osprey94's Blog

So... I made up a chart like this with columns for shrubs/trees, perennials, ground covers, etc and filled in the columns with the appropriate plants:

I wrote a "D" or "E" next to the shrubs so I could make sure I had a good balance of deciduous and evergreen. I want at least SOME winter foliage and structure. At first, when I had added all the "qualifying" plants from the matrix, I realized I had very few perennials. So, I went back to the perennials section of the matrix and checked off any plants that had no less than TWO green marks. Since this included some plants that weren't shade tolerant, I marked those plants with "sun" on my chart so I'd know to put them in the sunnier sections of the bird garden. I, of course, made sure to crosscheck these with the deer-resistant list before I added them to my chart.

Now, I have a plant list to choose from when I go to the nursery. I'm actually wondering if I should add more plants in the shrub category that like more sun because I just looked out at the bird garden and most of it is in sun already and it's not yet noon.

 I did end up going back out yesterday and planting some onion starts inbetween the basil plants. I planted 3 rows of white and 2 of red. I hope they're not too crowded with the basil to set nice-sized bulbs.

I've been reading Vegetable Gardening West of the Cascades and the author talks about these little bugs we have here in the PNW called symphylans (I need to double check that spelling later). He says they're often the reason gardeners out here have a few good years of veggie gardening and then the plants just don't grow/germinate reliably. These little critters live in moist soil and eat the new roots of plants. He said you can pull a plant out and see the little guys on the roots (they're 3/16" long) if you have an infestation. I wonder if I have these guys? My peas haven't been growing well and I just pulled a small one out to thin and examined the roots. I saw no sign of tiny little bugs on them. Wonder if I need to try shaking out the dirt onto a piece of paper and looking with a magnifying lens? By the way, it never occurred to me to eat the pea seedlings I thin, but I saw a recipe in a magazine that used pea seedlings in a salad. So, the seedlings I thinned I popped in my mouth and whoa. They are GOOD. Taste just like peas. I won't ever waste the thinnings again.

Anyway, I'd never heard anyone talk about these guys and the way the author went on, you'd think no one would be able to garden in the PNW without having symphylan problems. He said the only way to cure the problem is to grow in one place for 2-3 years and then let that area go to grass while you till up a new plot and use that one for 2-3 years, and continue rotating like that. I have raised beds, so that won't work for me. I've been veggie gardening in the same spot for about 6 years, and I'm still getting good harvests. Maybe they'd be better if not for these little guys.

I've put two fuchsia plants on the dining table on the deck and the hummers are constantly eating from them just a few feet away from me as I type right now.

 It's another gorgeous day here. I'm tempted to go blow the rest of my paycheck on some of the plants on my list!