Blogs

Got another load of Manure
May 27, 2007 | 7:58 AM PST
Tags: manure , composted , roses , fall flush , mulch , water , rain , Thai Green Eggplant , squash , Amillia , beefsteak , fruit , pinestraw , peppers

I brought home another load of composted manure from the fair grounds, I wanted at least one more load before fall.  Man is that some good stuff!!   Seeing how in July I will need to reapply it around my roses for their fall flush.  This time it wasn't so wet, so unloading was much easier.  The load I got earlier sure has made a difference in my plants,  they were in bad need.  Just couldn't tell it til I added it.   I'm thinking about putting some down as a mulch in one bed just as an experiment to see what ill happen.  

 I'm having to water everyday now,  but its now where I can alternate the beds.  That may not last long if we don't get some much needed rain.  I got another large container planted of comfrey.  Still have a half a tray to go.  I was wanting to plant the last 2 Thai Green Eggplant plants in the last container I have seeing how from what I've read it won't bear fruit til the 2nd year.  Just need to get another container.

 I picked my 3rd mator yesterday.  A nice Amillia beefsteak.  All my mator plants are loaded with fruit.  I have decided not to stake the ones in the flower beds.  I've read where staking really isn't needed an sometimes you get more fruit by letting them sprawl.  Will be interesting,  The fruit will have pinestraw to keep them directly off the soil.  I got out this morning an did some roundup, just spot spraying.  Its been windy here the last few days an today was the first chance I had with little wind.  Still need to do the garden pathways, but there not to bad yet.   I did pick 2 of the patty pan type squash and a few banana peppers.  Not enough squash to do much with yet, hopefully they will hold up long enough for more to get ready for a mess.   Don't really know how to fix them yet, first time with these.  So any recipes you want to share, please do.

 I had planned on copy an pasting my Bloom Calendar to here, but this site won't let me.  So I guess if you want to see what plants I have you'll just have to visit my photo album.  Although it's nowhere near complete, u can see some of what I have growing here on the Lane. 

One of my baby chicks died yesterday, couldn't really tell why.  But it did.  I've been letting the older chickens out about every other day,  may be will go to daily now that the dog has gone to Florida.  One of the campers wanted her, so it all worked out good. 
 

Finally, RAIN!
May 23, 2007 | 2:24 PM PST
Tags: Dry , RAIN , dead grass

Now, you would think, "Hey, Seattle...Rain!", right? Not so much, this is not quite the rainy place people think it is. Kind of odd to explain as we did get 33 days of rain in a row last year, but when it gets dry, it gets dry. It finally decided to rain properly last weekend. For those who are unbelievers about it being dry here, EVER, take a look at this pic of our yard and tell me that is not dry, hehe...

It was the Rude Kind of Rain!
May 22, 2007 | 3:22 PM PST
Tags: labs , rain , thunder , lightening , dhalias , snapdragon , seedlings

We had the nasty, mash your plant, pull them off their stakes, kind of rain this morning.  I love rain, I love what it does to all my beautiful flowers and how fresh everything looks and smells after a good rain.  This was not that kind of rain.  This was the noisy make 'Budder' the wonder lab crazy lightening, booming thunder rain.

Oh, it is nothing I did not get over.  I went out after it was all over and the sun came out sort of timidly I might add, and retyed the tomatoes and propted up the Giant Dhalias.  I pulled up some leggy snapdragons and a few weeds(which I attack after a rain they pop right up!)  My back gave out and my legs got all wobbly which having MS, I am used to, so it was rest time.

There was no real damage and the new seedling are popping up, so all is good. Just next time I would like the nice rain...I am spoiled.

 

We got rain
May 13, 2007 | 4:13 PM PST
Tags: rain , crunchy , roses , tuber rose , chamomile , lillies , Spirea , Hydrangea , Spanish , Red 7 Sister , mators , cucumber , heat , raised beds Brugs , Sage

finally last night,  what a relief!!  It had gotten so dry the weeds I call grass was crunchy.   Since my last entry I've planted a few more things,  a couple roses, tuber rose an more chamomile.  A plant I'm not real familiar with called Pet????? Saxifrigara or something like that.  Will be interesting to see how it does down here in the heat.  Some of my Asiatic Lillies are blooming or full of buds.  Several daylillies are blooming, my Spanish Flag Vine, Red 7 Sister rose, Duranta, Anthony Waters Spirea, The Lady in Red Hydrangea is trying to bloom.  Can't wait to see that one seeing how I rooted it from a friends that had already bloom right b4 winter.  

 I got about 3 Brugs planted to replace some that didn't make it over the winter, 3 Pineapple Sage herbs an finished up with planting the rest of the tomatoes.  Took an potted up some Monsieour Tillier cuttings that had rooted that I should have already done.  Still have others to do, just finding time in all my spare time to do it.  Picked a handful of strawberries, which of course got eatten right away.  Spend some time with my DD's an a couple grandsons, was a pleasant day.  Now just to finish up watering the veggies,  you'd think they wouldn't need any, but being in raised beds I have to think about the heat tomorrow and they won't get any water til late tomorrow afternoon.  But I do have mators,  even picked a cucumber for my salad today for lunch.    Man was it good!   trudy