popular What have you done today in the Garden?

Daniel— it sounds like you are going to have a good pepper year. You must eat an enormous amount of pepper during the year.

 

They are a staple of Mexican cooking, and I use hot sauce and lots of things. Also salsa.

A pepper plant isn't as productive as a tomato, at least not here.

 

Yesterday started to cut out the fruited canes off the blackberries, started tying in the new ones.
Today went to see my friends.

 

Thanks Daniel. I like them too, but I am careful with ‘em. Haha.

 

I can't do much, yet. My raised beds are still under snow,so I can't plant my cold weather seeds, yet. Plus I am raising the beds this year. My friend's husband is changing out some wood in his garden, so he said he'd get my wood at the same time. So I need to wait for him before I do anything. But my onion seeds are planted and anything that said 8-12 weeks before the last frost.

 

Early in 2023 I built a "raised bed" that consisted of a sort of box, containing 8 modified soil-filled, 25 gallon fabric containers.



This worked nicely, and the crops grew well and were easy to care for. But as is obvious, I didn't raise the containers as high as I could. They rest on cement blocks.

I'd like them more, if they were a bit higher. So, today I removed the soil from one, into a couple of large containers. Took that container out, and added pavers to raise the level about 6 inches. Then I returned the container, and filled it with the soil mix from the neighboring container, lifted that one, and repeated the process.

So I've done two today. If I raise two a day for four work days, the job will be done fairly quickly. I have a big supply of used pavers that needs a purpose, so no new supplies are needed,

Maybe I should raise them another couple of inches. However, I don't want the containers against the top rail.

 

You have sussed this out, mate.
Does the elevation make it easier for you to garden? It may be a year old, but it looks very smart.
You’ve go skills.

 

Sjoerd, yes the elevated areas are much easier for me. They are more within reach, I can see them up closer better, and I can lean on the edges. They help me a lot.

Inspection today.

Chive plants I started last summer, almost out of dormancy.



Bearded irises are starting to grow.



So are some of the Spring blooming bulbs.



The onion seedlings are growing indoors.



So are the lemon bush eucalyptus seedlings.



The second set of eucalyptus, the silver dollar ones, just germinated too.

 

Gôh Daniel— your beginning is going swimmingly. I just sit here a-lookin’ an a-grinnin’. Everything is coming right along snd it is so good to see.

Those raised beds are just the ticket. Anything that makes the work easier is so important.

 

Cut some more of the old blackberry canes out and tied the new ones in,also started on the loganberrys.

 

Put some more iron sulphate solution on the mossy bits in the lawn.

 

Nothing today it rained a lot last night so everything is wet and it's going to rain the rest of the week and weekend.

 

I got outdoors a little bit. Yesterday I bought another blueberry bush, this one is called Patriot. It is still small, but supposed to be 1 year old. I did get it planted in a container today. I made a milk jug cover for it, because we can still get cold weather into April. It was in the 60s (F) here today, but that is abnormal.

I bought more rhubarb, the package says 2 plants. I need to figure WHERE to put it. It likes full sun, NO blackwalnuts nearby, NO containers.... I have been trying for years to grow rhubarb plants. So far, they might live 2 years for me and then keel over. I think I heard that they like sand? I have plenty of Horsey poo for them.

It also says to cut any flowers OFF, so I will.

The last rhubarb plants I had were killed by Japanese beetles. Grrrr...

I hope they all do well this year.

 

I forgot, I also got some rosemary twigs at Walmart Monday, and I got them divided between some starter pots and a glass of water in the kitchen window. I hope they all grow. I get them in the produce department with the fresh herbs. I got two packages, for about $2 each, and there were at least 4 twigs in each of them. Last year I started them in a glass of water, and then over the fall I tried putting them in starter pots because a you tube gardener does his like that, but mine died. I will try it both ways this time and see what happens.

 

Far too wet for anything today. It's rained a lot, it made a rather pathetic attempt at snowing, but it only lasted a few minutes.
I've noticed the roses have started to sprout new shoots. On the next dry day, I'm going to give them a dose of Sulphur Rose, to try to get ahead of the black spot.