Lynda True's garden, part two

Today was a good day. I found half the carrots; not that they were lost, but oh, my, the weeds. The other half awaits me tomorrow. I had spent a lazy morning (not unusual for Sunday), but the weather was nearly perfect, and it called to me to come outside and get something done.

I'll post some pictures, later.

Gladiolas, Marigolds, Lettuce:



Ballerina, Redbud, Pole Beans (on the other side of the fence), Early Girl, and Betty Boop, Iris, and Forsythia in the distance.



Iris, and Beets (and the bed needs edging).



Iris in pots, back where they're supposed to be.



They'll get a kinder sun, here, and more consistent water. I'll put them in the ground end of August, or beginning of September, depending on the heat.

Today, I was waylaid by all the weeds in the large garden bed. I walked by, and couldn't take it any more. Even though there are other, more pressing issues, I spent most of the afternoon pulling weeds, and have cleared perhaps a fourth of it. Currently, the birdbath isn't visible. That's an awful lot of weeds.

I didn't hire the guy who cleared the bed in back, because there are Linaria in this bed, and I want to keep them. I just don't want to keep anything else (except the rose, and the ninebark, of course). There are a lot of things that like the Linaria (and that includes me). Mine is multiple colors, and I've had it almost since I bought the house. I threw the seed in that bed right after it was cleared and leveled, and it's done well.

I cut the gladiolas that had finished blooming (but there's still more starting to bloom), and then cut the iris stalks from the bed in back, where I'd also planted beets. As long as I was so close, I pulled some beets, and had beet greens with dinner, and threw the few string beans I'd picked into the pot to steam along with the greens. Nothing like vegetables you've just picked. Nothing.

Tomorrow is irrigation. Thank goodness.

I took out the Rosemary at the corner of the arbor gate. The Wisteria was insistent on coming up from the root, even though I dug it out twice. It was awfully pretty when it was there, and I now have another option to get back and forth if the bees get crazy again.



You can see it grabbing hold of the fence there in the corner, near the gate. It's already half way up the fence, two days after this photo was taken.

>2 Lyndatrue: That's a lotta iris.
>3 Lyndatrue: Even though there are other, more pressing issues
Sometimes you just have to deal with the thing that's bothering you. It's time well spent even if it wasn't the top item on the list.

Could you repost your labeled overview on this thread? I found it handy for orientation.

I can't wait to see the Iris in the bed! Where's the fast forward button??

>5 qebo: Man, "labeled overview" seems obvious, but it still took me a minute. Apparently I needed coffee to achieve consciousness.

Here's the overview:



>6 lesmel: I don't have a fast forward. How about a reverse button instead?



It won't be that orderly (as to color) when I put them back in.

>5 qebo: I agree. Sometimes you just gotta take care of what's bothering you. Then your mind will be more clear for the pressing issues.

Lovely pictures!

>7 Lyndatrue: *sighs* They are so lovely. I love Iris.

Today I spent some time just collecting myself. On Wednesday, I'd been continuing the attack on the incredible growth of weeds in Bed 5 (which should only have two living plants, and a bird bath), I managed to get one of the seeds in my eye. Luckily, I had an appointment with my ophthalmologist on Thursday. I'd managed to rinse it out, but it really HURT, and it was a huge relief to hear that there was an abrasion in the corner of the eye, because the damage could have been much worse.

It actually rained (a LOT) yesterday evening, and was still raining a bit this morning. We got more than a tenth of an inch (and please note, for us, any time of year, that's quite a bit). There's a silver lining, though. It made it a lot safer to attack the weeds, and I've done a first pass on more than half the bed. As do many weeds here, this one flings the seeds when disturbed, and having it soaked really prevented that. Rain or not, I'm irrigating tomorrow, because I want it saturated on Sunday, when I get back to it.

This was from a few days ago. It's starting to look even more controlled now.



Such a strange spring and summer we've had, though. I keep checking the calendar, and I see that it's July, but I'm not sure I believe it. The predicted high for tomorrow is 80, and on Sunday, it's 79. Normal highs this time of year are 90 or so.

Ah, well.

Who knew? I've grown parsnips for years, but now there's one to be careful of.

http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/1999/jun99/parsnip.htm

Yep. Wild parsnips are dangerous, and can cause burns.

On the other hand, locally, we have Cow Parsnips (also wild), and they seem to be less toxic.

http://www.nwplants.com/information/white_flowers/white_comparison.html

In both cases, washing the area that was sensitized, and then making sure it doesn't come in contact with sunlight for a few days, is probably good enough.

>10 Lyndatrue: On the plus side, you can really see the difference.
>11 Lyndatrue: I've been hearing about wild parsnip, on a couple of FB plant groups where people have posted photos of the rash. Yikes. It's in Pennsylvania too.

I have all of Bed 5 cleared, but only for a first pass. Yesterday was cold (for July, since the high was 77), and it was hard to stay focused, and just finish it. Today I'll be working on places where I have vegetables being crowded, but it's mostly orchard grass, which is annoying, but easy to pull up.

Every year it's a new weed, it seems like. Most anything that has a seed small enough to fit through the irrigation system ends up attempting to colonize, and some are more successful than others. Ah well. Off to work.

We're going to be in the high 90s and low 100s for as far out as I care to look. "Normal" here (if there is such a thing) would be about 85. I'm not exactly loving these temps (no air conditioning), although my tomatoes seem to be--ha.

>14 labwriter: My tomatoes would love to come and visit. Tomatoes want the sun, and hot, dry weather. My Giant Belgian has yet to set a bloom, poor thing. My bush beans are producing, but they'd produce a lot faster if it was warmer. I'd been regretting not putting in any summer squash, but I'm not sure they'd be doing well, considering the weather.

Actually, *I* would love to visit. I prefer the heat. We've apparently swapped weather, and I'd like to change it back. It rained, for a bit, this morning (I'm irrigating anyway, but still). Yesterday, I had the lawn mowed by my rescue service (I call them when my plate's too full). They always do lovely work.

Middle of July. It's just weird.

Wednesday, I cleared out the lettuce, which was mostly bolting, in any case. I'm considering trying some beets, there, since it only gets the morning sun, and plenty of water.

Today, I weeded the roses in the front (which is an everlasting task), and did some slight trimming of them. Then, I got the vegetable basket out, and filled it with bush beans. There were mostly yellow wax, and royal burgundy, with just a few blue lakes from the four plants I put in. The pole beans are climbing furiously, and I noticed a very few beans on a couple of the plants.

Tomorrow night, beans with my dinner. :-} There may even be a tomato; one looked close to ripe.

The beans were indeed delicious. The tomato was too (it could have used another day, but I ate it today, still warm from the sun). I mowed, and then managed to weed for a while, as an antidote for the evening news.

I think I'm going to try putting in some summer squash. It's awfully late, but they grow pretty fast once it's hot, and it's finally headed into normal summer weather here.

All in all, a lovely day.

I did a decent amount of weeding, and picked string beans. I planted the bush beans *after* the pole beans, and yet the pole beans are only now starting to show a bean of two.

From May 9th:

I planted Kentucky Wonder (Burpee, Heirloom), then Santa Anna (Ferry-Morse), which are new to me, and Blue Lake (Lilly Miller).

I won't be planting the Santa Annas again; they're struggling, and I'm not sure why. The Kentucky Wonders are admirable, but I must remember to plant them further apart next year. Mercy, you can't tell where one stops and the next one starts. I've already picked 4 or 5 beans from them, too. The Blue Lakes are doing fine, as well, and I can see immature beans on them.

I also fertilized all the beans, and the tomatoes, green peppers, and the marigolds (and the herbs). Beans are heavy feeders, too. I should probably make the effort to step it up to every three weeks, instead of once a month.

Tonight was lamb, and a huge salad, made with the lettuce pulled from the garden, and some banana peppers, in addition to all the other vegetables.

Summer is delicious.

I want to try the Kentucky Wonders next year. I agree with you about "delicious" summer.

Friday was a bit long, and I spent most of it being distracted by various problem areas, which means none of them got finished. I did thin one of the carrot beds, which meant tiny carrots for snacking with dinner last night. I'm officially in the "don't need to buy tomatoes" any more; of course, now I need to buy lettuce.

I did have a long talk with myself, over the last few days, and tomorrow will be the last day I mow. I'll have a service (they're excellent, they do very nice work, and I've been using them as a back up for the past two years). My riding mower will go up for sale on Monday. I should take a couple of pictures of it tomorrow. I'll miss it, but it's time to let it go.

Today was irrigation. Tomorrow is mowing. I'd really like to get to the other bed of carrots, so that I can fertilize both beds at the same time. Man, oh man, it's almost August.

>20 Lyndatrue: tomorrow will be the last day I mow
Congratulations. Frees you up for carrots and beans and those various problem areas.

Last views of my mower before it leaves tomorrow. I bought it new in 2010, and it worked very well for me. It's just time to let it go. The service starts on Thursday. I did a quick pass today (well, if two hours work is quick), and still filled two barrels.



The light is incredible in this shot. It was early afternoon, and the fence looks bright white. Weird.



I've been wearing this hat when I mow for years. I think it was new in the mid-nineties.



After I'd mowed, and rested, I attacked the beets. I think I managed to clear out about a third of the weeds. At least the beets are visible now. Tomorrow I'm going to try finishing them, and the carrots.

Wow, a local cap!

So much work, but it's looking good!

I spent most of the afternoon clearing out the carrots that hadn't been weeded yet. They still need proper thinning (I'd thinned the other bed already, a few days ago), and both sets need fertilizing. I did have a few sacrifices, where I had to pull out the carrot to get the weed, but they'll be fine with dinner (they're about an inch long, at best). Once they're thinned, they get big fast.

This morning I took out a wasp's nest that was under the eaves, and then hit the wasps on the ground with the spray. Nothing like a deck nozzle on the end of a hose to take the little demons out (my house is two stories, and they build the nest in an area they probably believe to be unreachable). My mower left around 1PM, bound for glory (or for sale, whichever comes first).

I also potted my two little lavender plants. I thought they'd have long ago been planted in the ground, but they're so slow to grow that I'm still babying them.

Tomorrow's irrigation, thank goodness.

Boy, things have changed so much from the pictures I posted from the first of the month. I need to walk around with the camera again.

Well, congrats on solving your lawn issues. I'd like to see pics!

Yesterday I cleared more of the back bed. Crawling around behind the ninebark to get at those last, stubborn, deep-rooted weeds in 100 heat... Okay, now I'm being pitiful. One of these days I may seek out a reference guide so that I know the names of the things I'm pulling up.

It's interesting how many things have a mechanism for breaking off at ground level, so they can immediately send up new shoots, and regrow, when someone has taken a hoe to the ground. It's why I pull them out, one at a time, making sure I have the root. The carrots still need to be thinned a bit more.

>26 Lyndatrue: I'm smiling from ear to ear because I found this--thought you would enjoy it. I'm finally getting my books out of boxes (slowly, but its happening) post-move. This is from An Island Garden by Celia Thaxter.

There is a long procession of weeds to be fought: pigweed, ragweed, smartweed, shepherd's purse, mallow, mustard, sorrel, and many more, which make the first crop. The second consists largely of quitch-grass, the very worst of all, and purslain or pusley. . . . The roots of quitch-grass are as strong as steel and run rapidly in all directions underneath the surface, sending up tender shoots that break too easily when you touch them. The root must be found, grasped firmly, and followed its whole length to utter extermination, or the grass will come up like a giant, and later cannot be dealt with except by pulling up also the flower among which it inextricably entangles itself.

Celia sounds like a kindred spirit!

>27 labwriter: Oh, you are a wicked person. Now I need this book. I'm trying to decide on which edition, precisely, but your review, written in 2010, with its quoted paragraph, pushed me over the edge. Celia is my kind of gardener, yes indeed.

>27 labwriter:, >28 Lyndatrue: Seriously wicked. Sigh.

Today, I allowed myself to be distracted by other things, except for going out long enough to pick tomatoes, green peppers, and string beans. I dug out a bit more of the path between the front and the back that I'd had creeping thyme in, since it was dying back. Rather than see it struggle, I'll just plant new in the spring.

Did I say it was hot today? It was. I don't actually mind 103 when I'm used to it, but we've had a summer cooler than usual, and taking the day off (for the most part) just seemed easier. I'm still trying to decide whether or not I'm going to put up beans. If I do, it'll be fairly soon (and then I'll take most of them out). I've finally started collecting tomatoes for putting up tomato soup.

My Giant Belgian Yellow has yet to set a single tomato. If it weren't so late in the season, I'd pull it out and start more Early Girls in its place. Tomorrow's irrigation. I'll be fertilizing like crazy on Monday.

Found your new thread...you started it while I was away, and I missed it.

Love the glads, and seeing the progress. It's so rewarding to remove weeds: I stand back and admire the view.

About beans: most of the time they don't require fertilization, because they produce nitrogen. Some farmers plant beans after they plant corn, to help replenish the soil, and I recall the native Americans planted the beans and corn together (the beans would climb the corn stalks).

We got our first riding mower last summer, and it's been wonderful. My dh doesn't mind going out after work and riding around the back yard or front yard, to help keep it from getting knee-deep. All these years with a gasoline "push" mower...we put in our time, we paid our dues!

>31 fuzzi: I'm going to have to disagree with you on green beans. If you don't fertilize them, they quit producing. Yes, they are nitrogen-fixers, and good for the soil, but if you want them to keep on making food, you have to give them some.

Oh my, I'm channeling my daddy. Can't help it.

I loved my riding mower, and having it for the past 6+ years has been fabulous, but I have to accept that nothing's forever. Not even me.

I believe that the nitrogen-fixers fix it in order to put it in their seeds - if you grow beans and then cut them down and work them into the soil before they flower or at least before they set seed/start pods, they're great for getting nitrogen back into the soil. But if you get a harvest off them, that takes the nitrogen out again. I know that's true for fava beans, not certain for other legumes.

>32 Lyndatrue: understood, but they will give you mostly leaves, too.

My mother didn't fertilize her beans, and they produced like crazy. She was into "organic" before anyone else in the neighborhood, and used the constant method: she would dig small holes and bury potato peelings and such. The only time she'd fertilize was at transplanting time.

Do what works for you. :)

I've been distracted with other things, and got very little done on Sunday and Monday. Today, I started trimming roses, and got the two most needy done. I'll never buy another tea rose. They're too short lived, and that HAVE to be trimmed back once they're done blooming. They smell good, they're pretty, but my ebb tides smell good, and are pretty, and take 10% of the work to look good. They'll also live a very long time.

Interesting. It's a hybrid.

http://www.weeksroses.com/_Roses/EbbTide.html

I'll probably start pulling out some of the pole beans. I've decided not to can them this year, and they're providing a bit too much shade for one of the tomatoes. I may be forced to supplement my own tomatoes with some from the farmer's market, since I need to make tomato soup for winter.

I still need to fertilize, but trimming has to get done first.

I pulled out a few of the pole beans. They committed the worst sin possible; they were shading one of the tomatoes. I'd decided against canning any beans this year, so it's not really a loss. I start to run out of people to give them away to about now.

As an aside, it's always hard to find people that want home grown things. The biggest reason is that people who like food from the garden have their own gardens. Perhaps it's just that I only know those kinds of people... Maybe there are plenty of people who would be happy to have a dinner of fresh string beans, and don't have the land or time to grow them. I no longer give such things to the food banks, since I've seen that those kinds of things end up thrown away. Too much work to fix, I suspect.

I'm actually looking around to see what I can start on in preparation for the fall, and winter. Yeah, I know it's August, but an early autumn is in the air. Not today, of course, with the current temp in the low nineties, but I've seen the forecast, and the temperatures are wending their way downwards.

>36 Lyndatrue: This summer is certainly racing by. Yesterday was our first break from the heat. The kids here are looking to go back to school in two weeks. In my head, it's about July 2nd. Ha. I can't keep up.

I start to run out of people to give them away to about now. I've had the same experience--probably all gardeners have. I only wish someone would come to my door with a bushel of fresh beans!

>36 Lyndatrue: I'd love some fresh beans.

You are going to compost the vines, right? :)

I knew this month seemed rushed; now I can see I've missed things. Redbud needs bloodmeal, and I'm pulling out more pole beans, before fertilizing the keepers.

Notes for next year. Don't bother with blue lake pole beans. Good bush beans, lousy pole beans. Don't plant any climbing bean near the large sprinkler; they don't do well with the twice a week assault for ninety minutes. The Santa Anna beans were unfairly maligned, since they bore the brunt of it, and still managed to produce.

In just for a breather. Back later, if I don't fall down.

Notes for today (and a bit from yesterday). Bloodmeal to the redbud. Weeded both dogwoods. I trimmed the back Forsythia back to manageable, but I think I'm just going to take it out. Too bad; it's a good, strong plant. It's just more than I need to take care of. I pulled out a non-performing tomato. I'm sad, since this is the second time I've tried a Giant Yellow Belgian, and the plant gets big, but it never sets fruit. I'm done. I'll just put early girls all around next year.

I fertilized a lot of things, but ran out of fertilizer. I got the three roses in the front, the front wallflowers, the hydrangea, and the bayberries. I weeded the two remaining tomato beds, and then fertilized them. I threw down fertilizer for the bush beans, and gave some to the remaining pole beans. I fertilized both sets of carrots.

I cleaned around the ebb tide rose, and then fertilized them both (the other one wasn't all that weedy, this time out). Yesterday I gave bone meal to the potted iris, but I need to give it to the ones still in the bed, and also come up front and give the gladiolas and the asiatic lilies the same.

Tomorrow I'll head out to the nursery, and replenish my stock of fertilizers.

>40 Lyndatrue: wow, you were a busy gardener!

I removed two Forsythia from the front yard, as they required more trimming than I was willing to do, my time is limited. If I plant them, again, I will put them where they can grow free...

>41 fuzzi: Best news I've had all morning. I'd been feeling a bit annoyed that I was going to take out an otherwise healthy plant because it was just too much work, and I feel much better knowing that I'm not alone. I have one in the front that may also go. They're very pretty in the spring, with all that bright yellow, but gosh, they are aggressive.

My iris need to go back in the ground, and the one in back has already taken up half the iris bed. Half! Well, it was, before I trimmed it. Tomorrow, I'll get out the shovels, and the big cutting tools, and that will be the end of it.

>42 Lyndatrue: even if you think you get all the roots, watch for shoots. I had to keep yanking shoots for a year or two. There are none, now.

Today, more pruning. I did both Ebb Tide roses, and the barberry between them. I only got scratched once, so I did good. I few of the blooms on the roses weren't really done yet, and that perfume is still with me, hours later. Love those roses; one of my favorites.

There was a leak in one of the canals, so the system got shut down (and my watering didn't happen on Tuesday). I was lucky, because we had a decent rainfall, and things are fine. The system is programmed to do a short watering tomorrow, late afternoon (which is normal for late summer), and that'll work out fine. I checked, earlier this afternoon, and it was back up.

I thinned the carrot beds, and had carrots as a side dish, along with a salad. Life is not too bad.

>40 Lyndatrue:, >41 fuzzi: Don't feel badly about removing your forsythia. It's a non-native plant. At the symposium about pollinators that I went to in the Spring, the presenter was begging people to get rid of the forsythias they have and to discontinue planting them, saying that forsythia is a non-native that is generally overused and has very little habitat value for the space they take up. His suggestion for what to plant instead: golden current. The yellow flowers attract bees and the berries feed the birds. Plus the fall foliage ranges from hot pink to orange to red.

>45 labwriter: golden currant
Ooh, this was intriguing, but alas for me it's a western native, can be grown here but isn't ideal. Now I'm looking for other species of currant. Here they suggest spicebush as a forsythia substitute because of the early yellow flowers.

>46 qebo: Spicebush? As in Spicebush swallowtail...?

>47 fuzzi: Yup. I planted three spicebushes this year, but not until June and they're only 1-1/2' high so I doubt any butterfly will find them. I'm hopeful for next year. Spicebush is in the same family as sassafras, another host.

I'm getting ready to pull up my pole beans as well, as they've peaked. After a fantastic month of production, they are turning yellow and have slowed way down.

>49 ronincats: I fertilize everything, once a month, and my beans produce all summer. There seems to be disagreement as to whether beans need fertilizing, but I always have, and they do well. I planted far more plants than was sane, because I wanted to try different varieties. I'm glad I did, because I will continue to plant the Kentucky Wonder as a pole bean, and I may try the Santa Anna again some year, I know now that Blue Lake is fine as a bush bean, but a waste of space as a pole bean.

You live in the land of Dr. Earth (my personal favorite), and I use a mix of the vegetable, with additional bloodmeal and bone meal (perhaps 6, 1, 1 as rough measurements). I use that on everything (not just the beans), once a month, until autumn (which is about to arrive). Tomorrow I'll be finishing up the last of the fertilizing, and I probably won't be feeding any plants until next spring.

I just had beans tonight, along with fresh carrots (well, fresh picked yesterday, when I was thinning), and a tomato, along with salmon. I love fresh carrots. Heck, I even love them from the grocery store, but fresh from the ground is extra wonderful.

Oh, that forsythia is determined. I have it partially dug out, but it's going to take a few days before it's gone. I think I'll have professionals (or at least gifted amateurs) come take out the front one. It's been in the ground for seven years, I think, and I'm sure the root system is terrifying.

I lied about fertilizing. I got distracted with the forsythia, and that's where I spent most of my energy. We're about to have a nice hot spell, and that'll help (both in encouraging the plant to give up the ghost, and for me, because I like it).

Forsythia is determined...I saw a tiny sprig in the front garden just today!

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!

Forsythias:

A friend came last week and helped me mow and clean up my yard. She tackled a forsythia volunteer near the back door. She got several large pieces with roots on them, but I'm sure not all of the roots are gone. She took them home to plant in her own yard. :@)

The winter birds do use it's tangles as a perching spot safe from predators. I count it as a plus in my yard, on the whole, though I'm intrigued by your other suggestions.

>53 2wonderY: I have multiple bushes that are excellent for perching, and all come with fearsome thorns to discourage predators. I'll put something else in that will be discouraging to predators, and yet good for the bees.

Yesterday, I got out the stump, and the last of the branches, of the forsythia in the back. Today, I do more work on the one in the front. I'm still trying to decide whether I'll be able to dig it out on my own. I guess I'll find out once I've cut it down to the ground, where I can look at it.

I took out a few of the bush beans that had quit producing, and was overjoyed to see that the fertilizer had encouraged the royal burgundy and wax beans to start producing again. I think I'll plant more sensibly next year, and have enough plants to produce dinner a couple of times (or so) a week, and not so much that I run out of friends to give them away to. I don't can them, although I have in past. I don't really care for canned beans; not even mine.

I really need to learn to plant less beans. At least, make a plan to pull out half once they start producing. The thing is, most people that will be happy to take a zucchini or two, or tomatoes (there's ALWAYS a market for those), often don't want vegetables that actually take some preparation. To me, the difference between fresh beans and canned ones (even ones I can myself), or frozen, is worlds apart. I'm content to eat them two or three times a week, in the last summer, but it still is sad that they're so easy to grow, and so difficult to share.

I finished cutting down the forsythia in the front. I'm going to wait for a couple of weeks before trying to dig it out, though. It's not going to be easy. The moment I did it, I wondered why I hadn't done it ages ago. It really restricted my vision when backing out of the driveway, and I suppose I was just putting up with it. I'm almost decided to put another Gold Medal rose in there (even though I'd sworn I'd not get another tea rose). It won't get large, and it smells so good.

My tomatoes are happy the weather's hot, but it's not going to last for long. I'm happy too. I like it when it's hot.

Goodness, I had no idea it was this late. Off to bed.

Thursday, when I finally managed to get showered and dressed, the lawn service had already left. They apparently picked up the massive branches of the Forsythia that were left over to the side of the driveway, where I'd dragged them to be out of their way (the night before). I'm sure they just pitched them on top of their load. A moment's work for them, but it saved me a good two hours of cutting those branches up into pieces that would fit in the receptacles. It's been nearly two days ago, and I'm still thanking them in my heart.

Yesterday I started on the preparation of the back bed, where the Iris will be replanted, and rescued from their hideously cramped planters. I keep telling them that if they didn't try to divide and multiply so often, that they'd still fit, but do they listen? Nooooo.

I've learned a lesson with my tomatoes that I probably should have already known. No matter how healthy the seedlings are, when you've started plants from seed, you have to let some of them die. I'm terrible at thinning, but in this case, they didn't grow well because there was just too much competition. Ah, well. There've been enough to eat, and I can always drive out to the farms in Pasco, and buy 20 - 30 pounds for making soup.

My dogwood is already turning, and I'm not sure what that says for the winter to come. It's never turned this early. It usually hits the first week in September.

Use scissors to thin your seedlings next time. The roots of the others aren't disturbed, then.

...or don't plant them all in the first place. This would have been the wise thing to do. I get away with it when planting things like carrots, and have learned that basil doesn't care at all, and parsley wants to be just one at a time. I don't think that I've planted five or six seedlings in one spot before. I usually, at the very least, separate them out, and have just two or three growing in my little segregated beds. I'm an old country girl; you think I'd know better.

>58 Lyndatrue: I'd put 2-3 in each peat pot, or similar seed-starting receptacle.

Today I got the back bed ready to put Iris in, and started pulling down the climbing beans.

Note to self; growing a few plants of Kentucky Wonder because they taste good is fine, but it makes no sense to grow a line of beans that can feed an army. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

The day was very windy, and it finally drove me inside. The very first thing I need to do tomorrow is pick those beans. There's a lot of them. Time to get some carrots, too, and decide whether or not I'm making pickled beets. There look to be enough beets to do it.

Lack of enthusiasm kept me in the house most of the day, but I finally got going. I pulled out all the Kentucky Wonders, and cleaned up the remaining vines from the Santa Annas that I didn't finish because the wind drove me inside. I still have more beans to pick, but they'll have to wait until Wednesday.

The amount of beans was astonishing to my friend that had come over for them. She helped me take down the last of the vines, and was overjoyed to be taking home a grocery bag nearly full of beans. I'd picked most of the beans on Friday, so that amount was for three days growth. I think next year I'll just plant a few on the south side of the rose, where they'll get plenty of sun, but not shade anything.

I also took out the parsley planted in that bed, because it had bolted. The same parsley, from the same seedlings, in the front bed (which gets only morning sun) still looks great. This is good, because I need it for tomato soup...

>61 Lyndatrue: parsley is a food source for Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars...

Picked more beans, and pulled out the last Blue Lake bush bean. I hadn't picked the bush beans since Sunday. My, oh, my, that's a whole lot of beans. I also started cleaning up one of the beds, pulled some beets for dinner, and cut back the marigolds (in the lettuce bed in the front), which seemed poised to take over the world.

Those beets are calling my name. Off to make some food.

Trying to catch up with the threads here. I love your saga of the beans.

The much neglected bed #7 is mostly weeded now. I don't know that I've paid it any attention for the past two years (certainly I've not planted anything in it). It's been growing a fine crop of Bermuda Grass, Foxtails, and other unpleasant things. The fence divides it, and I got it nearly all cleaned out on the morning side, and mostly cleaned out on the afternoon. This is all in preparation for using bleach to sterilize the ground entirely. It's never really had a lot of amendments, and the earthworms much prefer the parts that have richer soil, so I'm unconcerned that there will be a loss there. I usually use this method on the stretch of soil closest to the back of the house (amusingly titled bed #16, even though little grows there, and what does gets pulled out). It's effective, and takes about a year, sometimes two, to recover from it. I'll also be using this on the gravel outside the fence.

It's far too late to be putting down ground clear (my usual method), and this is easier for me.

I pulled carrots. They are so remarkably delicious when they've just come out of the ground (after rinsing off the dirt). I only pull a few days worth at any time, and let the rest continue to grow.

Now that the tomatoes don't have competition from the pole beans, and the weather has started to provide consistent heat, they're beginning to do something. This may be my worst tomato year ever. I'll be making a trip out to the truck farm outside of Pasco to buy 15 or 20 pounds so as to make soup. I really prefer the Early Girls for flavor. Most of the tomatoes from the local Farmer's Market are grown for size, or physical appearance. I want *taste* rather than beauty.

Sometimes LT tells me that I'm making a duplicate post, and when it says this, I never am. Other times (such as now), it just does it. I dunno.

While I'm thinking about it, let me register my vague annoyance with people selling YELLOW Brandywine tomatoes, and calling them heirlooms. Uh, nope? Brandywines have that almost pink look to them. These are indeed a hybrid, created from a Brandywine and some random yellow tomato, but they are NOT Brandywines, and certainly not heirlooms.

mmm - there are a lot of open-pollinated tomatoes that get called heirlooms by people that don't know better. Not hybrids, because they'll breed true (a seed from a hybrid will produce something-or-other, but rarely similar to the tomato you got it from), not heirlooms because they are (as you point out) new varieties. They'll be heirlooms if people plant them and keep seeds for another 20-50 years, though!

Yesterday was reasonably productive, and I got more cleared away from the back beds I've been working on. I'm still trying to decide on whether I'm really going to sterilize those beds (because my intent is to use bleach, and that takes about two years for the effect to fade away). I don't want to take the beds out, but I need to get control of the yard back, and not having to pay attention to that spot next year would be helpful.

I need to pick beans again today, but I think I'm pulling the plants out as I go through and weed that bed (this week, sometime, I hope). Those first beans in early summer are always so delicious, but I'm spoiled, and there's no easy way to tell them to lay low for a week or two. It's just as well. Today is probably the last day over 90 for the season. I'll look forward to them next year. :-}

They're not a good candidate for the food banks, because it turns out that poor people don't really want them. I often see them sorting through the boxes of food they're given, and things like string beans are usually tossed out. I suspect it's because they're not ready to eat in the way a zucchini is. I have a few friends that like them, and appreciate getting them, and that's probably the best way for extras.

It's always so funny how ratty looking the Royal Burgundy plants are. Half the leaves look singed from the sun, and yet they're loaded with beans.

Time to get busy.

I cleared nearly all of the back bed, and only ate two carrots (shake the dirt off, and eat). I considered it to be a reward. I need to finish this off, and move to the large bed (bed #5) at the side of the house, which is as bad as the back bed was. It'll go more quickly since there's very little (other than one rose bush) to attack me (as opposed to two roses, and a barberry, and then all those carrots to work around).

I put the final dose of bloodmeal for the year on the Redbud tree. I'll probably do a final round of fertilizer for the things I'm keeping, and care about. Tomatoes, and carrots for sure, and the perennials, of course. I'm trying to remember how long beets keep in the ground before becoming woody. I suspect it's time to start giving some away, since I've decided against canning any.

Hey Lynda, you've probably mentioned it here, but what kind of fertilizer do you use on your vegetables? And how often?

You've had a busy and productive summer, but I suspect that's the way you roll all the time, yes?

I love beet juice, which is actually mostly orange juice. It doesn't take more than one little beet to make very strongly flavored beet juice. The beet and orange combination is so good.

I use Dr Earth, and I use the heck out of the one meant for vegetables.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Earth-Organic-Vegetable-Fertilizer/dp/B000VZRV4C/

I use that on almost everything, other than the roses. Beans don't need a lot of fertilizer, and I use it sparingly. I just sprinkle some on the ground near the plant the day before irrigation. I use a lot more on tomatoes, but then, they need it.

This is what I use on the roses.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Earth-702P-Organic-Fertilizer/dp/B000SDTSIO/

In most cases, I mix in bloodmeal and fish bone meal when I fertilize, because our soil is poor, and very iron deficient. Dang, those Amazon links are pricey. I dunno, maybe that's what I pay at the nursery.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Earth-716-13-0-0-2-Pound/dp/B0047BIVO0/
https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Earth-722-3-18-0-2-Pound/dp/B0047BIVOK/

http://drearth.com/

Don't be clicking around on the Doctor Earth site, it'll trap you. I just started to look at the "100 easy to grow plants" and almost got lost.

>71 Lyndatrue: Thanks! Well, the Dr. Earth stuff just looks amazing. I'm quite sure my soil will love me for it.

Tomorrow is going to be a crazy day, since I'm hoping to start pulling beets after the irrigation is over.

Today I cut the wisteria at the roots. It's one of the very few things that's easier to remove dead than alive. I was going to let it grow, but remembered some of its bad habits as it got started this summer. The worst thing is how many weeds are encouraged to hide among its branches. Weeds do not need help, thanks.

I cleared one third of bed #5, and trimmed the Ballerina rose in that bed WAY back. I really have hopes of getting full control of the yard in another week or so, but I suspect I'm doomed. I am postponing the fertilizer (only for the perennials) until next week. I might still fertilize the carrots one last time. I regret not pulling any while I was out there, but there's always tomorrow.

>73 Lyndatrue: "...tomorrow is another day" (Scarlet O'Hara) ;)

>73 Lyndatrue:, >74 fuzzi:

>75 labwriter: oh, I loved that sketch!!! One of the best.

"Oh, I just saw it hanging in a window..."

Television used to be witty, and funny, at least sometimes.

Today, we pulled all the beets. I had a friend come over, we pulled them all out, and she took home around half of them. She was astonished to see how much of many of the beets were above ground, almost crowd-surfing on the others. When I was a child, it always seemed confusing to see the variety in size of beets that were all seed in the ground at the same time, and it was kind of nostalgic and fun to see her realize that there was such a difference (from thumb sized to much larger than a softball). I wickedly threw away all the greens, and kept only the best looking beets (which are all the the fridge, now). This time of year, I prefer spinach to beet greens (they seem to pick up an underlying bitterness I don't care for).

At least the beets will keep for quite a while.

She also brought a gift; two Giant Belgians, from a seedling I'd given her. I had one with supper tonight, and it was lovely.

Tomorrow, back to bed #5, and then I'm going to start moving the Iris back into the ground, so that they can get established before it gets cold.

>77 Lyndatrue: busy, busy!

Did you put the greens in your compost? That's one way to reduce the guilty feelings. ;)

>77 Lyndatrue: I dunno that I've ever seen a patch of beets. If any are in the community garden, I haven't paid attention.
All I can do to keep up with you serious gardeners!

>78 fuzzi: I'm pretty sure I've implied that I didn't compost, but I'll just spell it out. I don't compost. I lack the attention span and focus that composting requires. My husband did the composting, years ago, and I don't think I have that gene. I have to make choices, and composting doesn't work for me. Then again, I don't have a lot of household trash; nearly everything in my trash bins is yard debris.

>79 qebo: I grow beets all the time, but this year, between a torn rotator cuff and advancing age, I decided that it would take advance planning to do any canning that involved the pressure cooker, and I've just been eating them (not a bad thing to do). I love pickled beets, but it'll have to wait for next fall.

My friend was so shocked to see how many beets half a package of seed made. Lots.

Here's some photographs of beets and canning for the vaguely curious.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lyndatrue/albums/72157668654373066

>80 Lyndatrue: beets and canning for the vaguely curious
I lack the patience for canning, so I am highly impressed by your operation.

>81 qebo: It may all be in what you're used to, as well. It's been a part of my life since I was old enough to participate (around 4 or so). I found some old zinc lids with my writing on them, from when I was six (circa 1954).

Here's the one easiest to see:



It's my handwriting; I was six (summer, or early fall, so close to seven). I was so impressed with myself for being able to spell "gherkins" that the memory of writing this has stayed with me. My mother used those zinc lids with red rubber rings for years. I was amazed, as an adult, to realize how long the more modern solution had been available. I thought they were invented in the fifties, since my mother didn't start using them until the early sixties.

We used my daddy's special pencils to write on the lids (he was a pipe fitter, and they were meant for writing on metal). My mother continued to use those lids in addition to the more modern rings and lids until 1998 (I know, because I found at least one lid that has 1998 written on it). I think she only used them for things that went in a water bath, in later years, but I'm not sure. They were just as safe as the others, but only if you had enough skill and knowledge of how to use them. {1}

I guess canning my own food is so normal that I don't think about it. There are some things I won't bother with (such as black-eyed peas, which I buy , in a can, for New Year's Day). With very rare exception, I won't buy canned goods from the store. I'd rather have fresh, or else from my pantry. I trust me more.

{1} I will keep this to myself, considering the danger of someone trying that method and not getting it quite right. Botulism has no odor. It just makes you dead, or VERY uncomfortable, at the very least.

>82 Lyndatrue: It just makes you dead
If I ever try canning (I've gotten to the point of maybe vaguely thinking I might in the undefined future), it'll be with a method that has minimal risk.

There's a lovely mystery with (intentionally) poor canning as the murder weapon (not a spoiler, the question is who and why, not how it was done). A Pint of Murder by Alisa Craig who is also Charlotte MacLeod. The first one in my favorite series of hers.

>80 Lyndatrue: Love the beets. "Ouch!" to the torn rotator cuff.

"Life" has played heck with my canning this season. I had such great plans and visions of jars and jars of tomatoes, etc.

OK, so next year I plant beets.

My mother never canned anything; in fact, she never had a garden. She was strictly "a box of this and a can of that" assembly cook--very much a woman straight from the Woman's Day magazines of the 1950s.

Here she is, on the right, "studying" her bridge book (that's what she's written on the back in a pic sent to her mother). She kept a beautiful house, but she was sure no gardener or cook (and she couldn't cut bangs to save her life--ha).

Ah, venetian blinds. I always hated those things. So easy to mess them up, and in need of dusting, all the time. I've taken any kind of blind out of every house I've ever had, and replaced them with drapes, and curtains, and even window shades. I wonder if you can even buy window shades any more?

Your mother is lovely. I could almost state the year (from the clothing, and hairstyles).

I cannot imagine a life without at least a little garden. How interesting that you ended up with a garden, and canning, and a life so dissimilar to your mother's.

My mother always said I was an "indifferent" housekeeper (and she wasn't being kind). It's true. I don't dust every day, and I certainly don't care whether or not all the pillows on the bed are in place.

Also, beets are delicious. Too bad you're not nearby, you could have some.

Yesterday I cleaned out more of bed #5 (otherwise known as the Slough of Despond), and hope to finish it today. I still have so many places in the yard that need attention RIGHT NOW, that I feel paralyzed into inaction. Still, it has to be done.

I'm still undecided as to whether I'm going to go out to the truck farm in Pasco, and buy tomatoes to make soup with. I hate to buy tomatoes, but having a pantry that's so bereft of anything other than some jams, and canned fruit (and tomatoes from two, count them, two years ago) seems just awful.

I spent more time today clearing bed #5, and I'm going to just let it be for a while. Tomorrow is irrigation (thank goodness), and then I'll need to clear out the beds closest to the house in preparation for (dare I say it?) Winter. Life moves along so very fast, sometimes.

Wednesday, I started sterilizing the ground in spots where I don't want to deal with anything for a while. I use water, mixed with bleach. I quit watering it, too, so that any earthworms will move off into other areas. It's the best method, because it works, and fades naturally over time.

Tomorrow I'll be clearing the back corner, and then move the potted iris there, while I make one last push to kill off the morning glory in the iris bed. Sunday or Monday I'll start putting the Iris back in its proper place.

I moved the Iris out of their temporary home (the bed where they'll be planted in), and set them on the grass (so that they'll get water). I hit that spawn of evil, the morning glory (which is worse in this bed than any other), with round up. I've turned the water down on that bed (just enough to keep it from being dusty), not that it'll help much, since it may rain tomorrow. It's late in the season to be using round up, but today was the last hot day this year.

Either way, I'll be clearing the bed out, and putting Iris in, on Monday.

I spent the rest of the day with a good faith effort to clear the last bed, which has been ignored completely this year. There's still a good hour or two of work on it, but I'm tired. No sense pushing it. In other years, that's where I've put the zucchini and crook neck squash, and I intend to have it there next year.

For reference, the Iris bed is #12, and the summer squash bed is #13.

Tomorrow is irrigation (thank goodness; I need the rest).

Once I get closer to putting everything to bed, I'll go back with a stronger bleach solution. I think my math was off, and it was too weak.

I finished cleaning out bed #13, including checking the valve (irrigation) to make sure there were no leaks in the system. Then I moved to the front, and started by cleaning around the largest Ballerina rose. I'd have trimmed it back today, but I need a ladder, and the wind was blowing something fierce. Somehow climbing on a ladder with a hedge trimmer, in 25+ MPH winds seems like a bad idea.

I need to start organizing next year's seeds. I already have enough marigolds (due to my need to buy them every time I see them, apparently). I still need some Early Girl tomato seed for next year, and I'm going to go back to trying for the Brandywine, if it looks like the summer will be warm enough.

Lynda, you are very industrious--and organized.

I haven't yet gotten the hang of watering since Don put the sprinklers on the ditch system. I have to go down the block where I follow the ditch down about a quarter mile, turn the handle-thingy "about 3 turns," then make sure that such-and-such gate beside the pump is open--but just the right amount, not too much. Etc. My problem is I worry about burning out the pump if there isn't enough water going through--and that varies depending on whether the two neighbors up the block from us are watering. I obviously need some more OJT.

And I'm back to say that I love your canning pics on Flickr! I sent the link to my young friend who lives in Maine. She just canned her first batch of anything, which happened to be beets. I know she'll like your pics.

Back again...I'm going crazy over your pink Formica table in one of those pics. Love it!

>92 labwriter: Aw, thanks so much. I loved that table the moment I saw it. Pink is fairly rare, and that one was in very good condition. It's just as well there were no chairs to go with it. I'd have felt compelled to buy them, and I much prefer the ones I have. Those original chairs that went with the tables were NEVER very comfortable.

>87 Lyndatrue: need attention RIGHT NOW, that I feel paralyzed into inaction
Well you seem to have gotten out of that state nicely.

>94 qebo: Well, I've started to make enough progress that it's visible. As I often say, getting old is not for sissies.

Yet again, the wind was blowing strongly enough that I had to postpone the attack on the Ballerina rose. I need to wash windows before the weather gets much colder, so the rose may have a week's reprieve. I'm figuring on Wednesday or Friday for windows (it's a two story house, and an all day job).

I started clearing out the lettuce bed, which is mostly marigolds at this time of year. I always think, in the spring, that I'll plant cool weather crops there. For some reason, I forget how unlikely it is that I'll be willing to do the work. I wore a long sleeved shirt today, because it was C O L D. Okay, it was in the sixties most of the day, but considering that it's been in the 80s and 90s until a few days ago, that's quite a drop.

There are a bunch of Asiatic Lilies, and any number of gladiolas (which seem to breed as though they had an acre, instead of a tiny corner of a garden bed). I cut them to a couple of inches above the ground, so as to have an easier time pulling the weeds around them. They're so thick that there wasn't a huge problem with weeds, but they needed to be cleaned up for the winter in any case. This will just encourage them to go to sleep.

I'm astonished at how good the Germander looks. I've paid very little attention to it, but as I clean out other things, there they are, with their delicate little blooms, just growing away. It'll be interesting. It's supposed to be a perennial. That'll be nice. I'm always happy to have early reminders of spring. Although they're said to be attractive to bees, I've not seen a bee near any of them. Perhaps they've just had too much competition with the marigolds.

I've been hiding in the house, for the worst of reasons. It's turned colder, and I still have work to do. It's supposed to warm up again for a few days before Autumn, and then Winter, catch up with me. Hope so. I didn't even dig carrots, and I love carrots.

I have my fingers crossed for Sunday being vastly improved.

I should take stock of what see I have, and what I'll need for next year. I have enough marigolds (there's about 10 packages of various seed). I should sit down and plan things out. Maybe tomorrow.

I attacked the main garden bed today. The amount that's actually cleared is so very small, but the trash is 2/3 full (and was very heavy to drag to the street). I picked more carrots, and some tomatoes. Now I need to go give the carrots a bath (that much dirt is not really good for the teeth -- too gritty).

I'm saddened by Charles Osgood, who retired from the CBS Sunday Morning Show today. I'll miss him. Maybe I'll salute him later with some nice crunchy carrots.

I seem to lack self-control when faced with a rack of seed packages (proof positive is that I have *10* packages of Marigolds bought in the last few weeks. Granted, I do like them, but I think I have enough. Listed in the following order: Unopened flowers, partially used flower packages, empty packages that I need or want more of. I should note that I consider herbs to be flowers.

I'll put the vegetables in a separate post.

Four O'Clock (Lilly Miller) (I also have seed, loose, in baggies)
Gaillardia (Ferry-Morse) (Saved seed, envelope, says 2007)
Hollyhock (Lilly Miller, Indian Spring Mix, 2 pkg), (Ferry's Seeds, Chater's Double), (Ferry-Morse, one each, Old Fashioned, Single Bloom, Black, and Summer Carnival, Mixed Colors)
Zinnia, State Fair, Giant, Mixed Colors (Ferry-Morse)
Pansy, Swiss Giant, Mixed Colors (Ferry-Morse)
California Poppy, Extra Golden (Ferry-Morse)
Portulaca, aka Moss Rose (Ed Hume Seeds, 3 pkg)
Linaria, aka Toadflax (Ed Hume Seeds, 2 pkg)
Marigold, French Double Dwarf, mixed colors (Ferry-Morse, 4 pkg, Lilly Miller, 2 pkg)
Marigold, Golden Goliath (Burpee)
Marigold, Jaguar (Burpee)
Cosmos, Sensation Blend (Botanical Interests)

Herbs:
Thyme (Superb, very similar to Mother of Thyme) (Livingston Seed, 2 pkg)
Basil (Sweet, All-Purpose) (Livingston Seed)
Parsley (Triple Curled) (Livingston Seed)
Oregano (Livingston Seed)

Partial packages:

Basil, Purple Petra (aka It's Mah Favorite), (Botanical Interests)
Lavender (Ferry-Morse)
Parsley, Italian Dark Green Flat (Botanical Interests)

Turns out I was wrong. I only have 8 packages of Marigolds. I still hope to find seed for the Durango Style; I've only seen them for sale in the nurseries, and I always end up buying some. Seed would be better.

Vegetables are more complicated. There's a lot more partial packages. No more Romaine or Radicchio; I don't eat the Romaine, and I can buy the one or two heads of Radicchio that I might use during the summer.

I'll come back to this later.

I'll probably spend the winter looking for this lettuce. The package is nearly empty, and it's just such an outstanding variety.

>98 Lyndatrue: lack self-control when faced with a rack of seed packages
Such pretty pictures, and so inexpensive!

On to vegetables:

Swiss Chard, Rhubarb (Lilly Miller)
Swiss Chard, Neon Lights Mix (Burpee)
Tomato, Early Girl Hybrid Pelleted (Ferry-Morse)
Tomato, Early Girl Hybrid (Ferry-Morse, 2 pkg)
Squash, Early Prolific Straightneck (Ferry-Morse)
Squash, Yellow Summer Crookneck (Ferry-Morse)
Squash, Black Beauty Zucchini (Ferry-Morse)
Squash, Cocozelle Zucchini (Livingston Seed) (Similar to Romanesco)
Kentucky Wonder Bush Bean (Livingston Seed)
Royal Burgundy Bush Bean (Botanical Interests)
Golden Wax Bush Bean (Lilly Miller)
Golden Wax Bush Bean Improved (Burpee)
Cherokee Wax Bush Bean (NK Lawn & Garden)

Partial packages:
SloBolt Lettuce (Livingston Seed)
Lettuce, Mesclun, Gourmet Baby Greens (Botanical Interests)
Lettuce, Royal Red (Livingston Seed)
Lettuce, Black Seeded Simpson (Ferry-Morse)
Lettuce, Mesclun, Gourmet Greens Mixture (Ferry-Morse)
Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean (Burpee)
Santa Anna Pole Bean (Ferry-Morse)
Blue Lake Pole Bean (Lilly Miller)
Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean (Ferry-Morse)
Golden Wax Bush Beans (Lilly Miller)
Royal Burgundy Bush Beans (Ed Hume Seeds)
Carrot, Scarlet Nantes (Ferry-Morse)
Pepper, Sweet Banana (Ferry-Morse)
Beet, Detroit Dark Red (Burpee)
Spinach, Bloomsdale (Ferry-Morse)

Zucchini, Romanesco, in baggie

I probably need more tomatoes, and another package of carrots. No rush; I think I have a few months.

I love the idea that you're checking your seeds in September. I'm not that organized, and I usually pop my head up around March and say--"Seeds?"

How is your weather now? Ours is consistently 10 degrees (or more!) above normal.

>102 labwriter: I'd been wondering about you, of late. Glad to hear about your tomatoes. Our weather continues to be strange. The summer couldn't decide what it wanted to be; too hot, on the cool side, lots and lots of wind (we have wind here, but usually the summer is pretty still).

The one thing that's done well this year (if you don't count the weeds) is the marigolds. I need to upload pictures to Flickr today, and go out and take some too. I'm sad to realize I took no photographs while the Gladiolas were blooming, since they really showed off this year. The seed checking got its start when I realized I had purchased enough marigolds to last for two seasons (although I used almost that many last year), and that, when I started planting this year, I had many packages that were EMPTY, that I'd just saved to remind me of what I planted.

I rounded up every package of seed I'd purchased on a whim, and put them in a ziploc bag, and took them to the local Master Gardener group, which takes extra seed (I have no idea what they do with it, but better them than just taking up space here). I *do* like to pretend I'm organized, but it's a trick. I'm just glad I have this space here, on LT, where I can write gardening notes, and not lose them. In other years, I've taken careful notes, and then they disappear. I've found some that were 8 or 10 years old.

Speaking of notes...

On Wednesday, I made a real push to get done with the first pass on weeding. I managed, just, to get done with it all, and not a moment too soon. The weather is about to turn cool. It's the worst year I've ever had for tomatoes, for multiple reasons. Thank goodness I planted so many marigolds; there's been such an attack of aphids this year, and last, that I was worried that I'd lose my tomatoes again (I did last year), and it really seems to have protected them. I have friends who have them (aphids), and I'm relieved to say I've seen none.

Tomatoes and carrots are the only food things left in the garden. The carrots make me especially happy, since I have them every single day. There's just nothing like them, fresh out of the ground.

I trimmed back another Ballerina rose. The only one that's left is the monster, and I'm hoping to get to it this next week. It has to be done with the hedge trimmer, and a ladder. I'm trying to decide whether to trim back the Betty Boop rose in the back. It's just so huge, and so very pretty. Shrub roses are just the best thing ever. I need to fertilize all the roses at least once more, before the season ends. The irrigation water is scheduled to go off sometime in the week of October 17, which is just around the corner.

So much left to do, and so little time.

Today (Sunday) I started the process of putting the Iris back in the Iris bed. They've been in those pots better than two years, and it's an enormous amount of work getting them out. I went through this when I first bought the house (I moved my Iris in pots, because I couldn't bear to leave them behind). They use up the dirt, and fill the pot with roots, and when you take them out, they've sent the roots around the bottom so many times that it's astonishing. I really need to remember to take a picture of it, before I finish this.

One of the pots was so filled with roots that it took nearly thirty very hard minutes to get it loose enough to dump them into the basket, where I could separate them, and start putting them into the ground. It'll be nice to see them bloom again, although they may not bloom this coming spring (it's awfully late in the year). I'm going to make a strong effort to get through most of them tomorrow. It's hard to work when I'm cold, and the day doesn't warm up until after 12 noon or so.

I emptied three large pots, and one smaller one. I don't even want to think about how many are left.

Yesterday I got more Iris in the ground, and then devoted time to just cleaning out the debris, so that there would be less chance that anything unwanted could get a start. Today was irrigation (and a bit of rain), and tomorrow I have to do grocery shopping, but I may try, if it's not hideously cold, to put more Iris in the ground. They say October is going to be mild, but at the rate I've been going, it'll be another week before they're all in.

Frustratingly slow as it is, it's better to do it right, first time.

Lots of work, but you'll be so happy to have done it when you see them blooming.

We've had rain, and more is predicted, so I turned off the irrigation system for the season (there was only one more week of water in any case). I'm hoping it'll warm up enough to get outside and take care of the rest of the Iris, before it turns cold, and I have to start worrying about frost at night.

We had nearly half an inch yesterday, and for us, that's quite a bit. I may have to postpone the Iris until tomorrow, if the ground is really soggy. I see that some areas near me have frost predicted for Tuesday. I'm hoping for a cold, snowy winter. We haven't had meaningful snow in two years (we don't usually see much snow, but I always hope for some).

I spent Wednesday digging carrots, and cleaning out the bed around the white dogwood, and have decided to ignore the rest of the Iris for now.

It's raining today, and the rain is expected to last, off and on, for the next few days. I was astonished, when I returned from the grocery store, to see that the lawn service had been here, and edged, and mowed. I hope they're somewhere warm and dry by now, maybe with a nice cup of hot chocolate. Yeah, I really shouldn't whine about a little rain (so far, today, it's up to .25 inches), especially when everyone else seems to be facing an apocalypse.

I still don't like it.

It's going to be 90 degrees here today. As I said on my thread, I'm grumpy. I like the weather to be seasonal. This is nuts.

Yesterday, I pulled up the tomatoes, and put those few likely to ripen in their traditional place (on paper, in an old laundry cart, in the garage). There are perhaps two, or maybe three dozen, at most. I still have carrots in the ground, but they'll be fine, even with a bit of frost (which is surely coming, but not for the next week or so).

I didn't finish my Iris replanting, and I'm thinking it's too late in the year to continue (although I still might try, if Wednesday's not too cold). At least my shoulder (torn rotator cuff) is beginning to heal, and I should be able to attack the yard properly in the spring.

>110 labwriter: I'm very sorry about the 90 degrees. I prefer the weather to be seasonal as well.

I don't mind the wind (it's a fact of life, here), but I object to so much rain. We're about three times normal for the season so far. There are a couple places in my yard yesterday that *squished* when I stepped. The ground can't absorb it fast enough. Here's hoping that the rest of the year is normal (for both of us).

Today, my former neighbor (and all-around good person) came over and did the annual blow out for the irrigation system (water in pipes over the winter is bad). All that's left now is to do some final weeding, bring in the hoses, and start doing indoor work.

Still to do:

Pull out any grass that's snuck into garden beds.
Pull up the last carrots (no hurry on those, even a little freeze or two won't hurt them).
Hedge trimmer on the large Ballerina, and maybe on the Betty Boop rose in the back.

Wait for the first freeze (because I'm not going to pull out marigolds until they're not pretty).

Today, I cleaned out around the Betty Boop rose, and cut it back where it was reaching out into the yard (I have pity for the guys that are doing the mowing). I also weeded beyond it, including removing some Bermuda that had started to invade, and one very large Mallow plant that was pretending to be multiples. The root was about an inch and a half wide. I'm just glad that the good soil in that bed makes it easy to dig those things out.

We are currently at our season total in rainfall, for the year, and there's still two months left to go. :-(

It's going to rain for the next two days (or so they say), and I can't say I'm happy about it. The ground has green lichen growing everywhere where the soil is mostly clay. Mostly, I've added amendments that help to make the soil more acidic, and seeing how sour the unamended soil is, it's truly worth all the work. I'll go out and pour a vinegar wash over the ground if it ever dries out (it may not happen until Spring, though).

Mallow is _such_ a pain to get out! My community garden bed was full of it when I got it, and it still comes up now and then. Oh - when I was doing that first weeding, there were a lot of big mallows (and the ground was hard - hadn't been worked in 8+ months at that point), and one of them got me with a "pull till it breaks and fall on my rear"! I've come close other times, but always managed to catch myself - but this time I was fully engaged in the tug-of-war and it broke waaaay down and I sat down hard. The piece I had was a foot and a half long, and I have no idea how much further it went - I quit and left that bit of root in the ground.

Tonight they're predicting a freeze. I won't hold my breath, but I'll welcome it if it happens. Then I'll get to pull out all the marigolds (which will be a nice toasty black), and start working on the leaves (which are accumulating at a prodigious rate).

>114 jjmcgaffey: Ah, yes. Mallow sends its roots to the center of the earth, I believe.

Today was pretty good. After realizing that the marigolds didn't mind a bit of frost, I quit worrying about them for a bit. They've been turned black by frosts in other years, but 29 degrees Fahrenheit's not enough to do it (it usually has to get into the teens). I picked up leaves, and came in for a bit when I got too cold. After a load of laundry, I went out again, and then decided to pull most of the marigolds out anyway.

The ground is already getting stiff (which it does, this time of year), and it's best to pull them out while it's still possible to do so. It's amazing what a few determined plants can do, though.



That was either 7 or 8 plants (and a couple of them had roots bigger than my thumb).

It was a pretty good day.

>116 Lyndatrue: That's a strong argument for marigolds, a plant I haven't appreciated in the past.

My dad has a bajillion seeds saved though, that I'll be planting in the spring.

Amazing how much has changed in just a few weeks. When I last posted, I was still telling my plants that it was winter, and that they needed to go to sleep. It turned sharply cold a few days ago, and we had an astonishing 3-4 inches of snow (we don't get a lot of moisture at any one time, and that was a lot). That was yesterday, and I spent today shoveling it off the driveway, since I knew they were predicting more for today. We've had some traces (the driveway has a dusting of white), but I imagine more will come later in the evening.

A few years ago we had nearly two feet of snow, all at once. It may not sound like much for those who see that amount all the time, but it took about two weeks for things to return to normal.

I admit that I've been yearning for snow, and it's very pretty, right now.

I thought I'd made a list somewhere of the seeds I still had, and *here* they are (in >98 Lyndatrue: and >101 Lyndatrue:). I think I'll print them out, so I can keep myself out of trouble in the next month or so. It's been such a LONG and dreadful winter, and even though it's been nice (in comparison) the last few days, I know that it's too early to do anything more than dream. To think that the last words I'd written here were that I had been "yearning for snow."





I still have all the debris that winter brings to clean up; it'll probably take me a month to get through it.

I just did one-half of the hard part of Spring. I printed out ALL the seeds I currently have, which means I have some chance of buying what I need, and NOT buying what I already have a ton of. I'm going to toss all the parsnip seeds I have, though. I recently discovered that they're a seed which doesn't have a long period where they're viable, and I'm sure that all mine are at least two or three years old. I like parsnips well enough, but there's only so much gardening time before it becomes work instead of pleasant. Carrots, now there's a vegetable that's worth any amount of work.

If the ground wasn't frozen solid, I'd probably already be out there. Next week is probably soon enough. I'll start making little planters for all those fellows that have the tender leaves (my beans seem attractive to something that will eat them down to the ground, if I plant them too early).

I'm sure I've posted this before, but just in case (these dates are for starts, not for putting in the ground):

Cool season: March 1
Warm season: March 15
Vine crops: April 7

(Assuming last frost is May 1)

>119 Lyndatrue: We haven't gotten much winter here, only a couple rounds of nuisance snow, and temperatures reaching upper 60s this week. Typically still have snow on frozen ground in late February / early March. I've started buying seeds, and I wasn't as sensible as you, so I'm sure I have duplicates.

I'm just starting to update my seed list - I put the date I got the seed, and how many years that type is viable, in the list. I mark seeds that I need to plant this year...though they don't always get planted. Now I need to throw out the ones that didn't get planted last year... I've already been through the catalogs and picked a bunch, but I won't order until I've checked through my lists.

Today was warm, and I've started the truly massive cleanup. I've already filled one and 1/3 trash containers, and there's a lot more to do. I'm dismayed to realize that the snow and cold may have been hard on some of my plants, but the dandelions and other weeds are just having a field day. How is that fair?

Tomorrow, if the weather holds, I'll probably trim back some of the roses, in hopes that I can reach living branches. My Ebb Tide roses may be dead; they have that look. The white dogwood, which I'd been worrying about, seems to have made it through.

All in all, though, it was very pleasant to be outside, in the fresh air, and to start planning for spring. Irrigation water is only six weeks away; that time will pass very quickly.

Definition of a weed: a plant that grows even if it isn't taken care of. Which means, yeah, they'll survive a lot better than the plants we really want (grrr).

Today I trimmed back the first of four roses that are probably going to die, anyway. I found very few branches that I could even fool myself over. This one and the next are tea roses, and those are short-lived in any case, but I'm still sad. I'm dreading the trim for the Ebb Tide roses. They really and truly look dead. Tomorrow, if the weather holds, I'll trim back my Strike It Rich rose, and I am hoping against hope that it makes it. Usually orange roses fade to peach after they've bloomed. This one stays a beautiful golden orange, and it's been one of my favorites.

Who am I kidding? They're all my favorites.

There are parts of me that are sore that I didn't even know I had. A winter of inactivity has made me soft.

Yesterday I cut back the second rose, and I'm hopeful that it will come back. It's amazing how much space it took up in the trash barrels. Neither rose had been trimmed back (other than just shaping, now and then) for several years, so there was a lot to clean out. The Pope John Paul II rose is still fairly easy to find, but I've never seen the Strike It Rich rose since I bought the one I have, and that was around 2007 or 2008. I'll be very sad if it doesn't come back. It's a tea rose, and they don't really have a long life, but I still hope for the best.

I started filling in the hole where I'd had the forsythia taken out last fall. I was hoping to do more today, but it's just too cold. Tomorrow is supposed to be rain, and then warmer again. There's just so much to do, and I need to think about starting some plants inside, as well.

I went looking - there are some companies still selling Strike it Rich, though online only. Here's one https://www.romencegardens.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/typeID/8/...

Hopefully yours will come back and you won't need to buy a new one. Have you ever thought of trying to grow a new one from cuttings (assuming this one comes back enough to try)? It's not something I've ever done successfully, but I'm not much interested in roses - it seems to be something a lot of rose growers try.

>127 jjmcgaffey: You're very kind to look. Generally, roses do best when purchased live, from local growers, especially when dealing with specific climates. The place I usually get roses from hardens them over the winter before selling them, a service I greatly appreciate. On the other hand, that place is in Michigan, and their winters are ROUGH.

Cuttings from tea roses tend to be surprisingly difficult, since they are so often started on root stock. Nothing more fun that discovering that your healthy starts are all Dr Huey (one of the most common, and one I often mistakenly call Dr Louie).

Dang, that old internet is amazing. Here's a whole article about root stocks:

http://scvrs.homestead.com/rootstock.html

Here's a nice photo of Dr Huey:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64595/

I nursed a few roses back to life when I first bought the house, and learned an amazing amount about root stock, and what happens to roses when they're frozen down to the ground. I got lucky on two of them (but very old roses, not on root stock), but the rest had all become that uninteresting Dr Huey you can see in those photos. Dr Huey has also been responsible for the spread of Rose Mosaic susceptibility. I now only buy roses that say things like "own root stock" or similar. The two tea roses under discussion were my first purchases of roses when I bought the house, and I don't remember anything about the root stock. Back then, I don't remember labels even discussing it.

Woof. I got carried away. I also noticed that Strike It Rich is a grandiflora, and not a tea, which gives me more hope about it coming back, and about its longevity. Thank you again for finding it. If I lose mine, at least I know where to get a new one, right?

Right. And several discussions I saw had people who had Strike It Rich on Dr. Huey, another rootstock, or own root - so don't know if yours is own or not. The only thing I know about root stock is that sometimes it grows up and flowers - two roses in my experience have been mixed bushes when their rootstock decided to flower (and we didn't prune it off, not being focused on roses). Heh - looking at that picture, one of them may have been Dr. Huey - it was a white rose, and then it became a red-and-white bush. The other one was yellow with white rootstock - not as pretty.

Another nice day, today, so I took advantage of it. I cleared out a lot of the debris from the Wallflowers in front, especially the horrible Sycamore leaves. Those were just keeping the ground wet, and making a mess, in general.

I'd have liked to continue, but the pile of leaves in the back insisted on being addressed. They were leftover from the fall cleanup; it turned so cold, so quickly, and then just never got warm again. It was sodden underneath the pile, and I'm glad I got to them before it really starts to be warm. At least I understand now why the pile of leaves didn't move; they were all glued together from the moisture.

I have bulbs coming up. I shook my finger at them, and told them they were too early, but I know they don't care. There are also the beginnings of buds on the Redbud tree. I'll be worrying about frost until May. I took pictures of things, but I'm too tired to upload them. Maybe later.

Spring has definitely sprung, and it's welcome.

Today I cut back the two Ebb Tide roses. I don't have much hope for them, but at least one of them seemed to have a bit of green in some of the branches. You never know.

Yesterday, it was warm, and pleasant, and I cleaned out the beds around the dogwoods. I'm hoping that Wednesday will be nice; there's a lot still to do.

It's been sad, today. I dug out the two Ebb Tide roses, and have started on the Pope John Paul II, which does have some vague signs of life in it, but honestly, not enough to keep it going. The Strike It Rich is showing signs of life, and I'm going to let it be until it gets going, and see how it does.

Once the PJP II is out, I'll move on to other things. I'd have done more today, but it started raining, and it's far too cold to work with damp clothes (it was nearing 60, but I'm not sure it got there). We've had more moisture (snow, and now rain) than we normally get in a decade.

Ah, well, nothing I can do about it. I need to put in some serious work preparing the back bed, so that I can move on to other things. I believe that my white dogwood is dead; it wasn't doing well last year, and it's not looking at all well now. I see no real signs of life (although it's awfully early). If it's dead, I'll just take out the bed where it is, and let it go to grass.

I am so very behind where I should be with the garden. For reference, here's last year. Guess I need to hit the nursery for systemic tomorrow...

http://www.librarything.com/topic/188943#5515972

After a bit of review on last year's work, I'm starting to get my act together. I'm in from a break, but have put in 6 spikes for the Redbud, and its first dose of bloodmeal (Redbud trees are carnivores), and some bone meal, some bloodmeal, and three spikes for the white Dogwood, which seems to be greening up. I almost wept to see the bits of green. I love my trees, and there's already so much that this winter took out.

I also hauled out another garden hose; it may still frost, but not in any meaningful way.

I also cleaned half of the garden bed known as 9, which was probably the most neglected place in the garden, last fall. Mercy, that was an astonishing amount of hidden mallow plants (evil thing, it is). I've grown used to the idea that tiny leaves above is just a plant I missed pulling last fall, and I dig down to get the whole root. It's not native to my area, and can be extraordinarily invasive. I've seen the root grow to two inches or more in width, and it isn't unusual to have a root that reaches 18 inches, or even two feet. It might grow longer if it weren't for the clay in the soil, which stops it.

This is it (I'm fairly sure):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malva_neglecta

I'll probably go for the front beds tomorrow. I need to get them clear because lettuce planting season is just around the corner.

Today, so far, I've done the pink Dogwood (18 fertilizer stakes), with a bit of bone meal and blood meal to top it off.

>136 Lyndatrue: mallow
Yikes. Not familiar with it, but according to USDA it's here too.

I made a good faith effort at a first pass for the lettuce bed. I'm astonished to see the bulbs already on their way up (Asian Lilies, mostly). Do they not know what month it is? The 100 year drenching has everything confused, and has been a boon to the weeds, which are growing in places that there have never been weeds before (because no water). I'll be using bleach on most of it (it's the best method, since there aren't any earthworms in those areas, and it'll wash out as the summer drifts on).

I'm officially tired, but content. Tomorrow will be even nicer, and I'm looking forward to it.

>138 qebo: There are certain varieties that seem to be planted on purpose, and to be ornamental. Then again, whenever I see someone *happy* about Johnny-Jump-Up, I shudder.

>137 Lyndatrue: etc It's actually an edible - seeds and roots* are both useful, I'm told. As far as I'm concerned it's a pest to be rooted out as quickly as possible! I encountered one of those 18"+ roots a couple years ago - dug and pulled and pulled and dug and actually took a pratfall when it broke off at 13 inches. I quit, and as far as I can tell it didn't come back from the bit of deep root. I keep a sharp eye out for mallow leaves and pull them when they're small - much easier!

*Apparently it's related to the marsh mallow - that is, it makes a vegetarian gelatin when you boil the roots. It was used for the candy, though nowadays marshmallows usually have animal gelatin (because it's easier and more common).

>137 Lyndatrue: I envy you your pink dogwood. My neighbor had one and it was a most welcome feast for the eyes every spring.

>140 jjmcgaffey: Yes, I know that it's edible. There are lots of things on that list, truthfully, that fall into the large pot of useful where it originated, but an invasive pest when moved into areas where there's no natural control for it. I can also tell you that, when I was little, marshmallows were made out of the plant, and they had actual taste. I remember them coming in a box, rather like an egg container, and dusted with extra powdered sugar (or cornstarch, more likely) to keep them from sticking to each other. They were still not nutritious, but they were much more an adventure.

My memory sent me down the rabbit hole of the internet. Here's an ad from Boy's Life:

https://books.google.com/books?id=khjrUVZsmW0C&lpg=PA33&dq=campfire%20ma...

Brief description of the history (and why they taste like crap now, and were delicious then):

https://candyprofessor.com/2010/06/25/campfire-in-the-pantry-marshmallow-chronic...

Brief amusement (sans pictures) from Campfire about the history of marshmallows:

http://www.campfiremarshmallows.com/history-of-marshmallows/

>141 2wonderY: I'm still waiting for my dogwood to leaf out. Winter was very harsh, and I lost several plants. I could test one of the branches for signs of life, but honestly, it looks okay. It's fun to watch spring arrive in this area. Town is at sea level, and I'm nearly 1000 feet above sea level. Spring arrives about two weeks later at my house, than in town. I'm excited to see that pink cloud of blossoms myself.

>140 jjmcgaffey:, >142 Lyndatrue: marshmallow
Huh, I did not know this. Thanks for the info and links.

I worked more on the lettuce bed in the front, and around the corner of the house where I plant tomatoes. I have never seen the weeds this thick, this early. All that snow sitting on the ground, and then slowly melting, and then a ton and a half of rain, provided the perfect storm of dandelions and others. The lawn is also invading the bed, and it hasn't been fun to dig that out, either. I'll be glad as it gets warmer, and as I get a bit more strength back. A long, idle winter has made me soft.

It was still pleasant to be out, and to accomplish something.

I'll be setting up the potting soil and containers to start the tomatoes, next week. I have no herbs left (nothing wintered over, this year, but I dug most everything up anyway, last fall). When I start the tomatoes, I'll also start basil, oregano, and others. I need to buy a small rosemary from the nursery.

I can almost smell the lettuce and marigolds, but am practicing patience.

Today, I'm spending my time reducing the Betty Boop rose. It's just started greening up, and there's a tremendous amount of dead branches, and left over bits and pieces from having someone else trim it last year...they used a hedge trimmer. :-{ It's needed to be cut back for two or three years, and it looks like today was the day. I'm sure that by end of summer, it'll be eight feet tall, and six feet wide (or the other way round). Tomorrow I'll probably get around to fertilizer for the roses, and the wallflowers, and put tree stakes in the ground for the three ninebarks (I love those; such easy plants to have).

I should note that the Germander (which was new to my garden last year) wintered over as though there had never been bad weather. I planted it in three different places, to get a feel for how much sun and water it like. The answer seems to be very little of either, please. It's huge at the shadiest end of the lettuce bed, doing less well where it gets shade and a lot of water, and only so-so where it gets plenty of sun and water. I'm leaving it in all three places though; this winter was so abnormal, who can see how well it would do in normal conditions. I'm still awaiting blooms; I'd like to see whether it does draw the bees.

I've never had real mallow marshmallows - only the modern gelatin tasteless sugar stuff. But I'm not going to cultivate mallows just to find out what it tastes like...

And here I thought that the confectionary was named for the pale round puffiness of the plant's seed pod:



I didn't realize that the plant roots are medicinal, or tasty.

>147 2wonderY: What you have there is not the weed I pull up (its seed pod is much smaller). It still sends chills down my spine. The mallow is a garden destroyer, here, and will smother plants and steal their food. It is also only related to the marsh mallow; I doubt strongly that the local variety is useful medicinally. We used to used the seeds as pills when I was little (my mother was horrified when she found it out), but I don't think we ate more than a few. They didn't have much taste, as I recall.

Right. They are related. And the larger shrub/small tree is an aggravation. I've been trying to kill one particular plant now for several years.

I first encountered the marsh mallow in a real marsh, back when I had time and a new Peterson's field guide in hand.

Ugh. All that talk of mallow caused it to show up among the weeds. Either that, or I got lazy last year, and didn't finish digging some of it out. It's so clever, putting little tiny leaves on a massive stem. I also found stinging nettle (be still my beating heart). I can see there's more outside the fence, and I'll need to get it out in the next day or two (it's Spring Break here, so I have time). Man, that stuff comes on fast.

I put evergreen tree stakes (two each) for the Ninebarks. I started doing it last year, and they seem happy. It's easier than trying to fertilize the massive beasts once a month, that's for certain. There's still the Crimson Maple to put takes in the ground for, but I may not get to it until Saturday. I need to put the Bonide in, and it would be nice to get it done tomorrow. We're expecting some serious rainfall on Friday.

I'm so glad I spent time trimming the Betty Boop rose. It looks good, and it needed to be smaller in any case.

Really, really tired.

I managed to sneak in some time to try and finish staking the Crimson Maple. I still have about ten stakes to do for it, but it's a solid start to feeding. The main pump for the irrigation system that serves my area is broken, and it means a two week delay (at least) before the water starts up. In this case, it's been a bit on the cool side, which helps on the lack of water. I'll start watering the perennials, which object to an enforced dry spell, but I need to fertilize the roses that survived the winter, before I really start giving them a reason to finish waking up.

I have put in the last stakes for the crimson maple, and not a moment too soon. It's starting to leaf out, and will be glorious in a few days.

I cleaned out, and trimmed back, the wallflowers in the back, and have made a good faith effort on the ones in the front (which had more damage). The ones in the front were moving into areas that seemed a bit excessive, so I've been cutting them back further than just the damaged bits. There's another good hour of warmth out there before it gets to be too cold for me to work, so I'm heading back out for a bit.

I dug up the last of the doomed roses (Pope John Paul II is easy to replace). I've trimmed more dead wood off the Strike It Rich rose, and it's now just a matter of waiting to see whether the growth is from some random root stock, or is still my beautiful orange rose. I'm crossing my fingers. The other rose wasn't entirely dead, but I still decided to cut my losses. Tea roses have a short life span, and it was already 10 years (or perhaps 9) in the ground. I'll go back out and weed for a bit, and clean up around the debris field.

Tomorrow is (hopefully) Bonide and Fertilizer day, especially for the roses, and other perennials. That's three Ballerina roses, one Strike It Rich, one Betty Boop, two stands of Wallflowers, two Barberry shrubs, the Hydrangea, and the Germander. Tuesday I'll start the potting soil, and get some tomatoes growing.

I'm sad to be moving so slow, but there it is. I fertilized both wallflower stands, gave bone meal to all the bulb plants, those who were finished blooming, and those about to (except for the Iris, who do NOT need encouragement). I also did the Hydrangea, and both Barberry plants, and the Betty Boop rose (it's the only rose left in the back yard, which makes me sad). I got to only one Ballerina, because I had to weed it before fertilizing, and that shot down the rest of the afternoon. I hope to get to the rest of the roses tomorrow, and then do the Bonide on Wednesday. I need to set some of it aside, because it can't be used on anything flowering, which eliminates both dogwoods and the redbud.

Still tired.

Yesterday I finished fertilizing the roses (but cheated, and didn't weed the last one). I'll wait until after irrigation on Saturday before I put the Bonide in the ground for them. The trees will all have to wait until they've quit blooming.

The ground was fairly dry, and I put the Bonide in for the roses, as follows:

Bourbon Queen: 7 ounces
Betty Boop: 18 ounces
Ballerinas: 9, 6, and 6 ounces each
Strike It Rich: 6 ounces

I'm really hopeful that the Strike It Rich is going to survive. I just hope what survived is not root stock. It doesn't look like it; the leaves are broad, and healthy, not puny like Dr Huey. I'm glad I got the Bonide in before there were any buds; I love all my stinging creatures, and would have had to resort to Neem washes (for aphids) if I hadn't got to it in time. I admit to not loving them equally; wasps are especially not my favorite. I've been very happy to see the wild bees this year; they seem to be doing well, and I try to watch for their dirt nests when I weed.

Speaking of which, time to get busy.

I re-potted my two lavender plants (both of them were in desperate need), and now need to get more potting soil, so that I can get seeds started. It's just such a lovely day!

Potting soil acquired, and all the little pots for seeds are full, but I'm going to wait until Sunday to actually plant anything. Nothing like spring to fill every hour of the day with work that needs doing, and right now!

I also need to be sure that the front bed is ready for lettuce, and then get busy with that too. I'm going to be planting some spinach up front this year, because fresh spinach is so very delicious.

Seeds planted for later transplants:

1 Early Girl, Pelleted
2 Early Girl
3 Parsley, Triple Curled
4 Thyme
5 Oregano
6 Sweet Basil
7 Basil, Purple Petra

Off now to pull weeds, as penance for having fun. Well, that, and they need pulling.

I've made a good faith effort at the front, including leveling out where the Forsythia came out last fall, and have a beautiful weed free patch (at least for a few days). I'm almost through with that bed, and ready to move to the lettuce bed so that I can get some lettuce planted (and spinach, because fresh spinach is wonderful).

You have been busy!

>161 lesmel: It's the time of year when being busy is the only choice (and I love it, tired or not).

Today, I leveled out the front bed, where the late, deeply lamented, Pope John Paul II rose was evicted (due to Death by Winter, that evil old man). It looks like the Strike It Rich rose has survived, and actual roses will probably start appearing in a few more weeks. I put down a full bag of the "Soil Building Conditioner" from Gardner and Bloome (which helps break up the clay in the soil). That front bed had been planted long ago, and now, with it so bare, it seemed like a good time to do it.

After digging orchard grass out, and leveling, and then laying down the amendment (which I turned in with the stirrup hoe), I'm very tired. I'm doing better than I was a couple of weeks ago, though. Nothing like a sedentary winter to take the oomph out of me.

Beautiful day, all in all.

I'm thinking about trying to get Four O'Clocks to grow in that bed, and maybe some Hollyhocks as well. I have a ton of seed for both. No Snapdragons, though; too hard to get rid of, down the road.

It's been too cold to do any serious work outside (and too windy). I keep looking at the calendar, and then outside, and I shake my fist at the wind.

Today was not too bad (not perfect, but close enough), and I got some plants into the ground (Marigolds and purple Petunias). I'm going to have to look for seed for white Petunias; it seems like they're harder to find every year.

I got more of the lettuce bed weeded, and prepared, and added some fertilizer/amendment that helps with my alkaline/clay soil. Tomorrow I'm going to attack the house, and pretend to clean; nothing like gardening to add a little dirt here and there.\

I'm hoping that the Four O'Clock seeds I'd saved from my old neighbor's plants are still good. There are white, read, and yellow ones, as I recall. No pink, though. I'm going to put them in the front bed, among the marigolds and petunias I planted today. I'm thinking I'll also put out some snapdragon seed. It's been a few years since I had any, and I miss them.

I lost irrigation water (it was out all Saturday, but is now restored), and it definitely put a hitch in my get-along (as my daddy used to say). It hasn't been hot (heck, it's barely been warm), so it wasn't the catastrophe it would have been. I got even, though, I didn't do anything, including the massive house cleaning that still needs doing. :-{

I'm just watering the garden beds today; the grass doesn't care, and it'll be fine. I added more books instead, I suppose to pretend that at least I'd done something. Maybe I'll actually download some pictures from my camera today.

I'm always so astonished at how quickly things germinate. I planted a week ago (>159 Lyndatrue:), and the parsley and oregano are already poking up. It's my least favorite thing, though, since it means I have to thin, and I hate killing them. I know, it's silly, but there it is.

Parsley, poking out of the soil:



Iris, starting to bloom:



Crimson Maple:



White Dogwood, and clouds:



Redbud in Bloom:



Pink Dogwood:



Ballerina and Wallflowers:

>164 Lyndatrue: I have to thin, and I hate killing them. I know, it's silly, but there it is
Oh, me too.
>165 Lyndatrue: Pretty! And admirably tidy.

>166 qebo: Tidy? Sure, like I'd put the pictures up where it *isn't* tidy? :-} Believe me, I spent a while cherry picking photographs. I spent a brief 10 minutes pulling up the worst weeds from the Iris, and I'd have probably stayed out there for hours, if I'd been dressed for it.

Thank you very much, just the same. Spring is always so very pretty.

>167 Lyndatrue: Yeah, I direct the camera strategically too.

I can't believe how many days it's been since I worked outside. Between having semi-annual checkups on the heating/cooling system, and the hottest day of the year, and then an unexpected power outage (that happened at the precise moment the HVAC guy finished with the system, and was about to leave)...

Then there was a network outage, just to make sure that I was paying attention. Thursday was a summer day (I think it might have hit 90), and then a sudden temperature drop, with accompanying thunder/lightening storms, and after the power got bounced twice, I just shut down the network, and turned everything off (computers, that is), and gave up.

I'm trying to remember what I did on Monday, but it seems like a hundred years ago.

I'm hoping for today to just be normal. I have the finest crop of weeds I've had in years, and I'd really like to make a dent.

Yesterday I managed to plant some four o'clock seeds in a front bed. I suspect that they may not do well, there, because they'll have sun for most of the day (but not in the afternoon). I'm going to plant more elsewhere in the yard, where they'll be blooming in the afternoon, in the sun, as it should be. I moved a volunteer Sweet Pea up by the fence; I'm not sure how well it'll take to being transplanted. It looks a little wilty, but maybe it'll make it. No matter; it couldn't stay where it was.

Tomorrow's plans (I'm optimistic): Go pick up things from auction, and race back (but not above the speed limit, of course). Change clothes, and pull more weeds in the back, until the summer squash has a bed to go in. Pull weeds in the shaded bed, where the lettuce should have already been planted, and put in lettuce seeds and spinach. Throw in some four o'clocks, to see how they do. Fertilize everything (nearly a week overdue, actually).

>171 Lyndatrue: Ambitious.

>172 qebo: Ambitious? Maybe, but I wish I could carry out all the things I plan for...

Yesterday afternoon, I got nearly all the weeds out of the back bed (bed #13), but it was threatening a storm, and I recognized the wisdom of being inside when there's the possibility of lightening, and left the last bit for another time.

A few days ago, I managed to put a few marigolds, and a few very dark purple petunias, in front of Buddha. I moved the turtle to the opposite side, which wasn't getting proper water, and put a few bedding plants in his place.

Today was irrigation, and it's March weather, instead of May. I don't work outside when the temperature is broken (it just finally reached 60 degrees, and it's nearly five PM). The forecast is for warming starting tomorrow.

Today, it warmed up enough in the afternoon that I went outside, and worked for a while. Most of bed 12 is now cleared, and I finished bed 13 as well. I'm hoping to put down amendments (at least some compost), and then put in zucchini and crookneck squash next week sometime.

I also want to get the rest of the Iris out of the pots. A couple of them are root bound enough that they're starting to die. :-{

The ground is altogether too damp, and I've been cutting most of the blooms, and bringing them into the house, so that they don't pull out of the soil. Poor things, they went to such work to make blossoms, and then I take them all. I admit the living room is beautiful, though.

Finished clearing out bed 12, and added compost, and a bit of fertilizer, to bed 13. A friend is coming over to help with sprinklers this Friday, which will be a relief. Most of the system was new in 2008, and is starting to show its age. Nothing lasts forever.

The soil where most of the Iris are was so waterlogged that I had to but most of the blooms, and bring them into the house. Otherwise, they'd have pulled themselves out of the ground, poor things.

Tomorrow's irrigation, and I'm going to try to get things done in the house. The predicted temperature tells me I want to be inside anyway (60 degrees for the high). By the weekend, it's supposed to be in the high eighties. Crazy times.

Spent some quality time rescuing the Iris that had been beaten down by the hail (yes, hail, dammit) that showed up in the evening, yesterday. The only bed affected was bed #10, which is out in the open. Even then, most of them are so close together, they protected each other.

Along the back fence, I had one bloom snapped off, and no other visible damage. As long as I was cutting and rescuing, I did some weeding. Have I ever said I hate Bermuda grass? I really do. I made a good faith effort to clear out the weeds where the Iris hadn't yet moved, but it really needs more, and the Iris need thinning, and my plate is just overfilled.

Ah, well. There's always tomorrow.

Long, long day. A friend came over (he used to be my neighbor, and long ago decided that I was a responsibility), and we went through all the sprinklers, doing big and little repairs. I don't know what I did to deserve this blessing, but he just is so incredibly pleasant to be around, and so efficient too. One sprinkler replaced (and so that I won't have to look it up, the big ones are Hunter PGP), and the others adjusted properly. Much better to water the yard, and not the house.

I spent the afternoon clearly the weeds out of the gravel outside the back fence, and am glad that I spent the $20 or so to buy my gardening seat (it looks like this one, but not purple).

http://www.gardeners.com/buy/deep-seat-garden-kneeler/40-009.html

I doubt I use it more than once or twice a year, and every time I do, I'm glad all over again that I bought it. Kneeling on gravel to weed is just not on my list.

I'd have had it cleared ages ago, and had pulled up about half of what was growing, but what was left required gloves, and digging. The desert does have some serious weeds, meant to discourage being used as fodder (or being pulled up by me). Now I get to attend to the same stuff on the inside of the fence (but on Sunday, since tomorrow is irrigation). I need it all cleared so that I can get carrots started. Mmmm, carrots.

Last night was a symphony, and being around that many people tends to exhaust me. It took me quite a while to get up the enthusiasm to go outside and get something done.

I cleared out all the beds where there were trees; the dogwoods were especially bad. It's nearly time for fertilizing, and I don't yet have an actual garden planted. :-{

Tomorrow I'll be attacking the back bed, so that I can put some carrots in.

I got started on the back bed, and have about 1/4 of it cleared. The Diabolo Ninebark at the corner was the first one I planted, and it may be showing its age. I spent quite a while trimming dead branches out, and then finally stopped myself and went back to weeding.

I'm still sad that my Ebb Tide roses both died. They'd be covered with blossoms, and just about ready to burst into bloom, right now. :-{

Stupid winter.

Tomorrow is irrigation, and my plate is overfull in any case. I'm fighting a Mailman resuscitation (moving it from one machine to another), and it should have been drop dead simple. Nope.

Ah, well. My four o'clocks that I'd planted are coming up, and I'm pleased about how much of that old seed was still good (it's between 3 and 6 years, I'm not sure). I hope I get some of each color. I need to plant some more of it.

Yesterday, I did more work on the Iris in the center bed. It's astonishing how aggressive the black iris is. I need to move at least a few of the variegated purple out, and into a space where they don't have to compete with anything, or they'll be gone.

I also cleared further on the back bed, and am very close to halfway. I'd have finished it, but I was just too tired.

The side beds are done (or as done as I'm willing to do). I may add in some Asiatic Lilies back there, though, since I picked up some yellow ones when I was at the nursery buying amendments, and they'd look nice between Buddha and the Betty Boop rose. I finally reached midway on the back bed. It's astonishing how much work it's been, and I really dread the other side. Tomorrow is irrigation (and I need the rest). I'll put down some amendments on Wednesday, on the side that's weed free, and over on the side bed too.

I really ought to put in some zucchini and crookneck in the end of the row, just for general principles.

I attacked a side bed on the way to finishing up the back bed, and that was that. I never made it to the intended target.

I spent a few worthwhile hours, cleaning up, although I mean to put down ground clear there, after I have the sprinklers turned off for those beds. I'll leave them as potential garden beds, because you never know what the future will bring, but right now, it's too much.

I'm close to settling myself down to having mostly flowers this year, although I still have hopes of tomatoes and herbs, which are all doing well in their little pots, awaiting the chance to spread out and take over.

I can't believe it's nearly June.

When the lawn service fellows were here last week, I suddenly noticed that they were having to play dodge-the-branch with some of my larger plants. I'm not very tall, and hadn't really paid attention to them. I spent part of the day trimming two of the diabolo ninebarks into a more controlled shape, and the guys may not even notice, but I'll feel better. I've got nearly all of the back bed cleaned out. Tomorrow's irrigation, which is also going to be the hottest day (so far) of the year. They're predicting 98 as the high. Ugh.

Yesterday, when the wind started up in the afternoon, I rushed home to take the tomatoes and herbs back in the house, and not a moment too soon. I was sad, too, because I know that a wind of that force will strip the blooms from my favorite rose (the Bourbon Queen). It lost quite a few, but still is lovely.



I'm trying to work up the enthusiasm to go outside and work, but it's cold, and very windy, still. Yesterday went from 97 to 75 in less than an hour (hence the wind).

I finally got some work done, and the wind died down enough that I could put the seedlings outside. Those tomatoes need to be in the ground, soon.





I trimmed some of the more dangerous branches of the bayberry in the back bed, so I could finish getting the weeds out. It's just such a lovely plant, I almost don't mind how dangerous it is.

Today, I started out with good intentions. I put down bloodmeal for the Redbud, and fertilized the wallflowers by the back door. Then, because I couldn't help it, I got distracted with the weed removal on the back bed. That was three hours of distraction (at least). I came in to cool off, and have a drink of water, and then, I swear, I will fertilize the roses, and the iris, and the wallflowers in the front.

On a spur of the moment, I bought a container that had yellow Asiatic lilies. I now have brilliant red, and two-toned orange, and yellow, and I may feel the need to pull out some of the white ones in the front, and replace them with the yellow.

I managed to fertilize the Betty Boop rose, two out of three Ballerinas, and my lone surviving tea rose, Strike It Rich. I also fertilized most of the Asiatic lilies (except the white one, which has not yet bloomed, and the yellow, which is still in a container). I fertilized the wallflowers in the front, and the Germander that I'm keeping for sure. I have three solid stands going, but it isn't as if I'll use it for anything. It's just pretty. I'm not making a huge effort to pull the others out; I have enough to do with actual weeds.

I fertilized all the Iris, and gosh, that's a lot.

I still need to fertilize the Bourbon Queen, the Barberries by the front of the house, the Hydrangea, and I'm sure there are others I've just forgotten.

I'm grateful that tomorrow's irrigation; I'm really tired.

Around this time of year I regret wishing for spring because it's getting to be a bit much. Your day sounds exhausting.

>188 qebo: I note that you've gone the same direction I did, last year. Mowing was just getting to be too much, and I was getting nothing else done as a result. I do envy, just a bit, your fresh start with all the planning and getting set up. Then again, I doubt I'd survive it if I had it to do now. When I started with my house, I was 58. That was a LONG time ago. I'm now a few months away from 70.

Your new home is really going to be lovely.

>189 Lyndatrue: I'm 58 now, and hoping things'll be under control before I deteriorate too much. Some people seem to enjoy mowing, but I find it unsatisfying: occupies time and energy I'd rather apply elsewhere, and just has to be done again next week.

Yesterday was too far too cold, and too windy to work outside. About the only thing I did was to upend a tray full of seedling starts (and amazingly, only lost one of each). Fortunately, there was so much wind that it cleared the spilled potting soil from the deck. Pity it couldn't sweep the kitchen floor as well; I cleverly spilled them at the threshold, piling it up in the track of the sliding glass door, and the screen door.

I'm unsure when I'll be able to put the plants in. It's already June, and I'm still clearing weeds from garden beds. :-{

Time for a new thread.