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Not again! We're surrounded by snow and expecting another storm this weekend. We had blue skies and sunny days for a week, but now...harumpf! Just when my little lilac tree was starting to bud. Poor thing is confused with spring/winter/spring/winter.
Just the other day, I was thinking: What will my herb garden look like after the two feet of snow melts off? I have rosemary, thyme (of two varieties), oregano, sage, mint, and who knows what else may come back up - and twice as big this year, I hope!
When I moved up here in the mountains, I had to uproot my big bin I had planted with herbs. Of course, they all died, as it was in the dead of winter. I grieved over the loss of my little plants, but didn't hesitate to plant another round. They all did very well, and now I am awaiting their return!
In the meantime, I can wish and dream, looking through the seed catalogs.
Anyone have crocus or daffodils yet? Hyacinth? Oh, how I miss those lovely flowers!
I have iris growing at the side of my house, and one little hyacinth. I must get busier this year and plant more!
There are twenty inches of snow on the ground, left by the last system to come through the area. Now, I have to look forward to it all melting. Why am I worried? Me worry?
When the snow melts, my front porch will be a swimming pool, the yard will look like Lake Floodandmud, my driveway will be mush and cinders (I live in a ancient volcanic field). If it weren't so cold I'd put my swimming suit on and have such fun! However, I am not a polar bear.
Favoring a nice fire in the woodstove and a hot cuppa to flipping and slipping on the snow and mud, I'm satisfied to be sitting here, writing this little rant.
My sympathies go out to all in the midwest who are experiencing that horrible ice storm.
Now, on a lighter note....do re mi...
My lilac tree is dormant, the herbs have tucked in for the winter, and the few veggies I've tried growing this year are gone and buried. This snow will ensure wildflowers in the area, including glorious sunflowers covering the meadows in gold. Against the tall, green pines and brilliant blue sky, the sunflowers make a vivid scene which soothes the soul. I'll definately get my camera, and my canvas out.
For now....I await spring, reading my seed catalogs (wish books) and working in my little office.
Another day, another dollar, isn't that what 'they' say?
Today, for one of the last times this year, I played in the dirt. Put the chives in the herb garden, and planted the peach pits next to 'em so I don't forget where they are next spring...("note to self, don't plant tomatoes next to the herb garden, that's where you started the peach pits!") Other bulbs are waiting to get their pictures taken so Ron can ID them for me. Stupid bag didn't come with an ID key, just a bunch of bulbs!
Not too much to do, but I did manage to bring some herbs inside so we can have fresh all winter. Kept forgetting to do it previously, and had to then either wait 'til spring for it to come back, or worse still, had to go buy another one! There's English Thyme, Greek Oregano, and Rosemary now perched on my breakfast bar, awaiting their final move to the sill above the kitchen sink. I'm going to leave them be where they are now for a week so they don't get too shocky.
Also split up the African Violet baby my Mom gave me, which turned out to be twins, evidently. They're now recuperating in the South window. Seem to be handling it OK, but they've only been split for about 5 hours.
Nothing much else here, for now.
I live in a condo and have a small garden which goes around 2 sides of my patio. I also have a raised bed container where I have all my herbs growing. This year was bad for Japanese beetles, they seem to love eating my basil and mint. I ended up having to coverup the basil with a light blanket I found at gardeners.com. I have a rabbit too, he likes the beets I had growing around the patio. I covered up the beets too.
Helen
Hey all, I just wanted to pop on over and let everyone know that I have been very busy with the boys battling illness after illness and now I have an ear ache that is killing me and I am going to the doctor for today.
Everything in my garden is growing wonderfully. I have tons of tomatoes and strawberries that are not quite ready for picking. So far I have lots of herbs and 1 green pepper that is getting bigger everyday. My carrots, peas, radish, broccoli raab and more herbs are growing but are not ready to be harvested.
I lost all my spinach, it died on me so I am going to plant more. We ate the mesclun mix salad with dinner one night and the boys devoured it. They call salad "dinosaur food" and they couldn't wait to eat it, so I cut it down and we enjoyed it. Some of what was left over in the pot died and the rest of it is growing tall and now has flowers on it! I will also be planting more salad soon.
I really didn't think my garden would turn out to be as successful as it is. I am very proud of myself and I can't wait to get my hands on the first tomato, strawberry, radish, carrot and pea and taste the fruits of my labor! I absolutely have fallen in love with gardening. It is amazing to me when I go out everyday and see how big my tomatoes and pepper have gotten since the night before. I love seeing the strawberries popping up all over like crazy. It is like a dream come true for me. I have always wanted the ability to grow my own foods and be rewarded with success and now it has come true for me!!
I can't wait til the first tomato gets ripe enough to pick, I am hauling my butt to the store and getting some fresh mozzarella cheese and I am going to make my very first tomato, basil and mozzarella salad with fresh home grown tomatoes and basil from MY GARDEN!!! Oooohhhhhhhh, I am getting very excited!
Well gotta run now, take care all!
Jeanne
The 3 evergreen clematis I bought days ago finally have a home.
The second I saw the hideous pressure treated cedar poles my dh, Dave, used to replace the old lumber that supported the overhang of our shop, I knew I'd have to grow a vine up each one to hide it. I narrowed it down to clematis when I read in my Ed Hume book that they'd do well in containers and that helped, because the shop is located on a large gravel area and I didn't want to make beds around the poles. I also read that they would cover things up pretty fast and would have great flowers, AND that there were some evergreen varieties and that was good because then we'd never have to look at those damn poles again! So, I found 3 evergreen clematis at a local garden center, one for each pole, and bought them. They are Clematis armandii 'Snowdrift' and will have white flowers. Now, I wonder if I could've found some I like even better if I ordered some from a catalog. I bought 3 small (20", cedar-like wood planters that resemble miniature whiskey barrels, and that moisture control potting soil, too, at home depot today. I put an inch or two of wood chips (we chipped ourselves from downed trees in our forest) at the very bottom of each planter for drainage before I filled them with the soil and the plants. I read the directions AFTER I planted the first one. Bad idea. Those directions said to keep the clematis attached to its stake for the first year before removing it. Oops. Didn't do that for the first clematis. We'll see what happens with that one, then. What's the big deal, I wonder?
Then, I tried to plant some tomatoes (black cherry and yellow pear) in the topsy turvies Dave bought me, but realized I had no hooks to hang them from yet. Gotta go buy some at Ace later.
I should be grading papers and planning lessons for this week right now, but I will do what I do best and PROCRASTINATE instead. As Dave always says, do that stuff when there's no more daylight!
I also planted one cilantro plant and one flat leaf parsley plant in my herb planter which already has oregano and two kinds of basil. No good location for that planter yet. It has to go on the deck because the porch is too shady. If I put it up on the railing, it gets blown over by the wind (learned that the hard way). Guess I'll just set it on the deck in the corner and crouch to harvest. Maybe I can find a cute old chair to set it on.
For this summer, I'm going to try to focus on 2 major projects: a planting bed around the deck and raised beds in the veggie garden. That last one will take forever, b/c I'm using fallen logs from our forest for the beds and they are taking forever to find, haul out and cut. I have enough for ONE box and I need EIGHT boxes. Ugh.
School can't let out fast enough, because this work thing is just getting in the way of my gardening time, damnit!
5/16/07
My First Year Of "Square Foot Gardening"
A few months ago I saw a television program that was about "Square Foot Gardening". Square foot gardening is a method of gardening that involves growing crops divided into square foot sections rather than the traditional row gardening. The benefits are that there is less watering, less weeding, less tilling, more crops in less space, and mcuh more.
The first thing I did was make a 2' X 6' box out of some 2"X6" pieces of wood. I measured 12 individual 1' squares and seperated them by using some nails and some kite string. The box allowed me to make a raised bed for my garden that was 6" deep. The grid made enough space for me to grow 12 different crops. I put in 16 raddishes, 16 Carrots, 9 Bush Bean Plants, 4 Artichihoke Plants, 2 Broccoli Plants, 4 Marigolds, 9 Spinaches, and 4 Parsley's. I was amazed at how much I could grow in such little space. Watering the crops is very easy when all the plants are so close together. I should be eating a bunch of home-grown vegetables and herbs from now on.
I'd like to thank the creator of the "Square Foot Garden". His name is Mel Bartholomew, he is the creator of the Square Foot Gardening Foundation which is involved in numberous educational and humanitrian projects. Mel has discovered that using Square Foot Gardening in third world countries has many benefits. It's easy for people to learn, requires very little space and supplies, and provides an abundance of food in Countries where it is scarce. Mel is onto something really big hear, I can't wait to see more people begin to use his system, it has a chance to make a real positive change in the way we gardening and increase the availabilty of food for everyone!! Thanks Mel.
Avery Judkins
Hello all, My garden is going great. Over the weekend I repotted my sunflowers, some of my tomato and herb plants. It seems I have to water just about every day now because it has been rather warm here. Some of the plants dry out so quickly. Maybe I am doing something wrong. I don't want to overwater but then again I don't want to be underwatering either. Anyway, the plants are thriving with things the way they are right now. Nothing is dying, not yet at least!! LOL
My boys want to plant carrotts (which they call crackets). I have ordered some carrott seeds for a few smaller varieties of them. I hope to have luck with them as well. Can't wait until I get them so I can start them. From what I read, I can sow the seeds every two weeks and keep the soil moving (to prevent freezing) during the winter and I will have carrotts all winter long. True????
My space is very very limited so I am trying to figure out how I am going to deal with my tomato plants when they get taller and the boys. My yard is so small and I can't put the boys outside in the front alone and I don't always have the time to stay out back with the boys when they are playing out there. I don't know how to deal with that just yet but I will think of something. I could try tomato cages but then I run the risk of the boys pulling off the greens and eating them. I could keep them up high.......that may not work either. I don't know what the heck to do. Any suggestions?
Well gotta run now. I am cooking dinner and don't want it to burn.
Take care all and hugs to all,
Jeanne
The great thing about growing herbs is you really do not need much space. If you have a spot with 6 hours or more of sunshine then you are good to go.
Basil, dill, cilantro, rosemary, parsley, chamomile, chervil, sweet marjoram and summer savory are herbs that are called annuals. These need to be replanted each year as they die with the cold weather. You can try to move them indoors for the winter, but its pretty difficult to have them thrive. There are other perennial herbs which come back each year.
Some examples are mint, thyme, sage, tarragon lemon balm, lavender and sorrel. If you are new to gardening start with plants rather than seeds, it is just easier and will save you weeks of waiting. Let's start with some of the most commonly used herbs:
Parsley is biennial, which means that it grows for two seasons and then dies and needs to be replaced. You can find curly and Italian types. There are other hybrids as well. Its great in soups.
Sage - perennial – I use mine in the rock garden because of the great color of the leaves. Its wonderful with pork and lamb. Hardy in Zones 4-8.
Rosemary - perennial – This is one of the oldest herbs known to mankind. I try to bring mine in each winter, but its really difficult to keep it looking great. This herb loves sunshine and do not over water.
Thyme - perennial – I have much of my thyme planted amongst a walkway. It’s a great groundcover and the lemon variety is particularly scented.
Basil - annual – Of all the herbs this is many peoples personal favorite. Pesto, sauces, on top of a big beefsteak tomato is all good. Do not plant this outside until the weather is warm. It hates cold damp weather and will die.
Chives - perennial – I use chives in eggs, salads and tuna. I also let some of my chives bloom because the purple flowers are great in June.
Dill - annual – Another herb that is great in eggs and on a grilled salmon, it’s easy to grow but does not like too much heat.
Oregano - perennial – I have an oregano plant that is well over a decade old. I use this in sauces and on chicken. It stays in a nice clump and come back year after year. Hardy in Zones 5-9.
Mint - perennial – I recommend growing this in containers as it LOVES to spread and will take over your garden. Hardy in Zones 4-10.
Step By Step Planting Instructions.
1. Choose a sunny spot close to the kitchen if possible. If using containers choose three of manageable size. a. If you have a container fill it with good potting soil and mix some time release fertilizer in the soil according to directions.
2. Plant when the sun is low and the weather cool.
3. Dig a hole about 1.5 times as wide as the plant.
4. Gently remove the herb from the store container
5. Plant the herbs 18” apart, (12” if in a container to save room) Do not plant any deeper than it was in the original pot.
6. Place taller herbs, like sage, rosemary and marjoram, towards the back of the garden or pot. Parsley and cilantro are good for the front.
7. Water your newly planted herbs with a liquid fertilizer at ½ the recommended strength. Once established, make sure your herbs get an inch of water each week throughout the growing season.
8. You can begin to harvest your herbs as they grow, but take only small amounts so that you leave most of the plant in tact.
9. Keep the tops of the herbs pinched back through early summer, this will promote a bushier plant.
My garden passion is herbs and berries. Oddly, growing ornamentals & vegetables are not my friends and don't let me get anywhere near a house plant. I started with herbs because I love to cook with fresh herbs and I've always been woo'ed by their medicinal value. (That and they thrive with neglect and given my history with house plants seemed like a safe place to start. I've since found that I also do quite well with berries. ) I'm very excited about adding lingon and huckleberries to my berry patch this year. I've got a very nicely sized stepped garden and take special care to make sure it's not just productive but aesthetically pleasing...my little sanctuary. :-)
I like to harvest my herbs through out the year to create my own tinctures, teas, lotions and herbed oils. I made an herbal lip balm this year that I'm quite proud of with chamomile, lemon balm, lavendar and tinted with a port reduction for a sophesticated scent.
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