What is happening in your Garden Today?

Thought you might like a spot to talk about what you are doing in your gardens. Chores, planting, seed starting, small projects, or maybe you just took a walk to smell the flowers and would like to talk about what is blooming.
It is just beautiful today and I am sure that many of you, like Ric and I are outside working on your gardens. Ric has been working on the Veggie Garden. He is planting the peas and onions today. I have been working on general clean up. I was on my way to the Veggie Garden and realized that the branches that Ric took down yesterday morning never did get picked up so I started there. Then thinking I would move into the garden I stopped to talk to my DIL right in front of a junk bed along the side of the house. So I started to clean that bed up. Funny how I seem to pick unimportant and unnoticed areas to work on sometimes. Then I started to weed the Sunshine Bed. That is the new bed I put in last summer something something 4ft X 46ft it runs along side the Veggie Garden. I was having a great time seeing some of the plants I got at last years spring swap coming up. Well I am done with my lunch so I'm heading back out now to try and get a little more weeding done before I have to help Ric split and stack wood.
When you get back in the house later to take a break take a few pics and let me know What Happened in your Garden Today.

Holly
I thought I'd spend a little time cleaning up the irises today. That turned into trying out the new electric tiller I bought. So I ran the tiller between the rows and it's looking so much better. Just stopped in long enough for a cold drink and to check mail. I'm heading out for more weeding and tilling until it gets dark.

I think we have rain moving in tomorrow so I want to get as much done with the irises as can today. I have an area at work where I've created some beds. This tiller would save me a ton of time if I were to take it to work for a couple days. I think in 3 or 4 hours I'd have the beds ready for planting.

Mit

Well I spent a good part of the day pulling up this wierd (new for me) algae from the pond 'that wasn't supposed to be' ...ditto..oak leaves that never break down. The algae landed on the ground in a gel -like mass... eech.. Pulled out a load of huge gel globs with 'wannabe' 'someday be' frogs. On my hands and knees pulling up tickweed (that was a wasted effort!!) and trying to figure out what was stepables that I actually planted vs the tickweed. (Holly/Ric - Crocs makes great kneepads.) Mostly fretted over all the stuff that needs to get done as opposed to the stuff I just want to do. discipline...discipline.....

Today I just enjoyed the great weather and then took a nap. Yesterday I finished laying newspaper down for my new extended front bed. I did all the winter debris clean up during the week.

A nap....sigh..... envy.....

Those frogs had to be put back..... the way the other frogs were carrying on...not their usual sounds...... do you think it is possible that the females knew that I had the eggs? I know birds go nuts when the snakes are approaching the nests... but I have a hard time thinking the frogs know when their young are being compromised.

Mitt is your electric tiller a little one? Ric picked up a small tiller (ours is gas) at a yard sale a year or two ago and we just love the little thing. It is so easy to use and move around we use it a lot more than we ever did the big one.
Missingrosie, We haven't started to clean out the pond yet. Sad to say that our pond froze over this year. So far I've removed 4 dead frogs and a couple of fish. I don't see any signs of life in there and it is going to be a real mess to clean out. Yuck!

We did lots and lots of cleaning up. Tied the arborvitae together. Got two butterfly bushes removed from the driveway area and started trimming the others. Between work and a Christening for my niece, our time was a bit limited but I feel like we are ahead of the game still. I wanted to get my cleome and sweet peas in before the rain but just ran out of time. I am hoping to get that done this week.

Luvs, I feel ahead of the game, too. We have been reclaiming our old Veggie Garden area for several years now. Last fall we hacked back the worst and last section it was filled with old raspberry canes and junk saplings. There is a pile of debris that need to be cleaned up but the garden is looking so very good this year starting out. Here is a pic of the onions we planted this year. We are trying something a little different with them. Usually we plant all the onions deep so we get nice long necked spring onions. Then we just leave the rest in the ground to grow bigger. This year we planted two rows one very shallow (you can see them sticking up) for larger late onions and a row in front that is planted deep for early spring onions. When we started last spring you couldn't see that fence down at the bottom of the garden there was a 6-8 ft wide raspberry thicket that ran across the bottom of the garden with poison ivy, junk saplings and wild grape vines.

Ugh, poison ivy, I got it already! Probably from the tree I took down for a friend. Ric

That stinks!

I have daffs that are going to open any day now.

Ric, thats a bummer. I stay far, far away from that stuff. Once in a while I find a piece trying to grow in the yard, I glove up and pull it out by the roots and into the trash it goes. I think the birds maybe delivering the seeds.

Talking about gloving up.... I just love the Rose Gloves that Ric bought me for Christmas. I used them when we were doing some of the clean up around the Junipers. They work great keeping the prickly stuff at bay.

I'm having an inside day today that doesn't include as much bending, stooping, kneeling, and lifting of potting soil and ammendments as the past couple of days. It's funny, you get started and plan to do a couple hours work, but then you see just one more thing that would make everything look better. A couple of hours becomes most of a day. My sweetie worked along side and that makes all the difference. Holly, a 46' x 4' bed in one summer? I haven't been able to accomplish that in three years. Sorry about the poison ivy Ric. Don't scratch!

Oh, MissingRosie, I hope your frogs weren't too upset.

Pamgarden, It has been an inside day for us, too. Ric's arthritis is pretty bad today and he's got a nasty ear infection on top of that. So he has been sleeping most of the day. It has been overcast and a bit cool and windy today and I was happy to stay inside and veg out. I did take my camera outside for a little while. I have some great pics. The black pussywillow is really pretty and my first tulip has opened. You are so right. It is really nice to have someone to work with.
LOL on the bed from last summer. I had a bunch of plants that I was expecting to put in new beds around the enlarged Gazebo then Ric injured his hand and the summer projects came to a complete stop. So I needed to get these plants in the ground an started to look around and see where I could put them. Something I could do myself without Ric's help. Turned into a great project. I cleaned up a real eyesore spot beside the Veggie Garden, dumped wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of compost into the area which helped reduce my huge compost pile and ended up with a great bed that I hadn't even thought about doing. I have some work to do yet with the edging and I expect to get some great plants at the swaps for there this summer.

This message was edited Mar 23, 2010 5:20 PM

Here is a pic from last year.

For me-- a lot of standing around thinking What/ where/ when...LOL
I found the comfrey that Holly gave me last year. happy to see it, and decided that the manure I got last week (llama) can go underground near the comfrey, then I can harvest comfrey leaves for enriching other stuff or try a tea with them (for garden) I did put some manure (unknown age so trying not to use it near the spring and summer edible) in the raspberry bed, and topped with a bag of old shredded leaves. Also trenching leaves into veggie beds. Torn about getting new strawberries or not--want day neautrals this time, but will they be worth 19 dollars (plants plus shipping)?
Oooh, gathering some beautiful finished compost and topped off some pots of iris I made last summer for trading this year.
Put mothballs down some vole holes. Die stinkers! Starte pruning butterfly bush which usually gets done by now.

Froggies have been singing their hearts out all week here. (woods) Wish I had some eggs in a tank to watch develop.

Sally, It was so warm last night that I slept with the window open and the froggies sang me to sleep.
I have been looking at my Butterfly Bush all day long and thinking if I had more drive I would go out there and prune that back. LOL

Sally, Well done! You got Holly up and she was out pruning her butterfly bush and filling the bird feeders when I came down stairs.LOL Ric

No Pam - I think they were upset until I gave them back their babies-to-be. I did hear a distinct change in the sound and type and intensity of their noises as I trolled for debris and scooped up the eggs. But I wonder if it was just coincidence -- or if they were responding to just 'me' being there or was it the fact that I did have their eggs. I am not sure if I did harm, but no way to clean out the pond without scooping up masses of the egg sacs - bigger than grapefruit. I was going to leave the sacs out of the pond .... the frogs are such a lure for the snakes..... I don't do snakes well. But, I just hated to do that and so I put back.

ric- LOL- anytime!

Rosie, I am relieved the frog eggs went back in. Sorry about the snakes!

Yep, I was just being lazy. Kept thinking that I'd go and cut it back but the tools were all down in the barn and I didn't want to walk down there. Then I thought I would want the brush cart and it was filled with branches from the other day and it was sitting down by the garden. It was all just too much effort. LOL So I got up put on my hooded jacket and went and got the tools, then moved the cart around back and emptied it. Filled the bird feeders, lopped back the butterfly bush and a few other leftovers near one of the feeders and gave the plants in the driveway a good drink. The whole thing might have taken me 20 mins if that. Now I can say that I was productive today. LOL Oh I added my Black Pussy Willow to my journal, too.
Oh I posted pics of my BPW on the Its Spring! thread and I will post more pictures over there later. I have a really good shot of the tulip and some nice pictures of my Hellebore they are really flowering nicely.

I am going out this AM to pack up some milkweed roots to send for Gita's work pal to plant. and maybe plant taters too. Prettty sun!

The only thing I am seemingly growing is Phenomena a second time. Spent yesterday at the EM shooting every x-ray machine in the house to prove a lot of uglies do not exist. They don't so I am back on another round of antibiotics. Next week someone will need to mow grass here. I have become a watcher. LOL

Hey Doc, I was just taking a few pics of the CC to post. WOW just love the one with the peach edges. Thanks.
Take care of that nasty Phenomena.

Holly...........that is one of my favorites. It just keeps on pushing out a flower now and again all year. Here we are looking towards Easter and mine is blooming with buds showing that will last several weeks if no more show up. I also have a white in bloom with a few buds on.

It really is beautiful Doc.
Well I did get outside today. Ric cut the Holly hedge back a bit and fertilized it with some Holly Tone. I cleaned up the beds in the back. Did some raking, weeding and cut back old flower stalks that I left up to help me keep track of the plants. It is starting to look pretty good out there. Lots of new growth showing.

I'm starting to line up some help for the weekend. Have to move now or fall behind quickly. I can not do much but watch.

Today-----I discovered this Post! Where have I been hiding????

So far--I have done several things.....The first day was a major clean-up....On those warm days we had--I cleaned up my whole patio and hosed down the concrete floor.....Hosed down the house-siding under my patio as well. Removed the bird-feeders that were making all the mess and re-located them to the steel post in the middle of my back yard that holds my laundry line.....I see that many the birds have yet to "discover" the change in locations.

The next day--still 70* plus--I continued the cleaning up--raked some beds free of old leaves and garbage---cut back some perennials---took pictures of my blooming Hellebores----scrubbed my grill clean and put on the newly-purchased grill cover.....Ready for steaks!!!!
Got out all my Patio chairs and cushions and cleaned them and hung them up to dry.....Next day---they were all placed on whatever they belonged on.
My Patio is now ready for the season! Bring on the crabs and the cold beer!!!!

Fast-forward to tomorrow-----Thursday....

Gotta clean away all the old mulch and fallen, black-spot leaves from around my Roses....Clean..clean...clean.....
It is time to prune and fertilize my Roses---as the Forsythias are now blooming! A good way to know WHEN!

DON'T FORGET!!!!! The first fertilizing of Roses needs to include hand-fulls of Epsom Salts around each rose! Work it in, water, and then add fresh mulch. What this does is cause new canes to grow from below. It works!!!!....

SO--I will also prune my Roses tomorrow----Maybe go and buy some Humus/Compost at "Good Stuff Cheap"
($2 a bag) . Need to pick some up for my daughter--who, all of a sudden, wants to grow her own Tomatoes and Peppers.....YEAH!!!!! My baby is turning to be a gardener at age 45!!!!!!

I am a bit limited in being able to dig up beds and incorporate "stuff" in them--as i am still under a weight-lifting (15-20lbs) constraint after my surgery. Maybe 2-3 more weeks to be careful--then--it is ALL go!

My lawn is fertilized--and growing well in a clumps-type of a fashion. I bet I will be mowing it in a week!

My seedlings are growing......trying to keep them under the lights and hydrated.....

I have 3 straight days off--so i will be posting what else i am doing as time goes on.....

Gita

Gita I am glad you are taking it easy. LOL You must be feeling pretty good. ;+}
Aren't the Hellebore blooming beautiful. Thanks for the info on the Roses, I haven't gotten around to the Roses yet.

Gita--not too much longer, hang in there with the taking iteasy (if all that work above can be described as easy!) I will mail an envelope tomorrow with pieces of milkweed root for your friend. I hope they sprout, I never have actually tried.
I dug a trench for the potatos and addy immediately decided it was just right for a dog bed.! Chased her out and pot in some half rotted leaves but let it sit and dry bit, will place potatos next day or so. Got about fifteen pounds of grounds at S Bucks! Torn between sprinkling right out there, and mixing with some shredded fall leaves first for some quick rotting.
OOOH!! I have fruit flower buds on my grown-from-a - pit peach tree!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to read up on pruning. And stick some moth balls in the hole going right under the tree dang voles.
Oh HollyRic--I dug and divided my comfrey today. Don't remember how it looked when you gave it, but was a nice clump that I broke into three and then some small pieces potted up besides. Found traces of your good PA red clay under there! Thanks again-I am psyched about it this year. I stuck manure under it and expect it to POP.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2010 1:04 AM

I've been MIA and have to catch up! I'm ashamed to say I haven't done anything in the gardens. Seems like all I do is walk around and look at what has to be done but haven't tackled anything yet. I am so far behind - last year at this time I had already started on a new garden, collected rocks and constructed the rock path but this year I had to wait for the snow to melt! We've had a guest visiting from PA for the past few days so a thorough house cleaning was on the agenda. The upstairs has been neglected for months with our inside projects over the winter so needless to say it took some effort to get the guest room ready :( I started a new thread this morning to show you why I haven't been spending any time in the gardens :) http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1083259/ I'm going to try to get this project completed before I dig in and start clean up in the gardens. In the meantime the bulbs have begun blooming and we've got the first blooms on some of our Magnolias! Finally seeing some signs of life with Bloodroot and Hepatica blooming along the rock path I made last March and Virginia Bluebells I was worried about are peeking out from under the pine needles! Our guest arrived with a gift - a WHITE blooming Virginia Bluebell!! He chuckled when the "discussion" started about whose garden it would be planted in - Rick's or mine - let the competition begin! LOL

Holly, where is Ric's kneeling pad? That ground is hard on us Senior knees! Ric, Father's Day is coming up in June...put in your request now. I'm sure they'll be a lot more of those "Honey Do Days"

Pippi--

Some of us CANNOT even kneel--like me! Forbidden by my Dr. who has done both of my knee-replacement surgeries. I am allowed to squat--but haven't quite had the nerve yet to do that 100%. Just--kind of "almost" there....

You might ask--Well! How does one garden--if one cannot kneel????? It is all a-- in the air--and bent over.....
No wonder I can bend over and put my palms on the ground w/o bending my knees! THAT is how I garden!
Flexibility is NOT a problem......by necessity....

Today--I finally finished pruning back my 2 HUGE Burning bushes. Thed=se are NOT the "dwarf" kind--but the old ones that would grow up to 20"--if you let it.
Like everything else--i have to prune it back every 2-3 years....Just now--I did the DRASTIC prune-back---to bare stems! I only dare do this as I know it will re-grow and catch up to what it was in a couple of years.
I think a couple of birds are mad at me--as last year--there were 2 nests in the private, secluded growth of the top of these shrubs.....WELL---S-O-R-R-Y!!!!!!
Still have a lot of "neating up" work to do under my patio.....Mud=st nmake room for all the plants i will be bringing outside.....every year there is more! Like this year--i will have the 12 pots of Clivia divisions to house out there.....

Still have to mulch everything--got 5 bags. Next day I have off! And so it goes...........NO end to it!

G.

Tomorrow with the help of a grandson we shall clean the houses and telescope them up to about fifteen feet for the purple martins. They are due here within the next two weeks and for a month to follow. We have been waiting for discovery and acceptance of our housing for six years. I shall supervise while he does the work. Maybe this will be our year.

Good luck with the pruple martin condos--I wish I could too but from what I've read my yard isn't open enough for their liking,

The Purple Martin Assn. has a list of ten things to do and ten things you should not have or do. If anyone can get about 80% of that right they should get martins easily from Hagerstown, Md. East and West over to the coast line. All of Pennsylvania has some but only a few areas North of Hagerstown have large populations.

LOL Pippi, Ric came in that night complaining about brush burns on his knees. No excuse we have several pairs of knee pads and a couple of mats.
Gita, Sounds like you have been busy whipping your yard into order. It will look lovely this summer.
Doc, Ric has always wanted Martin houses. Hope those Martins find your free condos soon.
LOL RCN, You should be able to find some way to convince Rick that you have the perfect spot for that white VA Bluebell. I had no idea that there was such a thing.
We haven't been outside much these last few days. A bit damp and cold here and too many other things going on. Here is a pic of the back corner we were working on the Hollys are trimmed the Butterfly Bush has been cut back. We burned the Ornamental Grass works great to clean up the bed and the new green growth in coming up nicely. Weeded and cut back the old flower stalks. Looks so neat and tidy. I need to dig up some of that Ornamental Grass it is crowding the Iris, move the Goldflame Honeysuckle and then mulch the bed. Then come May put in the annuals. The Tall Garden phlox is staring to show and I also saw some Lupine coming up.

Thanks for the info on the Martins Doc I will check that out and see how our yard stacks up.

Wow! What a difference Holly, was that the snow damaged hedge along the side yard.? Looks like you reclaimed a lot of space.

No Ladyg, This is a small Holly hedge that was planted a couple of years ago. It didn't get much damage. You are thinking about the big Juniper hedge that got damaged.
Up until a few years ago this area was a big dirt pile, before that it had been a stoned parking area and a spot to burn trash and yard waste. You wouldn't have believed the things I found in there when we removed the dirt and started to sift the old soil. Here is a pic from last summer. That pretty Delf you like is planted in this area, too.