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jillh
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Recent Entries to this Blog Spring has almost made it to Southern Ontario
Posted: 19 Apr 2011
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The Vegetable Garden May 2009

Category: Vegetable and Flower Gardens | Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 1:24 am

That wonderful time that we have all looked forward to during the winter is finally here. The seeds were purchased back in April and the peas, lettuce and spinach went in 3-4 weeks ago. This year I bought some vine snap peas since the short ones I had last year didn't produce too much. The snow peas were terrific, they were 6 foot vines so I found some 6 foot tall snap pea vine seeds.
We also decided to save some more space and chose some scarlet runner beans this year as well. The lettuce is now up in the first row and the spinach has made it's first baby leaves.
At the Canada Blooms garden show in March I bought some $3.89 birdhouse gourd seeds (12 in the packet!) and started those indoors as well as some heritage yellow pear "cherry" tomatoes. I sowed oh, about 18 tomato seeds and I'll never ever be able to grow (or eat) them all. We have limited space! I've given a few seedlings away already. 5 of the gourd seeds have sprouted and now after reading one post by a gardenstew writer who only planted 1 seed and had a vine cover her entire chicken coup!!! I think my 5 seeds will be plenty for my small alloted space for the gourds in our yard.
Next task: make a trellis to support the vines and keep them off the lawn. I need some creative advice now. Ready? I have 4 48" tall old cedar hedge trunks which are quite strong. I have a couple of 36" long thin cedar hedge branches and one 6 foot long trunk that is skinny. Hmmmm, how to put these all together beside our chain link fence so that the trellis that is built is supported also by the fence and the gourds can grow down through the "roof" of the trellis. I can get some heavy gauge wire mesh (really heave chicken fence) from my husband for the roof. I think I'll make it 2 feet wide and about 6 feet long. The 48" poles can be the posts at each corner and the other branches can support at the sides. Any other crafty ideas???
We have wrens who have nested in our wooden houses each year for the past 3 now and I'd love to give them some more homes.


( photo / image / picture from jillh's Garden )






Bringing twigs to the nest ( photo / image / picture from jillh's Garden )






Here comes the next twig ( photo / image / picture from jillh's Garden )






Last edited: Sat May 23, 2009 1:41 am

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Comments

 

SongofJoy57 wrote on Mon May 25, 2009 1:33 pm:


Sounds like a plan! I really enjoyed your pics. That is the neatest little birdhouse that I think I have ever seen!





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