Blog Author
trudy
(view profile)
Recent Entries to this Blog Summer is here
Posted: 26 May 2008
Getting things ready
Posted: 22 Mar 2008
Seedlings an Ma Nature
Posted: 08 Mar 2008
A busy week end
Posted: 24 Feb 2008
I stopped procrastinating
Posted: 18 Feb 2008

All Entries
 


trudy's Blog




A busy week end

Category: February Gardening | Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:09 pm

Well yesterday I wrote a blog but when I submitted it nothing showed up. So to recap that entry I will sum it up some cuz it was a little long.

I took a walk around my yard an noticed a few things budding an blooming. Blooming was daffodils, jon quills, daphne shrub, loripedulum, blueberry bushes, some crocus, Lenton Roses an a very few on 1 of the 2 Mayhaw trees. Noticing the buds trying to break on the Mayhaw trees I went ahead an sprayed a fungicide for Cedar Rust. That has been such a problem for me since I planted them over 10 yrs ago. I keep hoping I start my spraying in time. I have threatened to cut them down every year. For just a handful of berries for all the work I put into them is frustrating.

I checked on my seeds I had sown an some more have sprouted, wha whoooo. I sowed a few more mator seeds an repotted a Lemon Tree, A Palm tree an a few other things I can't remember.

Today:

After DH an DD left to go back to school I got busy outside. I planted 5 of the six Camillias I had rooted last year. I kept them in pots due to the bad drought we had last summer. Also planted a blueberry bush an American Snowbell tree I had bought last year an held off on planting due to drought. I am hoping they will have enough time to get established before our summer heat. I think they will be ok. I still have other things to plant but will have to wait til another serge of energy hits me.

I also cleaned up the chicken pens (5 total), hope they are happy now. They were'nt that bad, but needed done anyway. As much as I like to be as organic as I can be, I do use round up occasionally around the borders of my flower beds. So I got that done as well. It keeps DH away from my plants with the weed eater.



This blog entry has been viewed 581 times


I stopped procrastinating

Category: February Gardening | Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:38 am

What a beautiful day it was today. Sun was shining this morning, then stayed cloudy an a slight breeze the rest of the afternoon. I finally got one of my wooden raised beds torn apart due to it rotting away. My FIL had given me a good many cider blocks so I lined them up around the wooden bed, then ripped it apart. I couldn't believe I had the perfect amount of soil. The new block bed is 10 blocks long by 5 blocks wide. I planted the herbs that were in that bed into the holes of the cider blocks. I had thyme, parsley, chives, lemon balm, curry an some leeks. I hope they will survive in them holes, if not I'll just have to move them. I still need to add some amendments to that soil, it has so much sand in it that it seems to repel water.

Then I tore out the frame I had going around the Hamlin Orange tree that had rotten badly an put the red bricks around it an the Prosperity rose. Those came from my FIL as well. I went 3 levels high on the tree just to get them organized an not scattered all over the yard. I will change that later on. I still have one more wooden bed I want to tear down, but I would kinda like to keep that as a raised bed. The grass hasn't taken it over so I know its still usable an not a lot of work like the others were.

Then I decided while I still had some energy left to rip out the Cross Vine I had growing on a post with latice. It had gotten so the runners were wanting to go every direction under the grass, so they couldn't be seen easily. I had debated on that one for a few years now, an just couldn't make up my mind.

We got a really good rain tonight, the storms that were coming from Texas an Louisana. Lost power for about 3 hrs, still raining. But I haven't heard of any tornadoes touching down yet.

This blog entry has been viewed 532 times


2008 Seeds Sown

Category: February Gardening | Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:23 pm

Back on the 11th (Feb.) I sowed some seeds, then today the mood hit me again to sow some more in the greenhouse. All so far are either from gardeners sharing there bounty, so thanks in advance to those I've traded with. Or some I had bought here an there an collected/saved myself an participated in round robins. Heres what I've sown so far:

Purple Millet Grass
Short Mixed Marigolds
Pacific Giants Delphinium
Hungarian Paprika Peppers
Black Pearl Hot Peppers
Sweet Banana Peppers
Roman Chamomile
Feverfew
Heal All
Toothache Plant
Super Beefsteak Tomato-sown 2/11
Beefmaster, hybrid-sown 2/11
Dr. Carolyn Cherry-sown 2/11
Green Giant=sown 2/11
Mortgage Lifter-sown 2/11
Red Brandywine-sown 2/11
Rosa Bianca Eggplant-sown 2/11
Thai Green Eggplant-sown 2/11 (frost may have gotten these b4 matured)
Romanesco Broccoli-sown 2/11
Chinese Chives (onion)
Tai Jio Garlic Chives
American Flag Leeks
Flat Dutch Cabbage-germinated by the 17th, sown 2/11
Arugula-germinated by the 17th, sown 2/11

When I got to the greenhouse mid morning it was 80*, I cut the heat back so I could stand to be in there for a bit, plus didn't need it on today. I had to spray for ants to so I'm blogging while the smell gets gone. An to eat lunch. Fixin to get back to seeding, will update what else I get sown in a bit. Besides I'd like to keep my list all in one blog if possible. Its way to nice outside to be inside doing anything.

ADDED ENTRY:

Although all these seeds sounds like a lot they really aren't. I'm only seeding out what I think I can plant in my gardens, then if I have some things left over I will give away to neighbors, friends an such. I just can't see buying seedlings when I can seed out what I want with more choices cheaper, Well cheaper is debatable, lol.

Added:
Neem Tree-may not grow here
Spaghetti Squash
Zucchetta Rampicante Tromboncino
Bennings Green Tint Squash
Early White Bush Scallop
Blue Hibbard
Early Prolific Straightneck
Goldentender Yellow Squash
Borage
6 colors of columbines
??Frit. Lanceocata (don't know this one)
Mixed Foxgloves
Yellow Tansy
Nigra Hollyhocks
Love in a Puff
Yamoto Cucumbers (Questionable seed viability)
Painted Lady Beans
Chartentais Melon
Exotic Melon Mix: Super Dew Hybrid, Chartenais, Early Silverline, Spanish Moon
Giant Belguim tomato
Black Krim
Black Pear
Hendersons Pink
Abe Lincoln
Wayahead
Striped Cavern
Novococoshary
Campbells 1327
Big Rainbow
Watermelon Beefsteak
Porterhouse Hybrid
Giant Delicious
Narajilla Garden Berry

Well thats it for now, still have a few more mators I want to grow again this season. Just have to find them.





Last edited: Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:22 pm

This blog entry has been viewed 714 times


Score!!!!!

Category: February Gardening | Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:35 pm

Today we had a little family get together at my FIL's for lunch. It was the first yr anniversary of my MIL's passing. Everyone else had gone to church, DH, DD an myself arrived about 30 min. b4 everyone else got home so while we were waiting we got to looking around the back yard an noticed back behind the shed a good many cider blocks, an couldn't imagine what he would be doing with them an they looked like they had been there for some time.

Also noticed how much pinestraw was on the roof, along with some limbs. So DH decided to help his dad out an rake off the straw. B4 he finished everyone else arrived, we ate lunch an I got the chance to ask him about the blocks. DH's parents has owned a mom an pops grocery store for 40 yrs at least. Anyway he told me they didn't belong to him, but I could have them if I wanted them. According to him theives would use them to try an bust the plexiglass at the store an he'd haul them off the store property.

So after lunch we all pitched in an finished cleaning up the mess the pinestraw made an loaded I think it was 15 blocks an no telling how many red bricks. Over the weekend he was backing out of his driveway an hit a very large terra cotta planter an busted it up. His youngest son cleaned all that up an gave me 2 5 gal. bucket fulls of potting mix that was in the planters, an nice flower pot. My MIL was the flower lover of the two so my FIL had no use for any of this stuff.

Then on the way home I stopped off at a Walmart an in the garden section they had Stargazer lillys for less than $5 an of course I had to get at least one.
So I got home an unloaded everything an now I'm pooped! Just gonna piddle around online awhile.

This blog entry has been viewed 575 times


On the Lane

Category: February Gardening | Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:56 am

We got a really good rain yesterday, couldn't work in it which makes for a long day. So I left work a couple hours early an of course it finally did stop. Gave me the chance to get those 80 onion bulbs in the ground. This time I planted them in the flower beds, I have limited veggie garden space an really wanted to use that space for other veggies come spring. I think I'm caught up for now on my planting, except for that bucket full of Jon Quills to go. I know they are very late getting in the ground, but they should bloom next year anyway.

On the way home though I did notice a Japanese Magnolia almost in full bloom in a ladies front yard. Not sure if thats good or not. Spring very well could be early this year, or are we having another year of false springs? Its almost time for me to get my seeds to germinating, have plans to do that this week end. Will see!

This blog entry has been viewed 520 times


Welcome to my Blog: My Day today

Category: February Gardening | Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:06 pm

Well I did get some things on my list done today. The red onion seedlings, shallots, asparagus (went with the in ground method this time) all planted. Cut back some of the roses, esp. the one at the front porch. And one bed of lantana, an my grape vines, hibiscus an some of the lavender obiedient plant stems that had gotten bit an cut the suckers off the 2 magnolia trees I had cut down last year, they were in a really bad spot. I am noticing a lot less tree roots where I have some raised beds at by cutting them down.

Got 6 trays filled with some potting soil, now to go thru some seeds an decide what to start seeding out. Added compost to the existing asparagus container beds that didn't get it in the fall. One thing I did notice when I was loosing the soil where the red onion sets were being planted was how rich the soil is looking. Back in the fall I had planted brocolli an cauliflower there an had added composted manure an it has finally paid off, I hope. So far its not looking so sandy, but nice rich soil.

I hauled the cuttings to the woods an burned the other pile while looking around for a place to experiment with the Strawbale Garden method. I think I'll put it either on the side of the house an use a somewhat level area near the garden to grow some corn. I don't ever have much luck with corn, but I keep trying. Thank goodness I have a BIL that farms in case I fail at it once again I can get some from him. Will try an get the red onion bulb babies planted tomorrow if I'm not to tired after work. Now to call it a day!

This blog entry has been viewed 410 times




You're reading one of many blogs on GardenStew.com.
Register for free and start your own blog today.