Month: May 2018

Weedy weekend

(Please forgive my typos. I’m juggling kittens as I write this.) The weeds are really out of control, so I went after the ones on the slope on Sunday. Filled up the big compost bin- /:

Now you can see the hydrangeas and roses that are about to bloom, and this pretty plant from the buy nothing group.

Some delightful creature devoured all but one of my winter squash starts. Grrr. I put a couple more seeds in the ground, and am starting some more inside.

I also planted a bunch of things to eat as babygreens. We love the Swiss chard.

I transplanted some leafy starts in South A.

Progress

This is one of my favorite places in the garden. Jungle-like with artichoke plants as big as my car.

A little more

Yeah yeah. I know. Stop it with the planting, start weeding.

It all started with the lavenders that will eventually live at the studio and make everything smell lovely… I thought I needed 3, but they all get huge, so plant 3 went on the slope.

I also transplanted two more yellow squash and one zucchini by the huckleberry, and a handful of red Russian kale and romaine (in with the peppers in upper b and c).

Now I’m hot and tired.

Foraging in the volunteers

Grabbing a little sorrel (wood and blood) for a sauce experiment, volunteer pea shoots, and oregano for spice.

My favorite weeds are the ones I can eat!

Update: sorrels were combined with butter and garlic to dip artichokes into…

DELICIOUS!

The last of the planting… For now… Maybe.

I got an early (for me) start and picked up more starts at Squak this morning. The weather is just cool enough to make working in the yard pleasant. (:

Added a Sun Gold plant to west D. I removed the ailing Nova and the red robin from the bed (since it will never get big), and also planted a thriving Nova in West C.

The beets next to it over wintered and are bolting now. I’m going to leave them to it (:

I messed around with the ailing Nova so much that I felt bad, so I’m giving it one last chance to grow in the upper area. (I do this every year- go tomato crazy. Fortunately P doesn’t read this or he would know that my 5 planned tomato plants have turned into 8…)

The red robin I pulled out of the bed went in my last empty pot.

Planted a lipstick pepper and a hot pepper in upper B with 2 of my Perfects.

Planted a delicata next to the concrete pad in the upper area.

A couple of butter baby in the angelene next to the dead Apple tree.

More okra seeds with the starts in south d

more green bean seeds with the sprouts in South D (slug was tossed.) and more peas in West E.

Borage seeds went in a couple of bare spaces on the slope, and under the purple rhody

Found a mystery squash starting on the slope- likely from a last year’s seed.

Things are looking pretty good- and the bees have finally arrived ( I was worried!)

The hummers are making a racket, and yesterday P rescued a fledgling Robin from the driveway. (it’s parents were not impressed.)

I have been doing soooo much weeding, but it never seems to make an impact. We just lost our maintenance crew, so I’ll have to find another that understands what weeds are ok, or pick up the pace myself (but… Kittens! Letterpress! Art! Studio Time! Sleep!)

cut back the artichoke to give space to lavender and blueberries beside it.

I can’t wait to eat everything!

Taco Monday!

Just finished the tortillas, time to pick some radishes and leeks to spice these tacos!

edit- this is what we made- radish, leek, rhubarb, cilantro and lime slaw. It was amazing.

Sunny Saturday

P and I worked in the garden this afternoon. He mowed and got the irrigation mostly set up. I planted planted planted.

4 okra plants went into south d.

I replaced the non-starting direct sown squash seeds with starts.

Planted the remaining “healthy” peppers in upper c. Five total between the two beds.

Starting some more leafy greens to plant in the upper beds.

As I do every year I planted “just one more” tomato (red Robin) in a container.

Here’s some progress shots.

Planting

Feeling better today- so I decided to embrace the sun and get some stuff in the ground!

Also notable- although I feel like we’ve had some rain, the soil was DRY dry, and I had to hand water everything. It’s about time to set up the drip line I guess.

2 Nova sauce and one red Robin cherry tomato start (my starts) went into west C and west d. They went into cages… Which always feel a little optimistic in size this time of year. (;

Two peppers went into upper B… Which was supposed to be full of kale, chard, and romaine…. HA! Next year I won’t even bother direct seeding those.

I put out one little okra to test soil conditions in West D. If it’s still alive in a couple of days I’ll move the rest out. Okra would probably be a good use for water walls in the future.

I moved a couple of the squash starts out to the greenhouse, and planted a bit more romaine and kale in there.

I also added red fertilizer to the tomatoes in the ground, and blue to the blueberries and camelia.

PROGRESS

Green bean sprout

Chardonnay or Gewurztraminer grape. Not sure which. /:

Garlic

we also have a small army of mushrooms around the planters.

Eager

I’m very eager to get the tomatoes in the ground- but nights are still getting below 55, and a bad EDS flare up means I’m not walking very well.

So they are mostly in big pots, and all in the greenhouse now, along with the okra and peppers. I gave a couple of cherry tomatoes away- then realized that they will still need supports- so once I can get down to the shed I’ll put a support on my little container tomato.

Planted some more cilantro in the wide pot. I’ve found that I have better luck overseeding, eating them young, then letting the rest go to seed. I have no luck cultivating an adult plant without bolting. The cilantro actually did very well throughout the winter, so I will continue successive plantings for yummy tacos.

Hippity hops.

I’m going to try to start some romaine inside now now that I have space. Maybe I’ll have better luck planting starts.

(not pictured)

Green beans are showing their little heads in south d. A bird pulled at least one out to investigate- adorable monsters. I love green beans- especially the flavor and abundance- but I hate how long they tease you before they have vegetable.

I think that’s it for today- gotta go ice my ankles and “rest”.