What have you done today in the Garden?

I'm really sorry to hear this news DHR. You worked so hard at taking care of 'Arry and giving him everything he needed to have a happy hedgehog life. I hope the welcoming gate being open brings you good things.

 

Smoked Turkey and key lime pies.....oh wait...

 

@Daniel W - I just received my order of pest netting also Sjoerd has offered multi-national advice.

We haven't been able to run our sawmill for a few years now, but my neighbour has offered me their pile of slats. (All different widths and thickness - it's what we cut off of a log to make a cant, which is perfectly square and then turned into lumber). I'm planning on using these slats for keeping the fabric down, and making some willow hoops to hold it up. Hopefully I'll have the willow cut and drying in a hoop house shape in the next couple of days.

The ash I sprinkled on the upper garden has done it's solar magic and melted the snow. Once it starts and soil is exposed it goes much more quickly.

Everyone is trying to make a show as soon as Mother Nature allows it.
That yucky looking stuff is Snow Mold. After vegetation being under snow for seven months mold develops. It makes a lot of us have hay fever symtoms until the first rain. Then it washes away.



The Rhubarb - always the first to the party in the lower garden.



Everyone was kicked outside yesterday( except for the peppers and tomatoes) for some natural lumens on the deck. The air was 10 but the decking warmed to 20 ( just looked at the temperature in the photo). I swear everyone grew. Today it is cool and overcast, so the grow lights are doing their thing.

 

This is a delightful posting of pics and commentary. Thanks for this. Don’t your little plantlets look cozy and enthusiastic there in the sun. Cheerful beings, aye?

 

Thank you Sjoerd. Yes they are very cheerful. Hard to not smile when one is around the lovely little greenlings

 

At this point, they should pay Sjoerd a commission!

I have to pace myself, but I also took some seedlings outdoors.



I didn't spray all of the other seedlings today. Tomorrow, tomorrow

I did work on my "final" big project - a planter box to enclose 8 25-gallon containers. It will work a bit like a raised bed, like the one I built last year.



That's my new cart. It's very empowering and a back saver. Every time I look at the name, I hear the theme song for "Magilla Gorilla". Catchy but such an earworm. "
"How much is that gorilla in the window?
Take our advice
At any price
A gorilla like Magilla is mighty nice!
Gorilla
Magilla Gorilla for sale!"

Why is it I know that, 55 or more years later, but I can't find the car keys?

It needs four more slats on the sides. I have to get out the chop saw again, and was procrastinating. Sometimes I put the "pro" in "procrastinate." Then, scrub the sides, let them dry for a week or two or three, then sealer and stain.

Potato sprouts, in containers. An animal has been digging there, probably the feral cats.



Tulips in the potager.



When I was grafting roses, I stuck a stick into ground i one of the raised beds. I can't promise it's rooted, but I think so.



Ditto, a red leafed plum.



That was not a case of "I want another rose.
I want another plum tree". It was a case of, "Oh, here's a stick. What will I do with it?"


Rescued grape hyacinths surrounding a new rose. "Vanessa Bell". Those grape hyacinths were in a 3 inch deep box, on a deck out of rain or sunshine for several years. Rugged little plants! All I did here was, lay the clumps on the soil and fill in around it.

 

I'm just so impressed! Amazing, nice bunch of seedlings! Such loving care!

 

Mel you have made a lot of progress just in the last 2 days. I am encouraged from what you have shared.. great pics…

Daniel… your garden is also very inspiring . Lots of blooms and new growth all around your garden…
I’m wondering if you have seen any bees or bumblebees in your area yet?


Here PNW coastal corner of Oregon we are just starting to see some mayapples pop . Lots of bumble bee’s and the tree peony’s are full of buds.

And buds forming on trees and shrubs. Magnolias about to burst ..


The birds, hummers, finches are all out including the squirrels and Chip and Dale chipmunks.




And the hummers wrangling over territory.

the bumble bee’s



These bumbles are orange and yellow two natives of the Oregon west coast.

 

Daniel—you pace yourself alright mate…fast pace. Fast, furious and lots of graft. Interesting things to see at your place today. That little wagon/cart looks like a jewel. If I were four or five years old, I would be nagging for a pull about.

Of course, showing those spud buds was completely unnecessary.
I am just getting some of mine in the ground and you have the first leaves! Mumble, grumble. No, but it is inspirational seeing them. I can hardly wait for the first harvest.

The Tulip and daff foto is superb. They look so nice.

Your sticks and grapes stories were fun to read. Amazing how that plum twig took off. I had problems with my plum tree rootstock sending out runners.
I think that you could safely say that your rose twig has taken. I do not recall how much time it has been, but that new growth noes not often come if there are no roots in my experience. Y’know Daniel, you are so talented that things just work for you even when you are not trying hard.

Pac— your posting had a lot of Nature in the content. I really enjoy seeing that. Good looking bumblebees.

 

No gardening today other than checking the roses for blackspot.


I get this every year on some roses, despite my best efforts. They've already had two doses of Sulphur Rose this year.





I found two old roses with just a very few infected leaves, which I removed and gave them another dose.

As well as both sides of the leaves, it's important to also spray the area around the roots.

 

Daniel....I can't thank you enough. That is very very kind and high praise coming from a someone I have such "gardening envy" of.

Those little grape hyacinths are showing their happiness at being rescued. I have some of those that come up...but I didn't know what they were until now. Thank you for that. I planted a bunch of bulbs a million years ago with three little ankle biters and apron hangers under foot. (Along with most of my flowers that I now have time to learn more about.) And come on now Buddy.....you wanted another rose bush and plum tree....deep deep down in your roots you know you did.

The planter looks fabulous! That will serve you well. And I'm with Sjoerd...you could charge a nickle a ride and I'd be in line for that wagon ( if we're talking when we are five....inflation being what it is today). I'm really happy that is serving you so well. ( I see your bench...I pulled mine out yesterday )

 

I woke to an email that my strawberry roots have shipped from Northern Manitoba. They are having a very warm and mild spring, as opposed to my province which is still below freezing. They should be at the post office before Thursday. Last year they waited a long time to ship due to the cold, and it caused most of my bare root stock to mold.

The post office/general store is a 45 minute drive on an awful muddy road right now, so I called them. If they see a box that says "I'm alive" they will send it on with another neighbour or call me and I can come get them.

The snow came off of the strawberries two days ago. I exhumed the strawberries from leaves and twigs. I had already removed the other half last year after realizing from the Stewbies that snow was probably enough insulation. I won't be mulching in winter again as mold did a number on the few plants I left covered. The mature plants all survived the winter under snow for seven months, with the exception of a mouse finding the roots of one and making a house under them. Everone is trimmed, fertilized and covered for deer protection ( they are the only green things in the world right now). I also sprinkled blood meal around the perimeter to help keep the deer and mice away. ( kudos to you @Pacnorwest because I looked up the spray you use and it's main ingredient was blood meal - I can't get the spray but I do have blood meal). I'll spade over the half of the bed that is expecting new roots today and cover it with clear plastic to warm the soil as quickly as possible beofre the new arrivals come.

 

Is the problem because you are very damp where you live DHR? I had something similiar last year on my roses for the first time ever, when it was very cool and damp, as well as some other shrubs. I do have sulpher - I didn't think to try it.

 

It can be quite damp in Manchester, as it often has high humidity, but the rainfall is less than the average.

 

Melodious Mel— smashing news about your bare-root strawbs !
you know, if the ground is frozen or otherwise too cold, you can keep them in the crisper in the fridge. Or you could keep them in the coolest room i. Your house with water-misted roots, or roots in shallow water. I would not keep them in closed plastic, like a ziplock bag or something for fear of schimmel (fungus) formation.