What have you done today in the Garden?

Today I separated strawberry plants, in the first of four planters. They each contained 5 or 6 plants. I think three per planter would be better.





They were pretty productive last year, their first year. But I think they were too crowded.

This will be a lot of strawberry planters. I'll figure something out.

 

Hubby's been digging up some hardy geraniums, they self seed all over, i had to wash my hair.

 

Looking clean and healthy. I agree about too many plants in the window-box.
It is still way too cold here to clean the plants like that…but it’s warming up a bit now.
it is so good to see those.

Loggie— good luck with your geraniums.

 

I gave all the roses another spray of Sulphur Rose. I'll do this every two to three weeks from now, to hopefully reduce any chance of black spot infestation.
I'm ever the optimist!

I checked the clematis.

The bad news, is that it looks like five haven't survived the winter.

The good news, is that thirteen have!

Checked on the progress of the creeping phlox plug plants on the shed window sill.
They are doing very well. I have to remember to water them every other day as it gets quite hot in there.






No hedgehog activity, as of yet.

I'll have to spend some time in next door's garden tomorrow getting more of the branches of trees we've cut down into green bins.

 

Old guy planting red flowered dogwood tree (me).



I think that planting a flowering tree, that "could" survive for generations, is an almost radical expression of hope, and a loving gift for future strangers. And of course, I hope to experience some of its joy for a few years.

I like to remove the burlap and wash off the roots, before planting. I plant in the native soil without amendments (OK I added a little organic granular vegetable fertilizer). Doggie stands guard, apprehensive about potential water splashes(none happened).



I don't try to remove 100% of the clay from the roots, but most of it. No girdling roots, and I could find the root flare, which was too low. Some roots were a little gnarly, but I don't think those will be a problem.



Thank goodness, I had someone to protect me from squirrels and kitty-cats while distracted by tree-planting.

 

Great job Daniel. I know Rufus did a good job protecting you. Red flowered dogwood , interesting will have to look that one up. I have white , yellow and pinks . Your garden will certainly be a treasure for future generations.

 

Today I also planted a row of shallots. I did what I used to do, bought small shallots at the grocery store and planted those. In the past, planting one small one yielded a half dozen or so larger ones by late summer. I don't know if modern ones will do that. They are usually seed-grown now (I think).

I divided the second container of strawberries, to give them twice the soil volume and space. Wow, they had big, dense masses of roots. We'll see if I killed them, vs. gave them a better life. Maybe that which does kill them makes them stronger? Does that work for plants?

 

Nothing today. But I do hope to get back at that ditch digging tomorrow weather permitting. It is supposed to be sunny and warm for a few days. I will wear some sturdier shoes while digging, and use that pry bar (DS calls it a rock bar) more and the shovel not so much. My foot has had a whole week of lazy... ( I just did light duty stuff instead) That pry bar/rock bar says it weighs 12 lbs. That thing is very heavy whatever it weighs. I think I will dig up close to those tree and shrub roots, and then work on the other side and get as far as I can that way. Then I will return to them later. That spot has a lot of roots, plus day lilies and daffodils. I would like to rescue the day lilies and daffodils--I can share them with friends.

And that spot by the driveway where I have been trying to burn the honeysuckle vines and seeds, also has a lot of daffodils. A few years ago I had dug out several (I don't remember how many) wheel barrow loads of daffodils from that area. Obviously, I missed some and they made babies...

I guess I will have to drag the hose to those areas and just let them flood good so I can remove the daffodils and lilies easier.

I also want to start planting my veggie garden this week. Maybe I can work on digging some, and then planting some and not overwork my foot?

Silly me, I bought another package of bunching onions when I already have a giant package of bunching onions... And I still have leek seeds... Yummy.