I have been out in my garden a lot lately. It is spring--though winter is not officially over until the blackberries bloom here. Old timers here call it "blackberry winter" because that is usually our last cold spell of the season, and THEN winter is officially over. My blackberries are putting out leaves now, they are wild blackberries with thorns. I like them anyway. Our average last frost date here is April 18th. People sometimes forget the word "average". I don't let it deter me from working in my garden. In early March, I planted potatoes, carrots, cabbage seeds, peas, and redbeet seeds. The potatoes started sprouting about a week ago. And some of my peas came up. No carrots or cabbage sprouts yet. My redbeets seeds from that planting just sprouted today. No cabbage or carrot sprouts yet. Some of my potato sprouts are from potatoes that I missed last fall and are in places I had not planted them this year. That is okay. About mid March I bought some cabbage plants in case the seed does not grow. That stupid internet said cabbages can take down to 15F. No they cannot. It got down to about 28F one night, and killed 5 out of 6 plants. The 6th one is hanging on and trying to grow, so I will sure let it try. Go cabbage! It was doing better until something tried to eat it one night. I have a berry basket on it at the moment to protect it from the varmints. I bought another 6 pack of cabbage plants. This past week, I got the second set of cabbages in the ground in a spot I have fenced to keep out rabbits and whatever else has the munchies. I put more redbeet seeds out in there since I have plenty of seeds to use up, and in case my other beets did not sprout. I had green beans in that spot last year and the varmints were after my green beans. (I have loads of green bean seeds to get in the ground later.) I seem to forget what seeds I have on hand, and buy more of the same ones. I started planting onions the other day and have one row so far. I put out my asparagus crowns yesterday. I don't even like asparagus, but maybe I will learn by the time it is mature enough to start harvesting in a few years? It is a perennial. I have asparagus seeds to plant when I get there. I have garlic all over the place, mostly around the borders of my raised beds. I think I read where it will repel pests? Except it is not in the beds where I want to plant my beans later. Supposedly they do not like each other. My Egyptian walking onions are doing nicely. And the horseradish is up and going. (more perennials) My berry bushes are doing nicely, except for 2 lazy ones. One strawberry plant has flowers already. I bought a lavender and a garden sage, and have them potted. If it gets too cold, I will cover them also. I planted seeds for garden sage, and a few of those are up. I planted seeds for thyme, but they didnt do anything yet. Since, half my peas went AWOL, I bought some more the other day. I soaked them all in some water, and the bowl was full in a short time. I now have 4 rows of peas, plus I put peas in the starter tray that the thyme did not show up yet. I also plopped a lot of peas in various pots. I planted my rosemary starts this week, and my elderberry starts. I had transplanted some elderberry bushes from another part of my yard to the front yard, and one in the orchard. Maybe I will get some before the birds and the deer get them? Those are wild elderberries. I have a tame elderberry, but so far it is still smallish. I need to get out in the pasture and collect some manure for manure tea for my various trees and bushes and the grapevines. Only 1 of 4 grapevines is putting out leaves so far (April 13th) . I did put some chickenwire cages around them to keep the deer away. I think my old no-name grapevine might be dead? It is not showing any sign of life either. It was old when I got here back in the 80s. I planted some catmints, and some parsley. Nothing yet. I have sprouts in my porch pots, and I don't remember what I planted there. Parsley usually goes wild for me, so I will buy more seed. I prefer the curly leafed parsley. My lavender phlox is up and going, as is the Dame's rockets. The Dame's rockets will bloom by the end of the month, and the phlox will bloom mid summer. They come every year. I still have lots of clean up to finish from the winter storms--burning brush and such. I need some zzzzzzzzzzzz's so see ya later.
AAnightowl you’re so lucky to have such a full planting season. It’s gonna be a real bountiful and full of beautiful flowers. great planting though out the whole season. If it help I have garlic everywhere too. And lavender is always nice even the leaves. I speckle the floor with dried lavender then vacuum them up It makes the house smell wonderful. Please be sure and take lots of pics to share over the season.
It's been raining for 24 hours, so it's doing nothing. Fortunately, there's no puddles on the lawn, it drains that well.
Ah haaaa. I can Bragg that the sun is out for a whole day… But really soggy real estate had 2” of rain. In two days.
Sjoerd thanks.. you can do it with almost any dried fragrant leaves or flowers even eucalyptus leaves. Eucalyptus , thyme, etc… eliminates any crawling bugs / spiders hiding in the floors and rugs. Just put dried material in a coffee grinder and throw a few passes over the floor area then vacuum.
@Pacnorwest , that is a great idea. My old carpet could use some dried herbs like that. We had a lot of soggy weather in February and March, and I did not get much outdoor work done. We had a wee bit of rain this morning, and maybe more this evening. I hope so, it gets dry very quick here. I have had to water my garden a lot the past two weeks. It is the karst geology underground here.
AAnightowl carpets need something to help them along occasionally. Today while walking thru a room I noted a black round blob on the carpet near the parlor palm. Curious , thought what’s that? So stepped on it and a bunch of crawly mites and ants came rushing out and about… Yikes I was horrified to find this in the house seen it out side….. so decided the parlor palm had dropped an egg of some type on the carpet. So will excommunicate the plant to the patio. It’s a bit cold so hoping the palm will shed more critters homing on the poor plant. Still rainy here with grey overcast skies. Trees, shrubs and perennials leafing out… Just a bit miffed that neighbors across the road decided to trim the tips off my Leland Cyprus trees across 20’ in the front pasture. They look ugly with bare cuts on branches staring out like injured armatures. I don’t know why they did that but will ignore it for now.
Do Leland cyprus trees look like bald cypress trees? I have two bald cypress in my yard and one in my pond. (I should have planted all three in/next to my pond.) Too bad your neighbors damaged them without asking. We needed to trim some trees on a neighbor's property so DS could bring his semi home, but we ASKED permission first. They even asked DS to do some more trimming along their driveway area. Maybe an arborist can do it nicer? I always spray houseplants before they come indoors in the fall. I have heard of SNAKES hiding in potted plants too.
Leland Cyprus are similar to bald Cyprus except a darker forest green color. I don’t get why a neighbor across the road comes over to our property across the road from them and wacks our trees. It’s a bit strange. I planted them ten across the front of the property like a living fence and alternated with 10 photinias -red foliage/ clusters of white spring flowers and 10-Portugal laurels evergreen with white flowers and berry’s. Helped keep the horses in and the deer out. Last winter the heavy wet icy snow really messed up the Italian cypress it’s really lighter yellow green/lime color. Now it’s half brown from the snow so have to clean it out. It’s way back from the road by the house next to the greenhouse for protection. It’s a tree needing a warmer zone and t was stretching the climate putting it next to a warm greenhouse. Also have a variegated Cyprus dark green with white edges on each limb. And several arborvitae’s of various sizes and colors. Bald cypress are beautiful trees, tall and stately , nice for a pond in summer for shade. can you post a pic? Would luv to see them.
I guess I need to make a trip to my pond and see how it is doing. The ones in my yard have not yet put out their greenery for the summer. Probably the pond one has not yet either. But I do need to mow the path down there, and plan to do that Wednesday if the weather cooperates. A friend gave me some weeping willow cuttings (all rooted too) recently, and I got them in the ground a few days ago. I had to find a spot 1) away from the power lines, 2) away from my well, 3) away from any known black walnut trees, 4) where they would not get mowed by mistake, and 5) where they would not shade my tame elderberry bush. That was tricky, but I finally found a spot. If they get going good, I will make cuttings for down by my pond. I think my black walnuts killed my weeping pussy willow trees a few years ago. I am not very fond of black walnuts, but they have been here a long time, and it takes forever to get their poison out of the soil. They are very common in Missouri. There was one hiding in my pines that murdered an apple tree a few years back also. It is still there, even though we have cut it down several times. (Also killed by black walnuts: lots of blueberry bushes--mine are now in tubs, tame raspberry bushes, tomato plants, and maybe some other things.) Wild raspberries and blackberries grow with impunity around black walnuts. So do wild elderberry bushes.
I don’t have any room for a weeping willow. They are pretty trees . I have a tri-Color willow understory small tree and constantly trimming it . It will send out green leaf branches and have to remove those because it needs to stay pink white and lime green. It is a pretty lil tree . What a bummer you lost a weeping pussy willow and apple trees and berries. Weeping pussy willows are so pretty and unique. Black walnut trees are notorious for their poisonous toxic properties around garden plants and trees. The deer like to feast on my fruit trees apple and berries . I have a small collection of understory trees. Some rare other for foliage and others for the bark.
Bulbs are blooming and clearance primuals are recovering from neglect and hail. In a couple of weeks they will be gorgeous and I will have three new colors of my favorite heirloom variety.
@Jewell , your plants are lovely. I love the nickname “incorrigible gardener”. I think we should all have that nickname.
