So I started digging up my plot during the week and much to my surprise and disappointment, it's mostly made up of limestone rock. Now Barbados is made up of Limestone so I did expect to get a few rocks. I lived about two minutes away from where I do right now and the soil was really nice and rich...that is what I banked on getting. Instead this is what I found about a foot or so beneath... MY ROCK GARDEN...WHAT WHAT I THINKING! THE SECOND SET OF ROCKS I DUG UP PEBBLES EVERWHERE We had a back up plan...to plant in a shadier area closer to the entrance of the house. Sam started digging and the soil there was a lot better...I was so thrilled...until he struck a pipe and there was water gushing everywhere. We quickly got it fixed. I'm still using the rockier patch and got it cleared a tad better. I transplanted some sunflowers yesterday. Here are some pics of my few germinations that I'm so proud of. I have a few more which I hope to show later. BRONZE SUNFLOWERS, COSMOS, CARNATION, BROCCOLI AND SOME SHY ONES BASIL MORE COSMOS...THEY'RE ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLANTS Here are a few pics of my pink desert rose. It just started flowering for the first time...I'm so excited! PINK DESERT ROSE PINK DESERT ROSE Because I was so stressed about my "rocky" week, I decided to reward myself today and bought a pink Gerbera Daisy...yay!! PINK GERBERA PINK GERBERA (its a bit dark...sorry) I thought she was a good reward for all my hard, back breaking work...what do you think? Happy Easter everyone! Kiz
After dealing with the rock and the broken water pipe you certainly did deserve a treat and the Gerbera is a beauty. Looks like you will be adding a lot of compost to the soil for your plants. I like Cosmos too, I think I probably started too many Cosmos seeds but what the heck. I have some chocolate Cosmos on order that should arrive in about a month too.
Chocolate cosmos...!!! I didn't even know they came in chocolate. It must be a beauty. About the compost, I was planning on getting a pail to make my own but I can find any on the island...believe me. I don't have enough space outside to build on of the box kinds either. Can I just add like shredded leaves and I dunno...potting mix or something like that to keep it airy and moist. I don't really know what to do apart from adding some more rich top soil and stuff.
A really simple way of enriching the soil without the process of making compost is to dig holes or a trench in you garden, add dead leaves, small twigs, dead grass clippings (don't use weeds that have gone to seed or anything with roots still attached). You can also add egg shells, coffee grounds, tea leaves, chopped up banana peels....cover it up with soil and let it sit for a few months. The organic matter will compost right in the ground. Just don't add a lot of food items and no meats, dairy or greasy foods...those don't compost, you would have animals digging everything up and the smell would be horrible. You don't need a lot of space to compost, a large trash can can be used. You just have to remember to stir it up in some way every few days(pour it from one pot to another would act as the stirring process) and make sure you have the ingredients to make it hot so the mircrobes can do their work.
I have chocolate cosmos that I hope will re-emerge this year. It really does smell of chocolate too!! What are you going to plant in the area where all the limestone rock is? I can hardly wait to see all those seedlings planted in the ground.
Thanks Toni...I'll try that out. I'll be planting some sunflower of course, marigold, carnations, zinnias, vinca, dahlias, petunias, cosmos and mums. I'm also gonna try some hibiscus since we have some near by. I also have three frangipanis that I want to stick in the ground a bit further away from the plot. They smell so nice! I guess coming to look at it, I have some big plans for a small plot and little experience. I'm learning as I go, I'm really enjoying it. If you have any more advice for me, I'd love it. Anything that you think I should know at this point.
Well done so far, islandgirl. Clearing a plot is hard work, but so worth it in the end. At least I think so. Your Gerbera is lovely. It's amazing what one can grow in a small plot. Good luck!
Island Girl: You DID have quite the day! Your "reward" is lovely, and well deserved. I see you have many seedlings. I love Cosmos, too. Mine would get tall, and blow over with the first wind. Then I heard that you can pinch them when they are short, and they will "bush out." I did this, and was pleased at the result. Toni: Thanks for the info . . .( no citrus peelings either is what I have always heard!)
Great going islandgirl! I garden rocks here too and it sure makes for hard digging. I'm glad you rewarded yourself with the Gerbera's!
Thanks everyone for your support and guidance. I'm really happy and it means a lot to get a thumbs up from the experts. Happy Easter everyone!
I love Cosmos too..I am so sorry about the pipe. I thought we only did things like that...LOL. Every time we dig here we hit rocks. We had quite a collection here from planting so much. Isn't it fun digging and learning as you go? I love a challenge especially if everyone says it can't be done... I will look into those chocolate cosmos...Happy Gardening...
I love the gerbas also Islandgirl, you really did deserve it. I can't wait to see what you do with that space. I'm not very experienced with this garden stuff either, which is why I joined the stew, but we will learn and it's so much fun I think to watch them grow. Last year I started some of my flowers from seed for the first time and I was so excited. There were so many that came up and I got to transplant to ground and to pots and it was fun watching them grow all summer. I've got plans to start more from seed this year. Keep us posted on your progress.
