contrareeone's Blog at GardenStew.com

Time Flies & Gardens Grow

contrareeone — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 21:55:45 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 1:55 am (GMT 0)

Gads, it's been ages since I've made an entry. The garden is ahead in this contest between me and the planting, weeding & watering. It isn't helping that I'm not even here at my home 7 days a week right now.

I'm spending between 2-3 days a week at my moms, helping in her gardens too........ I'd have to say, hers are looking much better, mine....only marginally so.

I've got half the tomato plants in (both places) We're eating out of the lettuce beds as of this week, radishes, beans, snap peas, cucumbers and squash seeds are up.

Many of my flower seeds have sprouted, although I'm not claiming to know what any of them are at this point. Maybe before I die, I'll get good at labeling or charting what I plant; but I wouldn't hold my breath on that.

I received another van load of free plants and am still working on getting those in the ground. In the process of all this planting at my place, I've come to the conclusion NOT to put anything but native stuff in the front bed. There is no convenient way to get water to that bed. The closest hose bib is at the front door, and it would take 2 LONG hoses to reach.....making it weird at the front door. So, no real gardening out there. I'll continue to add ferns, under the handful of evergreen trees.......along with my favorite Sweet Woodruf as the ground cover. Still battling the nasty sticker vine stuff that was there when I moved in....... think it is ahead right now!

Enjoying my new venture on a website, www.frugalgardening.com I'm learning tons and have noticed I'm WAY more aware of what I'm doing here in my gardens this season. When I need to take pictures of my ventures and write about them, I'm careful to do things a little bit closer to the 'right' way. :)

Off to my moms again tomorrow for 3 days. The plan is to put in a small water feature of some sort in her gardens we have been putting in around her back entrance and patio area. She enjoys using the space as a place to entertain and I think something simple would be a nice addition. She hasn't ever done anything like this, so we should have a good time. Besides, her ground is a piece of cake to dig in.......mine is part concrete, I swear.

Hope everyone is keeping up with their gardens..... I can almost see the weeds growing in mine; so I'd better get back outside!

Rain finally!

contrareeone — Sat, 20 May 2006 14:07:39 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 6:07 pm (GMT 0)

Who knew I'd be excited for rain in May here....but, I am. Watering 3 times a day was getting to be difficult. I also didn't get much done when it hit 80 & above.

Got another couple rows of seeds planted in the veggie garden & 2 of the 4 tomatoes in the gound.

Have a holding area full of the free plants that I'm hoping to get in today, tomorrow & Monday. My young man comes this week end and he's pretty good on the end of a shovel. Some of the ornamental grasses have huge root balls, so we need some hefty size holes dug...

Radish seedlings are up, seemed like I just planted them. Hoping the timing works out to have lettuce to trim when the radishes are mature. I've actually planted these 2 crops in the shade this year, as I haven't been too successful the last couple years. It got too hot and things bolted almost before I could mix up some salad dressing!

I'm having difficulty finding local plants & seeds for my veggie patch. Wondering if gardening is going to be a lost art too?? Always think I should have been born about 50 years earlier, as the things I like to do are going out of fashion these days!

Back to work, it's a great day to be in the garden!

Heat wave hits WA state

contrareeone — Tue, 16 May 2006 16:45:11 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 8:45 pm (GMT 0)

For the 2nd day, it's going to top 80 here today. Yikes! I fade after 75 degrees.......... not getting much work done here today, as I'm just way too hot.

Need to go out pretty soon and get all my new garden goodies a drink. I put in so many seeds yesterday, and they are spread out from front to back here......need to use 3 different hoses.

I answered a Freecycle ad this AM and got the notice that the plants were MINE. Was supposed to be vinca and some ornamental grasses. I came home with the back of my van FULL of plants. A full size forsythia in a pot, almost 4' high, lambs ears, vinca, 5 or 6 kinds of grasses and some iris. A promise of a lilac too, from another garden of theirs. I have everything unloaded, sitting in the shade & watered down. I am going to wait for a cooler day to transplant, both for me and the plants!!

Ran out of time today, was going to make a much needed trip to the nursery for starts and more seeds, but will try again tomorrow.

Looking for some inside jobs today..........

rhodies in bloom everywhere

contrareeone — Sun, 14 May 2006 23:33:03 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 3:33 am (GMT 0)

Going to try this posting a picture bit again. I've read the directions til I'm blue.....and yet again, I didn't get it to post. Drat. I can usually follow directions, but this is making me nuts here. I keep trying to use the program I have for everything else, and I think the bottom line is I have to learn something NEW!! Yikes.

If (and that is a HUGE if) it comes through, these are the blossoms from the first rhododendron that bloomed here at the new place. It is about 18' high and at least that big around. Lovely bush actually. One of the 5 plants that was here on the 5 acres when I moved in. (previous owners definately allergic to plants.....or work.......or both!!)

I planted my first batch of acorn squash seedlings into the newly tilled veggie garden. They look incredibly lonely out there! Hopefully, some nasty slugs won't come during the night and mow them down. Watered them in and gave them their directions ...to grow and produce wildly! Tons of room for them to just wander to their hearts content.

Tomorrow I will get a row or two of other veggies in. I have beets, carrots and radishes seeds just waiting to get into the garden.

First plantings of the leaf lettuce are taking a beating. I have a piece of screen over one area, but I found the cats have been using the other planter for a bed or litter area. If I could catch said kitty..........it would be a goner!

Will keep trying on this picture posting bit. Giving up isn't in my nature!!

back home & progress!

contrareeone — Sat, 13 May 2006 20:04:44 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 12:04 am (GMT 0)

I got back home yesterday after 3 days at my moms, helping in her gardens. Hers are oh, so much easier than mine. She has a tiny area.........mine is acres......she has all the hardscaping in.........mine is just in my head.........she had flats of plants as Mothers day gifts.........I have a few measley flats of seedlings....you get the picture!! Oh, and her soil is all loose & fluffy, amended for decades with their own compost..........mine has soil akin to concrete.

Anyway, it was a fun couple of days. We got all her plants in and then had a nice gentle rain the next day. I took my back pack sprayer and sprayed where there should be no vegetation.....within a couple weeks it might start looking like someone is living there!!!

Back home today, I got a call from my friend with the dozer/tiller. He was on his way over (wasn't supposed to be til next week), so.........out to the veggie patch I ran. The sheets of black plastic were not nearly as easy to remove, since they had pools of water in them and weighed a TON. Did get it all uncovered before my friend arrived. He made short work of all my little jobs.
1) leveled out the multiple piles of yard waste I've had a landscaping firm dump here since Oct. Then he ran the tiller through so it is a great surface for new grass seed or ???
2) Tilled the veggie patch and I'm pleased to say, the stuff looks like pretty good garden soil now. Was the color of concrete when I moved in last fall. Now, it is rich, black soil. Can't wait to get out there this coming week and begin planting . (too many kids needing supervision to start this week end)
3) Took his dozer and pushed over the 2 "earth machines" they are called. The previous owners idea of compost bins I guess. I hated them. Black dome things, made from plastic. In my front yard no less. Gone now.........soon to be freecycled. And, he scooped up the crud that was in both of them and tilled it all in the front area.

What a difference it makes in my yard to have these jobs done. We no longer look like a dump site!! I'm sure the others on the street are going to be as grateful as I am that this list got done today!!

Now, my TO DO list is longer, but I can get going on it by myself. Can't wait til Monday!!!

switching to a 4 horse mower

contrareeone — Tue, 09 May 2006 00:19:22 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 4:19 am (GMT 0)

I talked to the woman who boards her horses here on my property, she is willing to move the fencing, and take over the "mowing" of at least a third of the lawn. I can't think of how to fence in the other areas for the horses....... or I'd give over more to them to "mow". Will cut down my gas bill as well as the time to mow. Less to edge too.......

I'll be left with plenty of lawn, and still have 7 garden beds that are already in place and the fenced veggie garden. I will have to move 4 tiny trees and a handful of things that are hoping to be shrubs someday in the distant future.

I did get the yard mowed today, although not a fantastic job. I'll admit, it isn't much fun mowing something that doesn't look much better when you get finished than it did when you started. Depressing. The whole thing will look better with horses grazing in it.

No need to water, as it rained this morning and all day yesterday. Made a mental list of the things I need to purchase this week to get a proper veggie garden in. Got my call from my friend with the tiller.........he can fit me in next week. Perfect. That means I can have most of everything in the ground by Memorial Day. Would have liked some things earlier, but I'm not in control of much, so will work with what I'm given.

The cats knocked over the bird bath again....this time, when I pick it up, I pledge to move it to a more appropriate spot.

One more rhodie has begun to show color, this one is a dark purple. Looks nice next to the cream one in full bloom. A couple more to go........hping to et some pink ones pretty soon.

A few more seeds are up in my indoor nursery here. I'm down to just planting them and have no idea what they are. I ordered seeds online, and didn't make any notes. When they arrived, they are in foil pouches with abreviations galore. No idea what most of them are!!! Should be fun. Good thing I had no master plan set in concrete. The gardens will definately be pot luck!

April showers lingering in May

contrareeone — Sun, 07 May 2006 08:45:31 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 12:45 pm (GMT 0)

We've got another grey day here in the Pacific NW. Drippy and cloudy too. Good for the plants, but absolutely no good for the gardener in me. I refuse to garden in the rain.

Using the time to play catch up in the kitchen........doing all the extra cooking I can fit in. Double batching and stashing things in the freezer & things like that. Preparing for days when the sun is out and I don't want to be lashed to the stove, doing my Betty Crocker impression!

Another couple of dogs in the new grass patches and seeded garden areas yesterday. Can't believe people that bring their dogs and just let them go amuck. What is that about anyway? I can't imagine letting my dog out of the car in someone elses' yard, let alone just letting them romp through obvious gardens.... (alright, there isn't much you can see yet, but I did mention I had seeds planted EVERYWHERE!!!) Gads. And, I'm a dog lover. I guess I'm not a dog owner lover sometimes!

new grass almost looking green

contrareeone — Sat, 06 May 2006 11:47:01 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sat May 06, 2006 3:47 pm (GMT 0)

Babying my new grass patches. Watering every day, sometimes twice. (although we're scheduled for a rain today, maybe I'll get some time off this chore?)

The areas are starting to have a green cast to them ........if I stand back and sort of squint....maybe it's still just wishful thinking.

I've had a hard time keeping kids off the patches, too big, too many to stake off & the kids are all developmentally disabled, so most normal systems won't work for us anyway. So, just praying to the garden gods here that the grass grows in a jiffy & the dirt disappears.

The yard is looking so shaggy, as I'm not mowing til the new patches are established. I am hoping to pick up my dads first lawnmower (plain old walk behind, man powered variety) when I visit there this coming week. The plan will be to get it lubed and sharpened and then use it to mow the little pieces of lawn near the front door and walks. The big mower can be used for the large areas unless I decide to let them go to pasture. Not a bad plan with the increase in gas prices. I can harness the 4 horses and let them munch away for free.....heck, they are boarders, so they will be paying me to cut my grass. Much better plan.

No other chores this week end.........full up with kids and I'll be really earning my paycheck for the next couple days here. So, I'll content myself with watering and counting the new things that are up in the garden. First planting of leaf lettuce is now up, just waiting for the first real leaves.....Cosmos are up..........the baby lupines are starting to look like plants and I've got masses of blossoms on the free strawberry plants. And, the first bud is out on one of the inherited rose bushes.
The 2 rescued shrubs are looking like they are going to make it. I think they are looking perkier...but again, I'm an optimistic gardener........they would have to be totally crispy before I gave up on them.

Off to the garden, I hope everyone gets outdoors for a bit at least today............

Imaginary Photos of my Garden

contrareeone — Thu, 04 May 2006 11:01:02 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 3:01 pm (GMT 0)

I tried for what seemed an eternity yesterday, to post pictures here in the blog. Nothing........unless some of you can view them in your imagination. Lovely Rhody Blossoms were the test subject. Don't you love the color and the shading??? :)

I'm using Picasa here, & don't think I'm savvy enough to add another program into my learning curve.... Picasa & I are doing OK on so many other projects, my pictures get to where they need to go. But here, nope on the first try.........and nope on the 4th, 5th .........

Anyone brave enough to tutor me?? I am usually a good student, but computers aren't my strong point. (wondering this AM just what IS my strong point!!)

Beyond failed pic posting ..........it is a fabulous day here. Blue skies, wispy clouds, sunshine and it's supposed to be 70 again. I've watered all the new additions outside, set the seedlings out for the day and misted my indoor nursery flats of goodies.

My chore that might get to the top of the list today is spraying. (all organic gardeners gasp here) It is warm enough to make the job worthwhile, it isn't supposed to rain for a few days........so perhaps this might need to be top job today??

plants by the van load

contrareeone — Wed, 03 May 2006 11:54:20 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 3:54 pm (GMT 0)

Spent the week end at moms again and brought home more plants. Spent the last 2 days getting them into their new homes. Free plants, the best kind.
I think I'm almost done with what I can take from her place, as she has mostly shade & I have mostly sun here.........so, other than a few evergreens, I've exhausted her yard as a free plant source. Need to wait til fall on the evergreens too.....some are pretty big, so would rather not have to be carrying water!

My first flower seeds are up that I put directly in the garden. I've never been successful doing this in the past.........so I'm pretty excited by some barely there green specks in the dirt.

The grass seed is now showing as green too, in the repair patches in the front yard. (need to do the same thing now in the back) Can't wait til this fills in and I can mow the whole area.

I have called my friend with the dozer/tiller & am hopeful he will be here within the week to work his magic on my garden space. I should measure this area..........it seems absolutely huge to me. I've never had a veggie garden this big in my life. Has a 4' fence all round, with a big livestock sort of gate on one end. (yeah, the tractor fits through the gate!)

I've had the veggie patch "cooking" all winter, can't wait to see if I made any progress at all getting the soil into better shape. We added a layer of compost, then leaves, then lime and covered the whole thing with black plastic. Once it all gets tilled together..........I'm hopeful I will see rich black soil. Then, the work starts!!!

Supposed to be 70 here today........although there was ice on the bird bath again this AM. Heading outside to water my new little sprouts!!!

garden putterings

contrareeone — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 21:00:30 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:00 am (GMT 0)

Did a short stint in the yard today.......no energy so I quit.

Watered all the new things. Frustrated with all my hose connections. All outdoor faucets leak.........horribly.

Planted another couple flower seed packets directly outside. Hope I can remember where things are & remember to water. Haven't got many garden beds, I shouldn't be that far gone yet!

Mixed up some weed killer (I can already hear the organic gardeners gasping....) and hit all the spots in the concrete walkways and around the foundations of the outbuildings.

Cleaned the bird baths and put in fresh water. I need to move the one in the front, I like to see it, but no birds have used it as yet. Too close to the door & the 4 cats on sentry duty.

Put another ad on our Freecycle list locally, asking for fill dirt. Would love to get another couple trucks worth prior to getting the tiller guy in here.

Gorgeous day here in WA state. Only 66, off & on clouds.........grateful I live in such a pretty area.

cleaned up the country way

contrareeone — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 21:00:25 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:00 am (GMT 0)

Lit the burn pile & cleaned up the front yard. This is the way we do it here..........no curb side service for yard debris here.

Got a huge pile of branches burned up......looks pretty good out front now. Time to get the dozer in and grade the front, till in the compost that has been delivered and get ready to make a lawn. A real lawn. Not just weeds that from afar, look green like a lawn. :)

Another flat of seeds are starting to poke their little selves up through the surfaces in my indoor nursery. How fun. The bigger plants are all out on the deck, soaking up fresh air and sunshine. Still bringing them in at night. Another couple weeks, they will be ready to set out in the garden.

Enjoying a balmy 64 degree day here........delightful gardening weather in my opinion. Discovered my beautiful blue umbrella for the picnic table has bit the dust. The fabric is rotten, it will slide right off if I let it. I've never seen replacement fabric for the wood framed umbrellas..........anyone else know about this??

dead heading & note to self

contrareeone — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 12:12:27 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:12 pm (GMT 0)

I dead headed all the daffodils yesterday, which turned out to be a bucket full.

(Note to self: Pick more daffodils next year & bring inside to enjoy.)

I have been reading differing opinions re; daffodil folliage. I've always been one of the neat freaks, carefully bundling up their leaves, & wrapping with one of the leaves, to make the space tidy! Now, I'm thinking perhaps I need to go the other way & leave the greenery loose, to continue to soak up the sunshine and feed those bulbs. Any thoughts?? I am not one to dig up the bulbs and store them, so that is not on my list....... I will be sowing spinach seeds in the planters where the daffs were. Close to the house, just some morning sun and then shade for most of the day. Hopefully cool enough for the spinach to actually produce. (didn't do so well with my crop last year. )

Need to water today again........all the transplants, my new flower seeds and the patches of new grass seed. Can't wait til the grass fills in, it looks like heck. Sort of like an animal with a bad skin condition......that has been shaved! :)

I found one cast away lupine coming up from a transplant from the old yard. It's only a couple inches high at this point..........will transplant it when it is a bit bigger. Hoping it is from the pink plants, but my guess it is blue. Not even sure if these things bloom the first year?? Can't remember squat these days.

Off to talk to my rescued shrubs........I thought they looked like they were perking up a tad yesterday!

My day is too short

contrareeone — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 11:26:01 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:26 pm (GMT 0)

Too little time today........too much on The List. Have a string of errands to do & probably won't get outside except to water the new seed beds and the transplants.

Cloudy today........although supposed to be almost 60, it is really perfect for my rescued shrubs we got in Sunday. Laundry is already out on the line.....I'm feeling productive enough that I've got my coffee here for a bit of a read before getting back to The List.

My indoor nursery is looking bigger........I've graduated from a TV tray set up to a full size table that now sits in front of the sliding glass doors. The first batch of squash seedlings are outdoors again today, busy adding real leaves to each little plant. I've got a hunch I'm supposed to pinch off these first real leaves..........anyone have a definitive answer for me???

My next job outside will be to clear more area for all the flower seeds I bought. What was I thinking?? I have one more area right by the house that would work, but the previous owners have the entire bed covered with river rock. (actually, they had every piece of bare dirt covered with river rock) The boys have this as a chore.........the ever present Pick Rocks.......... Not sure the bed will be uncovered this season at the rate their going???

Coffee's gone. Better get back to work. Love reading about everyone else's gardens....

rescued shrubs

contrareeone — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 16:48:52 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:48 pm (GMT 0)

I really need to learn to write my entries in Word and cut & paste here. I've attempted to write an entry 2 days in a row now and lost it somewhere into thin air. Knowing my way around here is not one of my gifts!!

Anyway..........I finally got tired of looking at two full sized shrubs that had been dumped in our Free Fill Wanted area out front ... We dug holes yesterday, trimmed the bushes back about half way and watered them in. With luck and regular watering, they just might make it. They never did look dead....as there was just enough stuff dumped near the roots to make them think they were hilled in I think. They are the biggest plants we've got now!

I actually had to water yesterday and today. We are headed into a week with no rain (unheard of for these parts) I put in more flower seeds yesterday and chanced a couple containers of leaf lettuce. I'm dying for a salad here!)

I've set my flat of squash starts out on the back deck both yesterday and today. They have their first real leaves now......and are starting to look like plants. I've always bought my veggie starts, so this little experiment is pretty amazing to me. For those of you with green houses.........I know this is really no big thing. I never even had a window in the old house that got sun......so I'm in new territory here.

I am taking my time getting the seeds started for the veggie garden, as I don't want them all to need something done with them on the same day....or even the same week. I rarely have blocks of time to devote to anything but the kiddo here.......so I'm hoping my little plants cut me some slack and mature in a staggered fashion. We'll see...........

I got all my hoses out of the shed & have one at each faucet, only to find that each & every one of the faucets here need work. Leaks everywhere!!! Fortunately, it isn't a water bill issue, since we're on our own well......but it is a messy issue. I get water where I don't really want it this way. So, I need to become an apprentice plumber now. Never done this project before.........but, this will bug me enough to get me to try it.

Enjoying sunshine & 62 degrees today here in WA.

Raising a Great Crop of Dandelions

contrareeone — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 15:54:54 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:54 pm (GMT 0)

My yard is just full of lovely little yellow flowers!! It's the best crop I've ever seen.....and it's the only thing blooming here, other than the daffodils.

We've come up with an odd weed control system... Years ago, when I had 4-6 teens at a time in my home, they all needed after school chores. A couple of the kids weren't able to do much, but one of my home schooling kiddos came up with the "yellow flower" chore. The less capable kids would be asked to provide a bouquet of 20 yellow flowers for the kitchen and the table.........every day! They soon stopped the dandelions in their tracks. There were still the existing plants, but no new ones going to seed. TA DA. (I would drag out the sprayer & tackle the plants) We ended up with a lawn free of weeds in just a couple seasons. The kids with this chore had to start HUNTING for the yellow flowers!

I've got so many here, the boys can pick to their hearts content! I've got 3 bouquets on my windowsil now!

Got the mowing done yesterday, but not the burn pile...too windy. Trying that chore again today maybe?? Spreading more grass seed on a couple of the repair areas in the lawn....anxious for it to all fill in.

I'm setting up a temporary (who am I kidding, it will be here when I move) planting table next to the pump house. I'm too old & too tired to work on the ground.........it has moved further away these days. I've found an old picnic table that will suffice, along with an assortment of wooden boxes to hold supplies.

Still no signs of the pampas grass clumps.....getting harder to keep fingers crossed.

gorgeous & crisp here

contrareeone — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 12:11:39 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:11 pm (GMT 0)

It is a beautiful morning........ hoping I can get outside a little later. Only 37 here now, but supposed to be in the high 50's which is terrific gardening weather, IMO

One of my respite kids is coming this afternoon, the one that likes working with a shovel & wheelbarrow. I have a list of jobs for he & I.......always prepared. (I would have made a good boy scout!!)

I've finally found the planters from the old house, not really planters, like they were made for this purpose, but things I use for planters. My favorite is an old ammo box, with a hinged lid and someone before me, put it up on legs. Cute and now full of strawberry plants. The others can be hauled to the new dirt pile, filled and set around the front yard area. I've got seeds to put out, but I still think it is too soon. Ice on the bird baths this AM!!
But, I'll be ready!

If not windy this afternoon, I'll get all 3 boys out front and we'll light the burn pile. See what sort of progress we can make on the piles of branches & trimmings out there. These guys don't know this is a "chore", so I can keep them at this job for hours!

Was supposed to get 2 mature pampas grass clumps yesterday.......but I don't see them out front. A friend called & asked if I liked these & of course I said "yes". (I truly do, too) I tried a plant years ago, but it never did well & finally I took it out. It was a pink variety which I still would love... I am crossing my fingers that these plants show up!!! They will be just perfect on both sides of the front gate.

Hoping everyone enjoys their day & gets a chance to dig in the dirt .........at least a bit!!

Turn Around Weather

contrareeone — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 20:05:43 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 12:05 am (GMT 0)

It is the most beautiful day here right now. Sun out, blue skies, hard to believe how gray & drizzly it was this morning.

My transplanted goodies from yesterday are really perking up, with a rain and now some sun....they are looking like they are going to like it here! With the exception of a couple slips I took from a shrub~ gads, I've forgotten what it is.....from the mallow family. Most people hate these, but I absolutely love them. I've got a couple rooted plants too, but these little slips were going to waste, so I stuck them in the ground. They look pretty pathetic today....we'll see if they take hold and grow.

The sword ferns I put in the ground about a month ago haven't done anything yet. I cut back all the old fronds, leaving the newly emerging curls. But, nothing has happened. Wonder if I should have left all the old stuff on them for a bit?? I can get more, so not a total loss, but I was hoping these would grow. Hate to dig a hole & go through the work if they aren't!!

Planted Sweet William seeds today..........I had gathered them from the old yard on the last day there. Here's hoping the cats don't mess with them before they can get going. (I didn't tell the cats I was planting this time!! :) )

I have never had cats that were this destructive. I can't tell you how many times I've had to re plant the same plants here. Gardening with no progress, that is what we've got going here!!!

no gardening today

contrareeone — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 10:53:29 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 2:53 pm (GMT 0)

Entertaining today, plus........it's my Monday. Starting to work here this afternoon. I've got a baked french toast casserole in the fridge, ready to pop in the oven.

Sprinkling today, which is great timing for all the things I have put in the ground this week........and for the grass seed I managed to spread too. I've got so many repair areas in the lawns, we had solved a few huge holes & dips by hauling compost in. Now, the seed and today the rain. Within a couple weeks, we should look a little more normal. People kept asking "what are those spots for??". I can't understand why the previous owners would continue to mow, with the craters in the lawn. Some patches of new dirt are big enough to park a car on. Made driving the mower exciting!!

A couple more seedlings up in my veggie nursery here inside. I'm misting and turning the trays, so they grow more straight up rather than horizontally. Talking to them all the time too, letting them know their responsibility to feed this bunch!!!

Enjoying reading the blogs & forums here. I pick a topic every day and have the best time, here with my coffee. Thanks everyone for sharing your tips, pictures and questions. I continue to get inspired!!

chores piling up here

contrareeone — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 10:57:07 -0400

Author: contrareeone
Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:57 pm (GMT 0)

As I worked yesterday, getting all but 3 plants in the ground here..........I was mentally adding chores to the TO DO list as I went along. Good thing I don't get stressed out by too much to do.

Everywhere I looked, there was a job to do outside. Todays list will be just a couple things as I need to move back inside & cook something, or the natives will get restless.

I've finally found the bag of grass seed, so I'm going to get it out on all the spots where we've been adding soil (some were big enough to lose the mower in) We're supposed to get a sprinkle of rain this evening, so it seems like the perfect day for this.

I will get the 3 remaining plants from my moms yard, somewhere. Things aren't in the right spots here, but they will be in the ground, I can transplant as I get more beds ready to go.

I will call to set up the tiller/grader friend, so I can get the veggie plot ready to go. I'm getting anxious.

And, I'll start some more seeds indoors. I'm pleased with my feeble attempts at this, so will continue as I've been doing.

Better finish up the coffee & get to work. I hope others are enjoying a bit of spring.