Back to Knitting...

Sorry I haven't posted for a bit. First frost was in September, along with week of damp cold - then an Indian Summer - that didn't quite qualify due to the previous frost. So no more gardening.

So back to indoor hobbies. Knitting for Christmas is going poorly - mostly because 1 mitten is AWOL. So I couldn't match it's mate to it (winged the pattern), and now am knitting a third. Using sock yarn - and am happy that there is still enough left for the third, but am quite unhappy with myself for the loss of the first. On the upside I've listened to quite a few audio books the past week or two as I tossed my room and cleaned and tossed it again. (Anyone else find that some mystery authors are better abridged? Reich I find is over-peppered with foreshadowing and duh moments in the complete text.) And my speed isn't helped by the fact I accidentally grated the skin of the back of the knuckle of my middle finger making dinner last night. Ouch.

Fall planting.

Summer crisp didn't have a great germ. rate for me - so mostly have swiss chard in the garden for greens. Today I planted little cos, and black seeded simpson - rather heavily as they were older packets and I'm hoping there will be some germination. I also planted an old packet of Detroit red beets (really old packet) and 4 rows of peas 2 of sugar snap and 2 of sugar Ann. I wanted to get them in a week ago - but we had a week of rainy days.

The carrots I planted a few weeks back had 0 germ. So no carrots or parsnips at all this year - think I'm going to try another seed source next year.

The beans are still producing. I'm disappointed in my butternut squash with 3 plants only 2 squash, maybe I should try paintbrush pollination - though I don't know if there will be enough time for a new one to grow before frost. The yellow squash and zuke are puttering out a few every other week - which I don't mind as much at this point in the season as I did 2 months ago.

I have tons of green tomatoes. I was hoping for a little more heat this weekend to push them into the red, but no. Thank goodness I planted early girls - they are practically the only tomatoes I've had this year.

Leaves are falling from the trees (a bit early). And it seems that the weeds have slowed down too - or maybe the desired plants are big and raggedy enough to hide them more.

September already.

Fleurs of August.

Wonderful bloom. Easy to see how some people can get obsessed with them.

I love zinnias. And the cleome is still going strong.

This one appeared out of nowhere a few years ago and has continued to seed itself all over the flowerbeds and lots in the grass. They are pretty though, especially as most of the other flowers are fading.

The obviously new lilly...

This lilly is less than 6 inches tall. While the established ones bloomed in June, it was planted then (one of the bulbs from the half-off bin). It makes me laugh - as the established plants were 2 feet tall. :)

Weed or Flower?

I emptied out many old seed packets this spring - so I don't know if this is a weed or a flower. Any ideas? If those are all seed heads - I need to pull it quick.

Update: After some searching I think it might be pigsweed. Which I have never seen in my garden before. I don't think I'm going to be buying the same mushroom compost ever again.

Bean Identity Quandry

I know I planted limas. However, I did not label them. I've also planted bush green beans. I noticed today that I finally had some beans in the garden - but do not know if they are immature limas - or small green beans... The obvious solution is to just let them keep growing - but I so want to have beans of my own..

I don't think any of the parsnips I planted between the beans have germinated. I know they are supposed to have a long germ time - but I think they might not happen. As the carrots also didn't happen this year - it has me wondering about the middle of my garden.

Fleurs

Too many choices...

This is the NE side of the house - and I'm uncertain what I want to do here. It's fairly dry - as it is a foundation bed. There is snow-on-the-mountain aka bishop's weed, a lupine, a volunteer garden phlox, a volunteer __, a pink daylilly, and a green hosta.

I have a white bleeding heart, some columbine I grew from seed, and some liatris bulbs... but was struck with the idea of putting different hosta there...

On one hand this is close to the front door - more flowers would be nice - and my other columbine aren't thriving so it would be nice if they would here. I started tearing out the b.w. because the phlox has powdery mildew - and grabbed one of my remaining bags of mulch.

This is the side of the house that the gas and water line comes in on - so the beds can't really be extended from where they are. So moisture is always going to be an issue.

Hmm... Any opinions?

First Hummingbird Sighting.

The other couple of photos I took only showed a blur. :)

Bloom Day

I think I have a hybrid here. :) I think I may have planted the large yellow daylilly - but I have a feeling that the large orangey-red one may be a result of a tryst with with the orange ones by the mail box.


The white trumpet lillies are now blooming - as the orange orientals have faded. Lillies staggered across the summer really help keep something always in bloom... Plus it's nice to have fragrance.
It also helps to have long bloomers like coneflower... Only my purple ones are in bloom - the white are close - with the yellow and red still haven't shot up bloom stalks.


Musacdet? is blooming on taller stalks than in years past - wonder if it is the wet spring or just the age of the plant.

My oakleaf and Endless Summer Hydrangas are still blooming - as are the stella d'oro daylillies and the hollyhocks and crosmosia.And this purple species geranium is going a bit nuts... I think he likes the extra sunlight that the others I planted in the shade aren't getting. And the buds on the butterfly bush are developing.
The hosta are blooming, as are the balloon flowers (though they just started), the Russian sage, and lavender are still gorgeous.
And I'm quite happy to have plenty of tomato, pepper, and squash flowers - the beans are still a bit slow. :)

Seedling Guilt.

I have too many tomato seedlings. I planted a row each for 4 different varieties in the Jiffy peat pellets. 6 * 4 = 24 Hey, usually about 1/2 die. This year not a one. Plus I bought a few, and planted those (Early Girls).

So tonight I was in the garden planting the veggies that ran out of room for. And I still have more plants than room. But I was pushing on - trying to get as much in. I had citronella candles out - and was breaking sod. However, the candles did no good whatsoever. Except to make me think they might be doing some good. My arms look almost like I have chickenpox.

And I only got a couple plants planted. I did some weeding - but sod clearing is a bit more work. I'm not even doing it properly - which may bite me next year. I did find a near completely intact brick while digging, and broken glass. I dug out what might have been a coneflower plant from the grass - and moved it by the fence. There are a bunch of coneflower possibles next to the garage - that I think I might dig and move somewhere that I can wait to see what happens.

Unknown Creeper.

This plant has been forming a mat in one of my perennial beds. It's fairly close to the ground, and I've no clue what it is? Any ideas?

The Danger of Sales..

It's July. And while most of the summer bulbs have been half off since late May - now many nurseries are having their season end sales. And they are too tempting. I purchased some more annuals and I still have lots of plants to plant - and I'm still tempted...

The evil to do list...

The first part of this week is supposed to be unseasonably cool, with evening rain. Which today was almost too much. With the heat and the rain before that there was so much to do that it was hard to even get started.

I got more of the veg garden weeded, then watered again since I planted seeds on Sat. and the soil seemed really dry. I still have a bunch of annuals that I got half-off at the PG season end prices to plant. The front flower beds were still so parched that I couldn't work them (even though I watered last night) so I watered them a little. We are getting some rain tonight - and hopefully tomorrow I can start to get them in shape. :) I need to get some more potting soil and put more holes in old plaster buckets - the peppers in pots are doing so much better that I think I'm going to pot more of the remainder.

I still have the half-off bulbs to plant... And I'm starting to make more lists.... I think tomorrow I just need to plop down by a flower bed and weed. Then worry about what next. :)

The Heat Breaks...

An hour after I tried to mow the lawn (5 pm) the temp had dropped 10 deg. And soon was in the low 70s before dusk for the first time all week. Note to self - wait another hour next time before mowing.

I was thus able to plant and weed some this afternoon. I pulled out the pansies from the cauldron, and planted it with annual geraniums - though this year a couple of red ivy geraniums. Most of the plants I overwintered inside are still alive, but haven't reflowered yet. Note - need to tag them with bloom color this fall.

I tried to put together the boards I got to hold in the mounded soil around the potatoes - but I need longer screws. I did get more lettuce harvested, that's 5 colanders full so far this year. I have been able to get a few pea pods from the garden - but really only enough to grab a couple for each person. But at least that's some.

The swiss chard I planted where the spinach fizzled is coming up - I almost cultivated them under - it's been so long I had given up. Next week is supposed to be a lot cooler - so I'm hoping to get caught up then.

The enemy has been spotted...

They have been expected. I knew it was too good to be true... The cold spring has delayed the arrival of the Japanese beetles.

It was in the 90s again today. I managed to get some gardening in by dunking my hair in the shower before going out, and by jumping in the pool (clothes and all) when I was getting too hot. I now have almost all of my purchased flowers planted. I got more tomatoes planted - and more of my hardened off seedlings. I still have a lot to do - as the weeds flourished in the last couple rainy weeks - and didn't seem to stop in the heat.

So back inside, I decided to take a couple pics of the lilies, and was met with the first Japanese beetles. I drown them. I don't want to hurt any of the bees or butterflies. But Japanese beetles are evil. So armed with my handy 'cup of death' (aka soap & water), I dispatched the first 2 today, the second of which was chewing through a rose bud.

I also got to see a butterfly going to town on the lilies.



And the hollyhocks are starting to bloom...

Smack my head moment.

I went out into the evening heat (and mosquitoes), and tried to reduce the weeds in the veg garden. And as I was pulling the weeds from what was supposed to be the carrot row - a single remaining carrot 6 inches south has me thinking I hoed under the wrong row. Then, again I did let some old carrots go to seed last year. And somehow in my new compost bin there were two healthy tomato plants (that I dug out and planted).

I had no plants in the middle of my pea rows. But lots of ants. Ants that seemed to still be swarming up the weeds to bite...

So I'm thinking of planting my remaining pepper plants there.

I had rotten luck trying to plant my remaining yellow squash seedlings - all 3 stems snapped as I was just picking up the plants (they had gotten tangled on the cucumbers). The cucumbers survived planting.

The lemon balm and tarragon were getting out of control - so I gave both plants a severe haircut - and then discovered the oregano in between will need trimmed tomorrow too.. I think I'm going to look for a dessert recipe for the tarragon (I've tried pork and chicken and don't really like seafood). And try to see if Martha Stewart ever published her lemon balm -ade recipe. As it is I still threw most of the clippings on the compost.

I did try to assemble a "box" to hold in soil around my potatoes, but the rechargeable drill died while drilling the first hole. Hopefully it wasn't charged long enough - because new batteries cost more than a new drill.

The Heat is Here...

In the way it always goes in Indiana - the temperature jumped 30 degrees, then moderated back to high 80s with high humidity. It feels like you are being smothered with a wet towel.

So I've put up the former row cover on bamboo stakes over the lettuce, as a shade cloth. And we're eating it every meal - cause I still don't know if it will bolt soon.
It didn't have enough time to form full heads - and it seems to be starting to grow up now...
The red lillies are fading and the white are starting to bloom...

Too Wet...

Multiple thunderstorms this week. Luckily no trees down near us. :) But I have clay soil - so I'm hoping later today the wind and the sun makes it dry enough to plop in the last of my purchased plants.

It's wet though, too wet to weed (and boy are they thriving!).

Row Cover...

Last year was the first I grew summer squash and zucchini - and the first that I got squash vine borer (maybe they just don't like butternut).

So this spring I transplanted my seedlings under row cover 3 ys, 3 z, and 3 watermelon. And waited until today - when I saw the middle plant had flowers.The wire I had used to support the cloth had actually worn some holes in it. When I removed the cover this is what I found.


One huge y. squash plant in the middle with only male flowers, one zucchini on the end with no buds yet, and one tiny watermelon plant - leaving 6 holes with very happy weeds. Luckily the weeds pulled out easily, and I have some more seedlings that have been waiting inside for me to figure out where the heck I could plant them.

Unfortunately, I think I'm going to need to stay vigilant for SVB. But on the plus side, these 3 plants are bigger than the others (butternut & pattypan) I planted uncovered, the extra heat might have helped if nothing else.

Rain Delay

Bushes do grow...

The blue hydrangea is big enough that most of the perennials planted closer to the porch are nearly completely obscured. That's about 4ft of shorter perennials...

And a lot of these guys are good to be split and/or moved out. This is on the NE side of the house - so light shade most of the day. The iris needs moved (and squeezed some more to try to kill more of the baby iris borers), the foamflower will be low - but I love seeing it there in spring, so maybe the hosta should move & be split (I only have one other that color). Lillies are staying, phlox needs thinned to reduce powdery mildew, snow on the mountain (bishop's weed) needs to be removed from the part of the bed by the porch, and the peony just needs the creeping charlie pulled out...

And the white edged hosta is hiding my white hellebore - I think moving the hellebore might be easier than being careful about the hellebore while moving the hosta.

Ever notice that it takes nearly as long to figure out how you want to renovate a bed - as to actually do it?

Cooking Adventures - Beef Burgundy AMK Cookbook (red)

I think one of the requirements of having a veg garden is to like to cook with the contents. And I've gotten more adventurous as I've gotten older. (Though I still haven't found a recipe worth making again with my tarragon or lemon balm.) So tonight I tried making Beef Burgundy. Roasts were on sale this week, and I thought trying something new would be nice...

Even with fresh parsley and thyme from the garden, I was completely underwhelmed. Perhaps a roast cooked whole not chopped up, perhaps with red potatoes instead of noodles. No bay... The meat tasted good, but not remarkable.

And it also underscores the major weakness I find with America's Test Kitchen's magazine (Cook's Ill) and the good cookbook I used. No pic at all. I want a color pic to help me gauge if I messed up, or if it's just not that wow.

And now my parsley is quite small - and I don't think it helped the dish at all. (pouts)

Time Flies...

The irises are mostly done (though there may be many days of foliage squeezing ahead - anyone have any new ideas on trying to get rid of borers?).
And the peonies are almost halfway done.

But the Yellow Rose has it's first bloom (and before the Japanese Beetles swarm!). Note that I still need to take another cart full of daylillies out of this bed.


And the first of the lillies started to bloom tonight. I can't believe I thought this guy was going to be orange (should have checked my old pics). He's a lovely red, isn't he? :)

In the upper right corner you might think I have 2 daisies planted too closely. Nope, 2 strikingly different colors on the same plant. I also made another 5 gallon plaster bucket a container for another eggplant, and got some more of the "extension" to the veg. garden covered with papers, then black landscape fabric. Today was the first sunny afternoon that showed me where the sun actually shines there. I was overly hopeful. I guess I'll just see what happens.

I'm hoping we actually get the thunderstorms that are in the forecast. This morning showed overnight was just enough to wet down the driveway. By the afternoon the only places that looked well watered were where I watered in plants and seeds. I really do need to set up a rain gauge.

ID please! Unexpected Visitor...

I was happily gardening along (and pondering if the large number of ant colonies in my garden explain why my seeds had such poor germination, when I noticed this guy in my herb bed. By the time I got my camera he was already nosing his way under the garden fence into the daylillies...

I didn't scream. Though I am freaked out.

Um, so please tell me he's a garter snake...

The Dangers of Plastic Bags...

Now is the time for sale bulbs. Which is actually great timing given the wet, cold spring. Earlier planting may have just rotted, great year for procrastinators like me, less guilt. The bad part is plastic bags. With company I've waited over a week to plant them, and unfortunately the purple glads got moldy because I left them in the store's plastic bag in my trunk. So I asked for a paper bag my next trip - 50% off - but they don't even have them!!!

Big box stores are quite odd anymore. Wally's world is charging more for plants than the local nurseries - but so many people assume they are still cheaper (like they were 3 years ago) and they are still selling half-dead, mislabeled annuals (as perennials), and lillies that have already bloomed and have been dead headed (for full price).

I was going to buy more weed block fabric - to hold down the newspaper over the grass.. but think it might be cheaper at the smaller store - so going there instead. It's hot and humid today (weird Indiana weather) but tomorrow it's supposed to be 15 deg cooler! So I think bulb planting is the less strenuous activity for today.

Picture Time

Wacky weather...

People have been saying that this spring is the coolest and wettest since the 1920s, but that further south in Indiana they have had it a bit wetter, so we're better off up here...

My peas had really poor germination. Especially since I was using relatively fresh seed. So I've planted a row of limas, and half a row of green beans where there should be peas. I got a packet of innocolant for the first time, and sprinkled the new seeds, just in case. I guess I should be happy, since I'm short on space, but I really like fresh peas so much more than beans... Guess I'll have to try for a fall crop.

I've gotten out the edger, and so far have about 2 sq feet de-sodded. And planted a tomato plant there. And topped it off with a bag of composted manure. (Grow baby, grow)I've got quite a bit more to go. But it's cool at least. I figure I'll stick the shallots I got in the Lowe's 1/2 price bin in the ground next to the onions, and then de-sod until it rains. Need to get more beans in.

Happy Sunday.

Container Gardening...

I ran out of room in my garden. And the tiller still isn't working. I put down clear plastic, but that only phased part of the grass.

So today, I planted a tomato plant in a 5 gallon bucket. Old jiffy peat pellets in the bottom, then soil from a plant that didn't last the winter indoors, then some egg shells and veg waste, then Miracle Grow. I need to get the drill out for the next bucket - which I think will be eggplant or peppers. I just remember the amount and taste of the container tomatoes I've grown in the past to be less...

Rainy day..

June came in with early morning thunderstorms. Just as the garden was getting dry enough to weed, and get my beans planted. My peas had really poor germination rates so I got a packet of inoculate, which I've never used before. I'm also planting limas and some purple beans as well. But the rain comes and laughs at my plans...

Much like my car, which refused to start, after I had finished purchasing more mulch at the hardware store. Since the battery seems fine (and a jump didn't help), it needs to be towed to the repair shop. Perhaps one of my lottery tickets won. Wouldn't that be nice?

The Dangers of Reading Garden Books...

I hit the library shelves, yet again, for my spring fix of gardening books. 635. 715. Some scattered biographies that I haven't yet found... So I found there were few technique books I haven't already read, so I went to the musing gardener books. This is quite dangerous as when the writer waxes on about a plant they love - I start to think maybe I should try that too.. Bitten in the New York Times, led to me planting beets for the first time - though I don' t have any seedlings so perhaps I'll have to try again.

And now a piece waxing on about lima beans of all things has me wondering about growing them. I have old seed, that I got a few years back, but the piece went on about vine limas being superior so I've been taking another look at the seed racks to see if anyone has those. But no limas have yet to be spotted.

Another cart full of daylillies put out by the back fence. Need more mulch, and newspaper, and soil. I have some tame yellow daylillies that I'd like to plop where some of the oranges were - but I think annuals would be more prudent. Easier to tell the difference between them and resurging daylillies. But I do have some yarrow, sedum, and sundrops I could plop in. Who knows - perhaps the sundrops could fight off any comers... :)

Daylillies...

Another name for the original orange daylilly is ditchweed - simply because it is on so many roadsides, especially near old abandoned farms... It seems to flourish on abuse. Rather than choke itself out, the roots go deeper and wider.

And as such, it really can overtake a flowerbed if it is not the sole member of it.
Yes, that is a whole cart full of orange daylillies - and there are plenty more in this side bed that need dug out. (They are crowding out the better mannered residents).

The problem is there are likely to be many daylillies emerging from the old roots that didn't come up with the plants. I'm adding a thick layer of newspaper before I mulch - but I know the daylillies will out. Heck, they crowded out my red daylillies that used to be on the right side of the window.

But as you can see - there is a good 5 x 2 ft of daylillies. Plus this is a foundation bed - so it needs to be at a good grade when the plants are removed...

Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler - perhaps I'll get more done.

Sometimes the plant you want most is the one you can't have.

This year, for my veg garden there are a few musts - zucchini, yellow squash, peas, green beans, and 'Mortgage Lifter' tomatoes. There are a couple things I would still like: ground cherry, and Rosa Bianca eggplant. Unfortunately, the former doesn't seem to be available as a plant locally (and Seed Savers is out), and the latter was sold out at B's. I haven't had much luck with eggplant - last year they didn't even set fruit, and I've not made it in a way that makes me choose it yet. But I've been reading and I had the seeds from a couple years ago... But not a single seedling.

So. I bought another variety, via the hardware store. I'm going to try them in pots - maybe that will help - maybe not.

Euphoria for Spring vs. 'That's a lot of work'

Today was in the 80s again. Indiana weather is rather consistently inconsistent. Cold, wet, and more wet then poof - heat wave. And well I'm in the boring parts of gardening - the maintenance of edging and weeding... The front entryway needs a third deck wash - it's a bit streaky and still the algae persists - the weird thing was when I scrubbed it only on the first pass did anything come off.

Some of my onions need replanted - and they need mulched. I haven't been able to find a source for straw - guess I should have gotten some last fall. And the veg bed still needs expanded - and the rototiller fixed.

When Deck Wash Doesn't

So I sprayed the front porch with deck cleaner. When I scrubbed it off - there didn't seem to be any change. And the algae/moss didn't seem to be effected at all.

I sprayed it off a couple times, and scrubbed the boards some more... I'll let it dry - but I think another application is called for - after the front porch is in the shade...

Seeds

I have a basket of seeds. Some are as old as 2002. They've not been refrigerated or frozen - and thus are quite likely to be worthless. At the time, every packet was a daydream. A little collection of possibilities. And so I find myself this year, knowing the odds of any plants arising from the seeds, but unwilling to not give them a chance, so planting as many as possible. So with the older seeds any germination is a cause for joy. But I've gotten new veg seed - since I used most of the older already, and I've saved seeds from my own plants - marigolds, amaryllis, iris, peony, and alliums. But this is the first year I've had any trouble starting marigolds.

I think perhaps the african marigolds I saved the seed from last year must have been mules - an entire flat and a damp papertowel in a plastic bag both got 0% germination. And the 2004 seed I tried seemed dessicated. (Did get one seedling from that though). So tonight I poured boiling water over the marigold 0% germ. flat and then replanted with various perennial seeds - I think the lupines have a good chance. I planted quite a few seeds in each peat pellet, (the chances of germination are rather low) and hopefully will get a couple seedlings.

I've still got 0% for ground cherries and cleome. I've ordered fresh ground cherry seed - I dithered about the cost of shipping from Seed Savers long enough that they ran out of plants. I'm not 100% certain that the berry after dessert in France was a ground cherry - but with no local sources - growing my own seems to be the only chance to find out. I'm contemplating buying a 6 pack of cleome - or another pack of seeds to scatter directly outdoors. Perhaps I should try the papertowel method with cleome, if I can find my remaining seed.

I tried the frig then bottom heat this time. Rather than just pop it in, cover, and put under the lights. I took a few more and put them in the frig for some more time - but still no sign now that they are under the lights. I've read that people get the best germination rates direct sowing or winter sowing - so perhaps just throwing out some seed... Unless they've dropped the price on the cleome at the nursery....

Garden 'til your arms fall off.

I spent this afternoon edging my perennial flower beds. This means using the edger to pop up the grass about 2 inches out from where the bed is, try to free as much soil as possible from the sod - throw the sod in the cart, and continue until your arms are about to fall off.

The amount of time it takes to remove the soil from the edgings is well spent contemplating what the perennials are about to overtake their neighbors and who needs moved or divided. And the front center bed has a few challenges there. First - it is getting too wide to easily access the center to weed it. Second - it has irises, peonies, lillies, and a shrub in it. Third - most labels are gone from the bed - and I'm seeing a lot of little seedlings that may be a volunteer or a weed. Also my tree peony in this bed, is a lot bigger this year than last - so the perennials I placed halfway between it and the iris - are being overtaken by the tree peony. And there is also a cluster of non-orange daylillies quite close to the peony that will have to be moved. (I need to remember to label the daylillies this year when they bloom.)

The iris are starting to bloom.

But the Merit doesn't seem to have wiped out the borers - even though I applied it much earlier this year - I'm starting to see spotting on the leaves. And I'm wondering what it does to earthworms. So... I guess when my current bag is gone - perhaps I'm done with this method, though my irises have survived better with the Merit - I was hoping that they would be free of problems with an early application...

Funny Day...

I watered the garden today - and now rain is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. After all the wetness this spring it's amazing how dry the soil has gotten. I think we didn't get as much rain on Sunday as I thought we did.

I found a 4 leaf clover today - a bit bug eaten - but the first one I have ever found.

:)

Another frost warning...

Tomorrow is supposed to be nice and warm though. Today was beautiful - though a bit on the chilly side when you weren't in the sun. But my soil seems really dry - so I need to water tomorrow morning.

The old hoses that are already linked together - should really be replaced - as should the hose cart. Until I have a full time job though - not important enough to mess with - we have 3 other hoses not in bad shape, and the best bet would probably be to take off the outermost hose on the reel, and replace it with the green hose that is the same style as the old brown hose that is missing so much of it's outer reinforcing material that it kinks far too easily. But I'm unsure if the join of the two has been run over in the past - I only know that it is covered in a ton of tape.

Though perhaps other things will come up. We'll see tomorrow.

Tree peony blooming for the first time (since I planted it 3 years ago).

I love my foam flower. So cute and fuzzy. :)