilizer in the hole before planting and pruned the dead branches off and did some additional pruning.

I read they like pine needles and don't like to be planted deep.

So I'll now put pine needles on them.

Today in the garden

I planted spicy globe, Genovese, italian genovese, mrs. Burns lemon basil seeds in the greenhouse.

Then I planted eggplant black beauty seed in the greenhouse.

In the front bed I planted three color blend snap beans and bush provider bush snap beans.

I noticed in the green house the spinach seeds are sprouting

eggplant

Eggplant Black Beauty

is a warm weather plant that thrives in the hot summer.

Tasty fresh from the garden or prepared in a baked dish.

Fried eggplant slices are popular, too.

Harvest the fruit when it reaches full size and is still glossy.

It doesn't require support in the garden.

Garden Tip Black beauty is one of the largest eggplant varieties to grow in the garden

Annual planting depth 1/4" , thin to 12 to 18" , sun, maturity 80 days, days to germination 10-12 days, direct sow after frost,inside start 6-8 weeks before last frost.

looking at the weather

It's raining all week.....

Monday sunny and raining. . .

I'm planting beans tomorrow rain or shine.

and I may start some egg plant for my sister in law Tina in the green house. She brought me some seeds to start.

It's not raining today, but it's Sunday and we need the day of rest.

It's been a long week.

Sitting by the fire and drinking tea is a great idea.

I hope your resting today

The beans I'm planting This year

Bean, Three Color Blend

Sweet, colorful, easy-to-harvest bush beans.

Can't-miss tricolor combination lights up the garden and the dinner table. Our selection of sweet, colorful, easy-to-harvest bush beans yields masses of vivid purple (Royal Burgundy), yellow (Mellow Yellow) and green (Bush Blue Lake 274) pods.

Growth Habit Bush

Days to Maturity 50-60 days

Sun Full Sun

Height 15-20 inches

Spread 10 inches

Thinning 6 inches

Sowing Method Direct Sow

Fruit Size 4-6 inches

(Phaseolus vulgaris)

Provider can be planted earlier than other beans because it germinates well in cool soils. Compact

Why do I garden

I do it because I like to, it brings me great joy.

I also love fresh produce and know where our food is coming from.

I was reading homestead revival a blog I follow and they were speaking on their thoughts of the sad situation in Japan.

The had posted these verses from proverbs:

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard,

Observe her ways and be wise,

⁷ Which, having no chief,

Officer or ruler,

⁸ Prepares her food in the summer

And gathers her provision in the harvest.

⁹ How long will you lie down, O sluggard?

When will you arise from your sleep?

¹⁰ "A little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to rest"--

¹¹ Your poverty will come in like a vagabond

And your need like an armed man.

~Proverbs 6:6-11

25 The ants are not a strong people,

But they prepare their food in the summer;

~ Proverbs 30:25

and went on to say:
There are really only two options...


Either you will be the one needing help or you will be the one helping others.

This is another reason to garden.

Last summer I had a garden but it didn't do as well as I had hoped because we had an emergency situation happen in our families lives. So I left to help our daughter out. Fortunately for our family my husbands sisters garden did so well she shared her harvest with us and we were blessed. I was even able to make baby food for our new granddaughter.

Garden's bless others.

There are so many reasons to do it.

I hope you do something in your yards that will bless others.

Today in the garden

Put the window boxes up, with coco liners and soil moisture mats.

Planted a raised bed with strawberries

Planted merlot loose leaf , italienischer loose leaf, italian saladini blend lettuces, bouquet dill, parel hybrid cabbage, bulbing fennel trieste, superschmelz kohlrabi, arugula roquette seeds

dump a wheel barrow of debri by garbage trailer

prune grapes

I would keep going but we have a thing to go to and I need to clean up

Pushing through

Some days you just rather stay in bed.

Especially when your chore list is 5 pages long.

But it's only going to grow if you don't get to it, rain or shine.

Pressing through the "stuff" one chore at a time.

Today I fixed a trellis and planted more peas starts and onion starts.

Move the soil flats into the greenhouse

Then planted a different varieties of peas in trays as well as chervil, celery, and roma tomato seeds.

Put fertilizer on the house plants.

trays are filled

The trays I seed in are filled sitting in the driveway waiting for rain to water them.

After moving several wheelbarrows of debris:

I ended up planting more peas, and onions. Boy did I look like a mud ball when I finished.

It's already 11:30 am and I have not even started on the strawberry bed.

I was hoping today, yet I think not. It's a big job and you really get dirty doing it.

Instead I came inside and started a crock pot for dinner.

And cleaned up from planting peas and onions.

Lord help me get motivated

I went outside and grateful for what we have gotten done, yet looking at what needs to be done.

Overwhelming is the word

It won't get done if I don't do it.

And the only way it gets done is one step at a time.

I put up one row cover on one bed, it took awhile to find where we put the rebar to hold the PVC pipes in place.

I can see we need more rebar to finish putting the PVC pipes on the other beds.

While I was crawling on all 4's looking for the rebar under the garden shed I found all the trellis, bean tower, and pepper and tomato supports. So I pulled those out and put then on various raised beds for now so they are available when I plant the plants.

Cut the "rain mats" for the seedling trays. It absorbs a lot of water and is designed for hanging baskets and pots. Making water available to the roots when needed.

I haven't tried this product out yet, it claims to hold a lot of water so you only have to water once a week. We will see.

I have trays to fill with potting soil, and then I will get the pots soil wet before seeding.

It's overcast today so I may not get to moving the strawberries we will see.

Today I will clean the strawberry bed

Our strawberry bed needs attending to.

So I'm going to move them to a new bed and thin them out.

The extra strawberries I will plant in strawberry pots and put in the greenhouse till they get of some size.

When the old strawberry bed is cleaned out Eric will put compost in that bed.

It looks like it will be a nice day to work.

I also have more peas to plants and seeds to start.

I'll plant several types of lettuces.

Last night I soaked some peas seeds I collected from last years crop. I will put inoculant on them after draining them. Then start them in the greenhouse. These peas are the tall peas that you can eat the pod and all.

The peas I'm planting today are the bush type that you eat the peas only.

There are also more onions to plant.

Traveling gardener

Today I'm heading to Newburg to see our daughter and granddaughter.

With a flat of peas, a couple of strawberry pots and a bucket of soil.

They have a long planting area along the side of their garage where they have grown strawberries and peas.

This bed needs to be weeded, and replanted.

So we thought we would work on this today.

Sometime's I feel like Johnny Apple seed, except I'm the traveling gardener planting onions, strawberries and peas.

Seeding in the Greenhouse today

Seeds planted today in the greenhouse:

black heirloom tomato

Mortgage lifter tomato

Kellogg's breakfast tomatoes

Purple calabash heirloom tomatoes

nasturtiums tip top Alaska

Cauliflower cheddar hybrid

Marshmallow herb

lavender elegance purple

hyssop herb

Strawberry starts transplanted into strawberry pots in greenhouse

Seedlings planted outside:

spencer wave sweet peas

sprint bush peas

onion starts

Repairing the back fence:

Because Eric was gone Saturday in California on a business trip he took today off to work on repairing the back fence.

To our discovery he could only fix two outer broken posts, once those are set in concrete and repaired then he can work on the broken middle post another day.

He also move compost into some raised beds.

Another days work @ another time:

to move debris and work up a bed for planting more peas, and onions

dig up all the strawberries, clean them up and divide, and move into another raised bed with compost.

Then fill the raised bed that the strawberries were in.

Garlands March events

March 12th

Little Sprouts fairy and Leprechaun Gardens

11:00 am

$5 pre child

registration required 541-753-6601

Landscape Design 101

at 1:00 am

March 19th

Get your edible Garden started

11:00 am

Notes from martha stewart spring garden

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/martha-on-dvd-spring-gardening

Click on this link for notes:

Garlands anyone?

Tomorrow Garlands is having a fountain sale, I thought I would check it out.

All so at 1:00 pm is a landscape talk. I think I'll show up for the class any way.

Oops ! it's next week

In the Garden today

I dug up the rest of the onions starts to bundle up and sell or chop and freeze

the sugar sprint bush peas are sprouting in the green house

The berry row is cleaned and ready to go with added compost

the rhubarb bed is clean and covered to try to get the rhubarb to spring earlier

I planted onion starts in this bed

Put compost on the gooseberries

Working on planting this bed today

so far there is shallots, 2 different type of cabbages, and bok choy, garlic

spinach

The asparagus bed is ready to go

We have 6 more raised beds to cover with compost

as you can see we have weeds in the gravel pathways that need round up or hoeing

I'm taking a quick lunch break before moving on.

I need to finish working with the onions.

and plant some seeds in a raised bed and in the greenhouse.

So much to do and not enough time

GT135T

Eric brought me 4 of these trays to try out from Stuewe and Sons Inc.

It should take up less bench space.

tomorrow I will attempt to

plants some carrots, and parsnips in the ground directly

I will try to starts some tomato seeds indoors

as well as celery

and marshmallow it's an herb

also plant some spinach

and cabbage

This requires beds to be ready for direct sowing of root crops

and clean pots and soil mix for planting indoors (still working on)

Well now that I know what it is I need to try to get done I should get some rest.

In the garden today

Approximately 90-165 seeds per ounce.

Sugar Sprint Peas

61 days. This little sprinter races into production, pumping out its delicious, sugary pods! Sugar Sprint is one of the earliest maturing varieties, bearing numerous, 3 inch snap peas over an extended period. A heavy harvest of crisp sweetness that is virtually stringless-what a way to usher in summer! Heat tolerant, 24-30 inch vines are both resistant to powdery mildew and tolerant of pea enation

There are around 87 sugar sprint sprouts popping thru the soil they were planted on feb 17th around 15 days ago.

Today in the garden

transplant the 42 shallots bulbs in a new bed topped with compost.

SHALLOTS:
Plant shallots immediately upon arrival. Spring plant only in very cold regions. Plant each individual bulb root-end down at least 6 inches apart. The top of the shallot should be level with, or slightly beneath the soil surface. Shallots are shallow rooted so proper watering is important. Do not over-water, but do not let them become stressed from lack of moisture. Harvest when ¾ of the plant top dries and falls over. Continue the drying process in a shady location until the tops are completely dry. Store in a single layer, preferably with the tops still attached. Stored properly, shallots will last several months.

planted spinach, radishes, bok choy, and cabbage seeds

watered seedlings in greenhouse.

and a few sweet peas that have sprung their heads.

Raining a lot making it cold to work outside.

raked out two raised beds with compost.

Getting back on track

It's March 2nd and I'm behind on starting seeds in the greenhouse.

Oh dear!

I pulled out the jar that is marked March 1st

These are the seeds that I should be planting now.

Parsley (this didn't say when or how to start) I think I will start it in a garden pot under cover so it has some protection

french breakfast radishes (direct seeding)

Olympia hybrid spinach (direct seeding)

bok choy cabbage (this will need to start indoors)

Michihini Cabbage (this didn't say when or how to start) look it up on google

When you know the growing directions you need to follow them.

direct sowing is outdoors

and start seeds indoors is indoors in a container of half peat moss and half vermiculite or a seed starting soil.

If you start seeds in containers the containers need to be clean and sterilized.

If you start outdoors your area in which you plant needs to be clean and sterilized.

Since the seeds that I have require both indoor and outdoor seeding I have some work ahead of me.

Radishes, Spinach and cabbages can be planted in succession planting. Plant some seeds now and some 2 weeks later, then wait 2 weeks later for a succession planting.

I need to at least prepare one bed for planting these salad type plants. I think close to the yellow plum tree will be a good spot not direct sun but filter sun.

I need to make plant labels so I know where I plant them and what is in what row.

the date I seeded and leaving rows empty for my secession planting plan.

Well it's time to get to it.