Backyard
The Garden – Spring 2012 Update
This was the year that I decided not to do much in the garden. Well, I couldn’t really resist. First of all, by April, we still hadn’t eaten all the potatoes from last year, so those needed to go into the ground, two long rows worth of potatoes. Add to that the row of potatoes … Continue reading
First flowers of 2012
It was a beautiful day today – windy, sunny, and warm. And the first crocuses of spring were in bloom.
Frost Patterns
We have a section of fence that is just propped up. So, in high winds, it falls over, and we right it again. A couple of mornings ago, when I lifted it up from its prone position I saw really cool patterns made by the grass.
Light and Hope
Amid much sad news recently, I am reminded that there is still light, there is still beauty, there is still hope, there is still love.
I wanted a house so that I could have a washer and dryer
When we bought our first house, I used to quip that I wanted a house so that I could have my own washer and dryer. When we bought our second house, one big selling feature was this … … a clothes line in the backyard. I was elated. Not only that, there were clothes lines … Continue reading
What is that in your garden?
By far the most awesome looking plant in the garden is the cardoon. Standing tall and full, and dwarfing all the other plants, it makes a pretty impressive sight. It is the plant that catches the most attention and gets the most questions. So what is cardoon? Apparently, cardoon is not grown much in this … Continue reading
Miscellaneous Musings
This was supposed to be Miscellaneous Monday Musings, but, it is now Tuesday, so we just have Miscellaneous Musings. Trumpet vine is beautiful … But it is insidious – sneaking about underground and cropping up everywhere. I’m not sure the edamame beans are going to survive the persistent grazing. I’m pretty sure that the peas … Continue reading
Surprise!
Since I still have lots of canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, I only planted 5 tomato plants this year, just to have some for eating. What I didn’t count on was the hundreds of tomato plants volunteering along the two rows where the tomatoes were planted last year. Since I planted a variety of heirloom plants, … Continue reading
Mulching Experiments
Leaves, Straw, or Grass Clippings A number of years ago, I discovered the benefits of mulching around my tomato plants with straw. This works really well. The straw prevents the soil from eroding during the rain. It also helps the soil retain moisture. What I mainly noticed was that the straw eliminated dirt splatter onto the … Continue reading