3,2,1...... GARDEN!!!!!!

Well, the greenhouse is up and going, so it's time to get stuff out in the warmed-up soil and into my barren garden!

Through the fence, I'm showing you the two boxes Bill and I built  from old 2x4's from the garage tear-down.   I lined the bottom with cardboard that I scrounged.  Since it would take several bags of soil and amendments to get these puppies filled, I'm doing it gradually this summer as I find bags of garden soil, manure, and compost.  I bought a chipper/shredder at a garage sale a few summers ago, so I'm gathering dried asparagus stems, small sticks, and other 1 1/2" or less stuff that I can grind up to add to my boxes.  Notice that I'm also covering my walkway with old bags, and cardboard so I don't have to weed it.

Here are my Pretty Little Maids all in a row,  peas transplanted from pots.  I have been starting peas in all kinds of containers, leftover egg cartons,  plastic vegetable boxes,  whatever.

Here are onions and some spinach that also started in the GH.  This end of the box has about 4 bags of soil.  

Here are 50 Surecrop strawberry plants newly plopped.  Mostly mulched, but boy, was I butt sore by the time I got this done.   I used newspaper with winter-old straw from a bale that sat outside for months,  I hope less seeds from that.  

On either side of the black tarp  (from builder last summer) are

strawberries I planted last year.  There is a severe infestation of crabgrass under the tarp.  It will die, burnt to a crisp by sun and heat.  Then I will probably put a box or two there,  to keep the strawberries separated.

Here is my favorite new addition to my gardening world.  I have not used my hose more than once this year so far, that was before we had the diverter attached to the barrel.   I also have one on the opposite side of the garage to use in the flower beds in front.   No chlorinated water,  no addition to the water bill.  I can even fill two milk jugs at ONE TIME, folks.  I'm very talented.   The garden alongside was plotted late last summer, after that garage was built.  I added several bags of garden soil,  compost, and planted buckwheat there.  What you see growing is oregano, that should flower beautifully and attract pollinators.   I may put some hollyhocks in here... "Watch this space!"

Now for an update for what's going on in the GH.  I've really enjoyed playing in the dirt, and watching all my babies come to life and lift their little green heads to the sky. 

 L to R.. Wildflower mix,  hollyhocks, marigolds, zinnias

 Vining squash, cukes, hollyhocks, broccoli

 It's nuts how many wildflowers I got to grow from a couple packets I planted in milk jugs, I'm still transplanting them.  Our bees better get really busy on these or else!

 Flower,  and more flowers

Flowers, dill,  red zinnias

Put outside for some sunshine, and air.  Borage and something else.  I also have basil, sage, dill, one more something else herby. 

I have 4 yellow fall Anne raspberry bushes greening up.. can't decide where to put them.   

I have many broccoli, so if you wander past my house,,,,come in and see what I might share.   Also cukes, and zukes.  Really, no one needs 20 of either of these!  I think some are bush type, which take less space.  I may be throwing these at my neighbors by the end of July.  

Just stopped to get bell pepper, parsnip, etc. seeds that I didn't have yet.

Tomatoes I have started are SubArctic,  short growing time, we'll see.   Only 2 leaves so far, not ready to transplant.  Also Black Krim, planted today.  

Are you exhausted yet?   We still have fence to move to enclose apple trees to keep deer away.  I have already started to cardboard-kill  grass between two trees so I can plant lots of those wildflowers.  If you grow natives, make sure you give them lots of room, they love to clump and then start eating up the garden around them.  Coneflower,  milkweed, lots of others,  stupid me lost the packet list.  I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever grows.   

Spinach!  Did I mention I really like spinach?  I had these started in small containers and so I was able to spread them out in these two Large containers.  The one on the right is about 18" across.  They'll perk up after a few days.  These will stay by the back porch so I can just walk out and snip some off for lunch, and not have to weed so much.  

I've been working every few days in the GH, and two days in the garden.. I 'm sore, I'm tired, but feeling great after digging around in the dirt.  Still not warm enough for starting worm boxes yet, but still considering it.  

Dirt Up and pass the Tylenol!

Dianne

SEEDS UP!

In January I put out milk jugs filled with soil and native flower seeds, and some with hollyhocks.  And now,, they are sprouting!

One mistake I did make with these was putting all the jugs into a turned over garbage can lid, which held a lot of rain we got in two days a few weeks ago... My seeds were flooded, and I didn't notice for a couple of days.  So, these hollyhocks are the only ones up so far. I was told by my Butterfly Lady, Reni, that the native seeds will come up when they feel like it.  I hope they decide to come up at all.  I put out butterfly weed (small orange milkweed), common milkweed,  zizia (Golden Alexander) and a wonderful native flower mix. 

I have also been busy in the greenhouse.   On Feb. 28, I planted lettuce, spinach, and broccoli.   The broccoli was up in seven days!!!

The broccoli on the right is De Cicco, and the broc in the orange boxes is Calabrese, but I think these were old seeds, and may not sprout.  

On the right is a mesclun mix of lettuces, and the middle is spinach... this picture was taken this morning.   I 've been out all day, and I just checked on them again... There are lots more spinach seedlings  up in the pink containers!

Here's the new greenhouse, made from old windows and some polycarbonate sheets from Home Depot, and an old door from the house.  Bill did a bang-up job making sure that it is air tight and tolerant of high winds!   

I just visited Bennett's in Lafayette and got new strawberry plants,  which look green and healthy, as opposed to the not-so-lively ones I bought in bags at Wally World.  I have them soaking in water right now.   In the morning, I will trim the roots and plant them in pots in the greenhouse.  I also bought a nice bagful of zinnia seeds today.. can't wait to get them going.  I really enjoyed watching butterflies and other critters drinking from them last year.   

Other stuff planted--dahlias saved from last year,  strawberries from WalMart, poppy roots,  and some tiny seeds I can't remember what they are.  More to report later.

I have been inspecting the garden every day.  Some things are coming back.. My oregano from last year appears to have made it.   I planted some lavender later in the summer,  and it has literally disappeared.   I see the holes where they were.  I think they may have become a snack for some creature that got into the garden.  

Is anyone else seeing daffodils coming up?  They are always a joy to see!

I also bought some Anne raspberries today.  They are yellow and ripen later in the fall.  Quite nice and  something different to have when everything else is fading.

Hey, people, get out there and get your hands dirty!

Update on the bees when I get a picture tomorrow..

Dirt UP!!!

Dianne      

WHAT'S going on down there? Life amongst the wormies.

I spend a lot of time during the dark days of winter contemplating a picture perfect garden.  You know, the one in Organic Gardening, with nary a wisp of a weed.  Chickens abounding, eating critters, but only the ones I don't want.  Oh, by the way, Organic Gardening Magazine has turned into some sort of ultra-hip, you don't actually expect me to get my hands dirty, kind of urban gardening 'zine.  Read by people with man buns,  and aloof attitudes about coffee. Not my kind of reading any more. I have picked up Permaculture Magazine recently at the Lafayette Library,,  I can NOT pay 8-10 bucks for a magazine,,,it is a British publication, that is probably published by a bunch of old hippies. However, they are old hippies who have some good , no , great, ideas about how we should change the way we think about gardens, food, agribusiness, and relating to our post-modern world... sheesh, that sounded pretentious,   but stay with me,,, I'm gleaning info that is useful, and I hope you are able to get some great ideas from it, also.  I promise not to tell you to "get involved in the inner life of your soil,"  or "join in the great consciousness that will develop a new world view,,," blah, blah, blah,,  I may throw out some tidbits that you can employ in your own garden life that will improve your soil,  increase your harvest, and lighten your gardening load.

First thing, do you compost?  I always have a bag, a veggie box, a coffee tin, or old soda cup on the counter, filling up with peelings, scraps, lint, pits,  leftovers, whatever, except no meat, dairy, or fat.  Two years ago Bill built me a composting turner,   a 55-gallon blue (plastic?) barrel suspended between two posts, with a 3 inch PVC pipe run through the middle of it,  which is then attached to the two posts.  There is a door cut in the side, which I toss scraps into, close shut, and then, using all my superpowers, I am able to usually rotate the barrel at lightning speed,, but in the middle of winter, most of the rotting matter is in a big oooky blob  in the bottom of the barrel... but, when it warms up, I should be able to pull out some nice compost. 

For egg shells, I have been rinsing out shells, and storing them, crushed, in an old PB jar.  I used to close the lid, but then retch, when I opened it to add more... If I rinse the shells well, then they dry and don't cause a problem.  I will use these shells when I plant tomatoes in May!!! (imaginary trumpet blast!)  The three things you can use in your garden right out of the kitchen are coffee grounds, banana peels, and egg shells. 

Now, I am considering another kind of composting.  I used to pile up stuff, and hope that the "greens" and "browns" and moisture would do the trick of making a beautiful pile of compost, but that doesn't always seem to work.  I have been researching different forms of composting, and considered worms (yes, my life is that boring).  Did I want to go with the whole "drill holes, use screen, keep a warm light on it"  worm bin in the basement?  Or, a new thing I just found.. Here's a link...

http://www.homecompostingmadeeasy.com/foodscraps.html

    I like the idea of making a "worm bed."   I'll have a designated area, maybe with some old 2x4's from the garage for edging.. I'll till up, or dig it up,  add some red wigglers or wrigglers, from Beautiful Bud's Bait Shop, and dig in scraps as they come available.  I will also add leaf litter occasionally, or shredded newspaper,  to liven up the place.  I think that would be a great place to plant some pumpkins or squash mid-summer, they love compost soil.  I looked up some pictures, and most of them had chicken wire, or window  screening on top, to keep critters out... hmmm, may have to consider.  Here's a picture I found that follows my idea.  This has a bottom in it, and four sides, so I'll have to consider maybe a child's swimming pool?  So the wormies don't escape. 

http://gardeningwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/       This blogger has some great ideas.  I hope I can be as successful. 

I tend to be a visual learner ( I've read that all that "learning style" stuff I spent ages learning during my M.S. in Ed. Psych studies has all been debunked... sooo... lots of money and time down the drain.)  I like to look at Google images of different composting ideas, hoping something will take.  Try it...

Okay,, I have a stack of magazines, a few cold days coming my way,  and a yearning for learning.  So I'll put my knitting down for a few hours, and do some serious gardening research.    And maybe eat some chocolate.   Watch for more ideas to rumble around in my head in the next few weeks, as I GEAR UP  for GARDEN!!!!!


Dirt UP!!!

Dianne      

Come on, People, We're Burning Daylight!

It's time,  yes, it's time---for what?   LET'S GET DIRTY!!!! I swear my blood pressure crashed 20 points while I was outside mucking around in the dirt (soil) today...  "but, Dianne,"  I can hear you thinking,,,"it's only February 1,, what on God's blessed Earth are you doing?"

"I'm gardening!  I'm outside. I'm breathing fresh air.  I'm digging in soil.   I'm planting seeds.   I'm getting the whole growing season started!"

How? It's called winter sowing.. I started by saving or buying or bugging Brad Thada for seeds of native plants and vegetable seeds. Brad Thada is a young man who works for Cardno, an environmental company that gave away native flower seeds at our state meeting of the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society.  I also knew him as a little boy at Pleasant Hill School, so I hit him up for more packets.  They are planted and ready to grow. 


Watch what I did... not terrible difficult, but does involve using  a sharp knife, so I had to watch myself.  First of all, dig out gallon milk containers from your recycle bin, or wander down the street nonchalantly, gathering them from the neighbors' bins...  whistle and dance a bit,  people will think you are slightly crazy and will let you go along your way. 

Then, cut your container around the middle  leaving a bit  under the handle  to hold the container together.. Make sure you also poke holes in the bottom for drainage.  You do not need to keep the cap on,  leave it off to provide fresh air. 

Okay, that wasn't hard.  Then put some moistened seed starting soil mix in the bottom of the container.   Plant seeds in the soil mix, and then duct tape the top of the container to the bottom.   Voila!   A tiny greenhouse that should work well for starting native seeds that need stratifying.  What does that mean?  Well,  I need to replicate the growing conditions the seed would endure in the wild.  So,  moisture, heat, cold, freeze, thaw, over and over.  This breaks open the hard seed coat on many native plants and lets them survive winter in Indiana.

Sorry for all that shiny sunshine on my photo, but, please, people, work with me here. No complaints about sunshine today.   So I marked each container with a wax pencil with the plant name and date of planting.  I placed the containers in front of the house, where they will get the most daylight in the next few weeks.  I also used some half-gallon containers, placed on a long side, and a take-out container.   I also sowed some milkweed and Zizia  aurea (Golden Alexander)  in some long flower pots.  Since they are both natives, I'm trying out sowing them openly in a spot I can control.  I have a few more containers to fill later in the week.. I have to dig out all the seeds that are wintering in the pantry.

Has anyone else noticed new growth on evergreens?  I have some in front of the house that look as if they are not dormant.. hmmmm,  I hope we don't get any prolonged cold soon, or they could be in trouble.

So planted today,, Feb. 1, 2016:

Purple Coneflowers,,, Native Flower mix,  Zizia Aurea,  Common milkweed, Butterfly weed (small orange milkweed).   

I also have a mostly empty flower pot into which I threw several handfuls of common milkweed pods.  I have left them outside all winter, and I'm waiting for spring to see if I get any growth.  I learned this from my Monarch Maniac friend, Reni Winter-Evans ,   She has a great FB page here, 
https://www.facebook.com/winterhaven.wildflowers  with great pictures of growing monarchs on milkweed.

I am going to start some more things as spring approaches.  If you want to try this,  throw in some lettuce, radishes,  broccoli,  or  lettuce mixes.   All of these  are cool weather crops and won't be hurt by a few cold nights.  I have seen pictures of containers covered in snow that were full of green plants.  Check out Pinterest for "winter sowing" if you want to see some more examples.  I may even try some tomatoes in a month.  What will you be out?  A packet of seeds, some tape, and a recyclable container.   Give it a go!  I'll keep you updated on how my first batch goes. 

Yes, the greenhouse got built, it's air tight, it's wonderful, but it doesn't have heat for nighttime yet, so I'm waiting to start anything out there yet, until I can get a long extension cord and heater out there.

Winter garden UP!!

Dianne  

Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime

Summertime,,,what we dreamed about in January... just for a moment, remember January?  In Indiana, that last two winters have been brutal.. record low temps, piles of snow..I'll stop now.. 

It's time for a midsummer garden tour at Dianne's place... I'm thinking about calling it "Wild Edge Gardens,"  because, well, it just came to me as I wandered around the back yard.  I've been trying to raise more bee-friendly native plants, and to leave some to just grow to the sky.  When that happens, the edges of the yard get a little more grown than usual, but, really, does EVERYTHING have to be neat and tidy in  a gardener's world?  I love the textures and blooms of just about every garden plant and those that have escaped from the wood's edge.  Let's tour the garden and see what's UP!

Wait a minute,,,,I have a big juicy tomato on my plate, ,um, so good... sunshine on a fork..munch, munch,, dribble down my chin,,, okay, back to business.

Speaking of garden veg,, did someone say green beans?

I usually grow way more than I want, so this is about 5 foot of fence, with some Kentucky pole beans growing up it.  I'm surprised it hasn't fallen over, it's so full!

One of my favorite (I use that word a lot when talking about my garden) late summer bloomers is ironweed.  I'm sure that now you've seen my picture, you will find it everywhere alongside any road you're on at the moment.  Ironweed feeds insects, bees, and probably others when the seeds fall.  The purple of ironweed blooms is so intense!

This next one is probably a perennial sunflower, I just haven't found a name for it.  I have let it grow up in all sorts of places in the garden and yard.  Just when you think the flowers are kaput, this puppy raises its proud head as if to say, "Shine on, my lovely sun, we're not done with you yet!"

That pile of sand right behind this?   THE NEW GREENHOUSE  will go right there.  Can you tell I'm excited?!?  We went out this morning and started digging post holes for the corners.  This plant will grow up right beside it,  and I probably won't move it.  It waits to bloom late in summer, when I won't be using the greenhouse, and the bees will need it. 

I forgot the elephant in the room,,, here's the new garage/workshop from the west, complete with our eco water barrel, not hooked up to new downspout yet. 

 Can you see the small garden along the edge there?  I started it last week... I pulled weeds,  added some clay soil conditioner, garden soil, worm castings, and plant food.   I then planted buckwheat.  It took three days for it to come up. 

And now, here it is at 6 days.   

It will grow about 3 1/2 ft. tall, with white flowers. It makes a very wonderful honey, I've been told.  It will be tall in about 30 days,  I'll let you know.  It is considered a green manure, so when I'm done with it, I'll cut it, and mulch into the garden to enrich my soil.

Here's my new potting bench, inside the garage.  I'm such a shopper, wait until you hear about this...We went to Habitat Restore in Lafayette, and found the countertop, marked $19.  When we checked out, we were told, "Oh, yellow tag, 75% off!  That'll be $4.75!"  The sink I already had, $25, and some lumber, so this whole thing, about 8 ft. long, cost under $50. and I've already started decorating my little corner of the garage!  Look at that great stool, found it up in the attic of the barn, so it was free!  I was going to paint it, but the patina is too great to sand off. 

  

Walking around to the side of the house,  I have a "holding garden" next to the back deck on the east side of the house... I use it for nurturing all those scraggly $1-$5 plants I find in various places.  I recently bought a $20 Lenten Rose for $5! I also just acquired some lavender, $1/ea, and salvia $1/ea... I bring them home, trim down, feed and water them, then water daily.    I also have new shrubs that will be planted out in the fall. They will get a great start right here, and then be ready to deep root when placed out in the cooler weather.  If planted in the heat now, they may or may not make it.  Plus, they are there to great me as I go in and out of the back door.  

I 

I see a fothergilla, a native,  lower right, that will be covered with bottle brush flowers in the spring, once it gets going... Several thyme plants,  some dill, the tall thing upper left is buttonbush, another native plant that is a great replacement for overused landscape plants like,,, eww,,, burning bush.   I also have overflowing pots of oregano that I started from seed earlier.  They will be put out in the fall, also.   The tiny leaved plant is thyme, which I also just got starts of... I've made it a habit to come out here and gather a handful of herbs-basil, sage, dill, oregano, thyme- and plop them into my salad, on my chicken, on a tomato, whatever.  Herbs are easy to grow.  Try it next year. 

I'm a big fan of trying to get something to grow, even though it looks like a lawnmower and a drought have already hit them... This little "Kentucky Colonel"  mint was a brown stick two days before this picture was taken.  I cut off most of the dead foliage, fed and watered, and look at it now!  Two new leafy starts, raring to go!  

If you ever want to have a plant that gives you almost more joy than a chocolate cookie with ice cream,,, plant phlox.  As a matter of fact,  if you haven't, do it!   I have two colors of pink, and they are glorious!  I have used them in arrangements for church and the scent is intoxicating!  This hot pink one is "Nicky."

This next one is an ordinary pink garden phlox.  It has grown next to the house since we moved here.  I love watching it come up bigger and bigger every year!  

One last hydrangea, in case you didn't get enough already in my last post!

I hope everyone is enjoying the bounty of their own gardens, and if you can, share it with others!

Next post will be about building the greenhouse! We spent time digging post holes this morning, so we're on our way! 

Dirt up!!! 

Dianne

These are a Few of My Favorite Things! Hydrangeas in Bloom!

Here we are in the middle of summer, and boy, howdy, are the hydrangeas blooming up a white streak!  I love these shrubs.  They bloom forever, come in many different styles, and keep many, many insects fed and happy... I walk out to them to just stand, listen, and watch the life that is a-buzzing on these beautiful flowers. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNkpEsuRgfU

Hey, I just uploaded my first videos to youtube, and you get to watch!

Here are some of my summer lovelies. 

 This is a pink lace cap, in the shade garden.  I also have it in white up by the front fence.

I believe this is a tardiva,  bought for $5 at back of Lowe's.  It has taken its time getting to this point, but I love the anticipation every year of seeing how these beauties will grow.

 This is just the biggest I have ever seen these.  I have been cutting them and giving to the ladies on the street and for church vases. 

This is also a rescued plant... Pinky Winky.  It will stay small, but , man, oh, man, has it overcompensated by being loaded with blooms!

If you don't have a hydrangea, I recommend them.  There are so many different styles, something is bound to please you.   

Remember, it's not a great day in the garden unless the shower water turns brown!

Dirt up!

Dianne

Gardening on the Cheap,,, I mean, really cheap

  
    Do you know that Bible verse about "train up a child in the way that he should go?"  Well, it really works..  Alice-Ann and I were on our way to Grandma Combs' house on a detour the other day when I stopped the car in the middle of the street, backed up, and yelled, "Throw that stuff into the back!"   Which she promptly did!  What was worth all that, you say?   FREE   wire closet racks, which will soon be turned into the shelves in my greenhouse.  My greenhouse, which is becoming more and more a reality, now that I have MORE windows, and these were FREE! 

 Can I say "FREE" any more?  Yes, yes, I can!  After band practice Wednesday night, I was chatting with a Wabash prof/trumpet player, and started telling him about our building project.   He is also a woodworker, so he was interested in how it will all come together.  I then mentioned "greenhouse" and "recycled windows"  and he perked up.  He then offered me 5 tall, double-paned, refurbished storm windows from his historic house  (red Italianate with a tower on Cherry St.).  He and his wife finally became tired of carting them up and down the stairs and had replacement windows put in.  Bill and the boys picked them up yesterday,  and now they are mine, all mine!   I'm not sure where they are resting right now,,, Sissy and I were too busy thrifting in Indy to watch that whole process.  

                                               

     This is the basic idea of what I want the greenhouse to look like. 

 I also snagged three heavy greenhouse windows (formerly from a Purdue greenhouse) from freecycle.org.  I had never tried that website, but I'm here to tell you, it worked the first day I got on there!  Someone had these in his potting shed, tore down the shed, and just wanted them out of his way.  FREE!  I just had to go get them.  I'm thinking that if they are not wall or ceiling material, they may become lids to cold frames, which are large slanting boxes on the outside of the greenhouse where I can harden off seedlings in a protected area.  

Another project I'm working on now is planting a native/bee friendly garden in the backyard for Bill's little friends.  We had an ugly foundation for an old horse barn in the back, so the foundation digger guy moved dirt he had dug back there.  He filled in and smoothed out over the area, which is very close to the beehives.  So now I've moved two ninebark shrubs, 

 some lilies, 

 oregano,

 hyssop, 
               

and a redbud tree sapling, which will eventually look like this.

                          

I need to move several more native plants back there, but with all this rain and the resultant mud, I'm having to bide my time.  I did just sprinkle buckwheat seeds all over the fresh dirt.  Buckwheat comes up quickly, is a great nitrogen fixer, and when turned under, or left to rot, adds green manure to the soil. Buckwheat is legendary for bee nectar production.  In fact, it is one of the best plants for honey.  It will help keep the soil intact on the hill, and keep down weeds while I try to fill in with plants.  It's supposed to be up and growing well within 20 days, we'll see!  

Also, alongside this spot is a patch of wild raspberries, which I partake from every time I'm back there.   I have to do "poison ivy yoga" to get to some of the berries.  That means bending into unlikely poses, leaning over, and hoping to snatch some berries before I touch the dreaded beastie plant.   I have left several patches of raspberries untouched along the edges of our property in the back for bird food, and bees.   Bailey and I were back there planting the shrubs and eating raspberries the other day.  I told him to go get a bowl.  His remark--"Mom, a bowl means sharing, and I'm not willing to do that."  I agree. 

Plant of the week:  Bee Balm
                              
This is a great plant if you want to attract and feed butterflies, all kinds of bees, and other flying creatures.  It can spread itself out nicely if it is growing in a large patch of garden.  It's perennial, so no need to replant, it does a great  job of finding new places to live ( a nice way to say "invasive")all on its own.   There are several varieties of bee balm,  find a color you like, pull up a chair. and have a free nature show. 

Hey, it's rained a lot lately, but no one's building a boat yet, so there's hope for us!   At least everything in the garden is lush this year!

Dirt up!
Dianne