Sherrieflower's Blog

Last Day of April - so we should be Frost Free!
Apr 30, 2008 | 5:01 PM PST
Tags: frost free date , growing food indoors

Today is the last day of April so we should be frost free now for the rest of the season.  The cold front that came through the last couple of days is on its way out now.  Touch and go there the last couple nights tho'.  Getting down to 31F.  I prayed over my apricot, nectarine and peach trees and some research showed me they should be good to 28F so they came through ok.  I noticed some of my potatoes got nipped tho -- I think they will bounce back - hope so.  Last year we had a horrible cold front for 2 weeks that plunged us back into winter with lows in the 20's and so I didn't get any apricots.  It turned my bleeding heart into mush and did a lot of damage everywhere.  Nature amazes me with its awesome resiliency  -- the bleeding heart  came back with new growth and looked better than ever.  Anyway - sure didn't want any repeats of last year.  Its like one last reminder of winter before we plunge into the growing season and the impatient gardener can get a real set back if not careful. 

My daffodils are on their way out and high winds blew all the magnolia blossoms off the tree but the red buds are looking their best ever - flowering quince still going strong and that Judd Viburnum- wow -- the scent will arrest you if you get within 10 feet of it. It smells so good!  Full bloom now. 

Mama goose is still on her nest tho' I expect to see goslings any moment now - it has been about a month.  A male wood duck has been visiting the pond for the past several days.  I'd like to see them nest here too.  The male wood duck is a real work of art - such striking plumage!  Saw the fox in the front yard again this morning.

 
This year I am growing a patio tomato in a pot, and I'm going to grow a pepper and a cucumber in pots too with the rest in the garden.  Hopefully - I'll be able to bring them in - in the fall and keep them productive awhile longer.

Does anyone have experience growing food crops indoors?  hydroponically or otherwise?

 

New Poem!
Apr 24, 2008 | 6:26 AM PST
Tag: Awed in April
I wrote a new poem yesterday!  

AWED IN APRIL

(c)4/23/2008 By Sherrie flower

 

I am so awed in April

When everything turns green

And the morning sun

Across the lawn

Heightens the sheen.

 

And each new day

Through sun and rain --

Spring’s warmth

Reawakens life again.

 

Blink and you might miss

how everything

has grown another inch

what else might bloom today?

 

Tiny flowers along the sidewalk

Almost too small to see

And this year – oh how magnificent!

Is my magnolia tree.

 

There’s bloodroot in the forest

Spring Beauties on the lawn

Perennials sprouting everywhere

With each new dawn.

 

But, of all of Aprils thrills

Most glorious are

The Daffodils

Blooming en masse

At the edge of my woods.

 

Their bright cheery colors

So glorious to see

Are the “ icing on the cake”

Of April to me.

 

I am so awed in April

For all life resurrecting

From barrenness to fullness

Of all that Spring’s expecting.

What is in bloom
Apr 24, 2008 | 6:23 AM PST
Tag: blooms/ fox

I did a walkabout yesterday and here's a list of what is in bloom here now April 24, 2008

Daffodils/narcissi/jonquils - along the woods and all around the house + paperwhites on the east side of the house.  The bleeding heart just opening blooms. Bloodroot and trillium in the forest. Dandelions, Spring Beauties, chickweed, violets and pussytoes in lawn and meadow.  Magnolia tree still looking magnificent tho' dropping petals now.
Forsythia, Nanking cherries, apricot trees, nectarine trees and peach trees = whoohoo! [First year for fruit =yay!] Flowering quince in terrace garden along with some geraniums and red verbena I just planted [and more daffodils].  There are also teeny tiny blue flowers on some kind of chickweed related? weed in the driveway - I have yet to ID that one.

Speaking of the front terrace gardens -   We think a young fox has made  his den in the top tier.  I walked out the door yesterday morning and saw him run from that direction.  Interesting.  We also found bits of skunk fur at the corner of the orchard so he may not have wanted to share the neighborhood - at any rate it sure looks like something did away with the skunk. [We found a skunk den at the east end of the pool wing - no mistaking that smell!]

We are at the stage where if you don't stay alert and observant you will miss what is going on outdoors.  The Daylilies are rising to new heights every day - it is amazing how fast they grow!  Peonies have poked up and the hostas are unfurling now too.  Everything is so green!  Looks like we may be getting thunderstorms on the way.
 I planted a bunch of snapdragons and most of my statice and am now praying they recover from their transplant shock. My mantis tiller sprung a leak so that is out of commission until I can get it fixed.  Lots more to do in the next few weeks!
Happy Spring!

Oh by the way - the photos I posted of holes are the mom and pop home Fox den in my neighbors woods.  ONe is the front door and the other is the back door.  We think ours is a juvenile cast off from that den.  We were thinking about getting chickens but I guess I'll wait awhile longer on that one. lol  I think the fox is beautiful.   The pix I posted of him was taken right out in my front yard!

FULL SWING INTO SPRING
Apr 21, 2008 | 9:31 AM PST
Tags: early blooms , critter control? and farmers markets

4/21/08  It is amazing how quickly everything takes off once the temperature warms a bit and the spring rains begin to green everything up.  We are now at peak bloom for the hundreds of daffodils /narcissi blooming in our woods along the west shore of our pond.  Our Magnolia tree is magnificent this year - better than I have ever seen it.  It wasn't all that great last year but that was probably due to the late frost we got that killed off my apricot blooms too.  The apricot trees are just now blooming and I am praying we don't get another freeze like last year - [that was horrible!]  My nanking cherries just started blooming too and today I noticed the 1st tulip out.

We just planted our orchard 3 years ago so it is exciting to see blooms -coz that means fruit! if all goes well.  Last year we got our 1st seven peaches off one of our peach trees.  I am a novice orchardist so I am learning as I go and hoping I don't make too many mistakes.  I am going to have to watch the Nanking cherry bushes tho' - Last year the birds got them all but I did get to taste one.  They are very small but they tasted good.  Since this is a wildlife habitat, we struggle with keeping our vegetable gardens protected from deer and rabbits.  I am thinking I might try those motion detector water spray things this year.   Anyone have experience with those to share?

I have already planted yukon gold potatoes, radishes [for market - I don't like them personally], peas, spinach and a variety of salad greens + a few carrots and beets.  As soon as we get into May it will be time to start planting the rest of the garden.  I am in the process of hardening off the plants I have started from seed.  I started some snapdragon and hope to sell a few fresh cut flowers at market in addition to the drieds I did last year.  Our market is small however, and we are hoping to attract more customers, so far I haven't really made that much money at it, but I am hoping things will start to pick up soon.  Is there anyone else here who is doing Farmers markets from small acreage?  What sells well for you?