What have you done today in the Garden?

I can really appreciate your cosmetic solution, Riley. It is considered.

 

Weeding around the path where the wallflowers were and pulled up some of the leaves from the spring bulbs that had died down, I think that I've got half way.

 

It's been raining a lot here - atmospheric river from the Pacific, what they call the "Pineapple Express". Great weed-growing weather, not so good for gardening activities.

I did fill in more potato trenches in El Rancho De Muchas Papas" (the ranch of many potatoes if my Spanish is right). (Note to myself next year: Buy half as many seed potatoes LOL). This weather makes for very lush potato growth. The cucumber seedlings are growing, as are marigolds and cosmos, which I can plant outside in a week or two.

 

Here is a photo of the trellises we use for the tomatoes. This was taken before we started tying up the tomatoes, so the trellis shows better. (I have weeded since the photo was taken, I promise!).

 

How is that trellis of yours oriented to the sun? I have a angle I use for the summer solstice. They grow to the sun so I have have to have the trellis between the sun and the plants or they can fight it. Like cucumbers and melons with their runners going every which way.

 

Probably. It arches nicely and the 4 gauge galvanize welded wire is thick enough to be strong and rust resistant. I have seen people make a base and cover it in plastic for a winter hoop house. 16 feet long by 50 inches so 4.9L x1.3H meters roughly.

 

That trellis is a thing of beauty, Jane. I am looking at the tom leaves over to the left and not liking the appearance of some of them. Are they alright?
Will these toms grow a bit taller?
Yep, a magnificent trellis.

Gosh, those fences have sure changed over the years. I can recall locust fence posts with wire sort of like that topped with a strand of barbed wire. We were intimate, those fences and me for I had to repair them during the summer. It was sort of tough work getting them back in order,

The shot you showed above speaks to me of ease and durability.

 

Sjoerd, the tomatoes are green, growing, and setting fruit. They had a tough early spring with up and down temperatures, hand watering instead of a good rain, and not starting out being the best sets (we bought sets this year instead of starting our own).
Dirtmechanic, the trellises are oriented east to west. The tomatoes and cucumbers seem to like that, so we don't argue with them!

 

This is a fabulous idea! They don't mind being disturbed when you plant them out? I have a serious issue with any grass seed....the birds love it hahaha. They thank me very much when I try to seed a patch that I've been trying to seed for three years. I'd love to see more of this if you have time.

 

Today is putting up pea netting, and giving everyone a good watering. Yesterday I weeded and thinned carrots and beets. And weeded the onions. City day tomorrow so everything has to be in order today. Tomorrow is supposed to be our warmest day at 25 C. I might put remay over the carrots to help them not dry out while we are gone.

The squash was planted finally ( two weeks later than I normally would).







Artichokes are doing well, and finally growing with the warmer weather.

 

I liked seeing those three plants that you have started. Cool how you use those little river stones to weight down that black “cloth”.

 

Today I completed the "Squash Farm" outside the hight security anti-deer garden fence. It is now fenced to keep "Deerzilla" out of the squashes. They have their black plastic mulch and I replaced a valve and fitting in the drip irrigation system so I could run lines to each plant with drip emitters.

When did gardening become such a construction project?

Anyway, that bed is ready for summer. Last year I hauled watering cans every day and gave each squash plant a gallon per day during active growing season / hot / dry. These emitters are 1 gallon per hour, so I guess I turn it on for an hour at a time.

Raspberries are blooming.



Tomorrow: Start the final mega project, clearing out the "garden of shame" (Weed-palooza) where I have miniature fruit trees, and squashes between those. Then the same plastic mulch and drip irrigation. If I can, this will be covered with tree chips, so Martha Stewart will like it better LOL.

 

Glad you got your squash farm sorted and ready to go. I know about lugging water, we do that still.
I’ll bet those raspberry blooms will attract some pollinators.

 

I scooped out the seed and compost from the ice cream tub yesterday, it came out in small clumps as there was a fair bit of root attached to the seeds and sprinkled it where it was needed and trod it down.






I'll see how it goes, but I've another tub "cooking" in case more is needed elsewhere.

 

Nothing today it's been rain showers all day.