qebo's 2017 garden (1)

On this final day of winter, the views from my back door, front porch, and street:



We got about 1' of snow last Tuesday, and it is gradually sinking. Over the next week, the temperature will vary from a high of 35 to a high of 70, then rain on the weekend should take care of any remaining snow removal.

A few items of news since last year:
* The community garden has been an uncertainty. The garden site is in a field that belongs to the school district, across the street from a middle school which is next to an elementary school. The school district has been considering options for renovating or rebuilding both schools, and the current master plan has the new schools arranged in the field on either side of the garden, with access road in between. This plan would obliterate the garden. As things stand, construction of the elementary school will begin this summer, and construction of the middle school is several years in the future. The access road will run along the eastern edge of the garden. The school district has officially promised that the garden site can remain as is through the end of September, after which we may have to lop off plots on the eastern end (including mine) to accommodate the road. Eventually the garden will be relocated, or so we've been assured. Meanwhile, we either have to live with the uncertainty or give up, and enough people remain interested to keep it going.
* I completed coursework for the Master Gardener program in December, so I am now officially an Apprentice. For full certification, I have to complete 50 hours of volunteer service this year. The program has a number of projects that count, though many are active only on weekdays so awkward to arrange around a full time job. I have signed up for stints at the Master Gardener kiosk for a couple of weekend plant sales, and I may go out to the demonstration gardens one morning per week, so you'll get another set of exciting photos.
* Two women in a nearby neighborhood started a native plant garden club last fall. A couple dozen people have expressed interest, and we've met a few times. We read Bringing Nature Home to get everyone on the same page. Plans are still fluid, but include more books, garden tours, plant exchanges, mutual support for the cause. Once the weather improves and people actually start gardening, we may meet at a different house each month.

Yesterday I started tomatoes. These are mostly for the Master Gardener plant sale, which gives me an excuse to start as many as I can accommodate for the next 8 weeks, because they'll all find homes and raise money. Also any effort on their behalf counts as volunteer time.

Most seeds are from Baker Creek.



Some seeds are from the big box stores.


All set on the heated tile floor, with bonus cat.

I'll have to be hopeful for you on the community garden. Hopefully a new home will be on the horizon, for the long term. Your plants encourage me to start my own, although it seems a bit early for tomatoes (for me).

Funny. I love purple string beans, but purple tomatoes just don't seem right. I suppose I could just close my eyes, and eat them anyway. :-}

Congratulations on becoming a Master Gardener apprentice. I'm looking forward to following your gardening efforts in all fronts this year.

Across the river from Lancaster County is York County, where a bald eagle cam is in year 3. In 2015, 2 eggs were laid, both hatched, and both eaglets fledged, though late in the season the camera lens was obscured by a perfectly aimed "poop shot". In 2016, an infrared camera and sound were added, 2 eggs were laid, one hatched but the eaglet died a few days later, and the other egg never hatched. In 2017, 2 eggs were laid, and one is about to hatch.

http://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeSpecies/BaldEagles/Pages/default.aspx (web cam)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/414921745343756/ (Facebook page w/ regular commentary from local people viewing from the ground)

The tomatoes, a week after planting:

Yesterday the temperature rose to the high 60s. Also I checked the township web site for the yard debris schedule. This is both pickup of bagged debris, and access to the mound of mulch. Start date is the first full week of April. So these things together motivated me to get outside and begin cleaning up the front yard.

Here's the side of the porch, where you can see a remaining patch of snow from the storm in mid March. The leaves by the porch and under the window are from last fall. The leaves under the azaleas preceded my arrival; the azaleas had leafed out by the time I came up for air last summer, and getting underneath was difficult.



So yesterday I got to them first thing. Lotsa leaves remain, but they're more easily accessible.





On the back side of the azaleas, a patch of bee balm and weeds. The bee balm, as you may recall, was scraggly last year because it sat in pots for some weeks (months?) before I got it in the ground. This year, it's expanding.

I just got (the first lot of) my tomato seeds planted two days ago - no germination yet. I'm pleased to see your week-old seedlings! Hope mine do as well.

>2 qebo: congratulations apprentice gardener!

Your thread is starred. :)

The tomatoes at 2 weeks.

A survey of the yard on this chilly gray April 1.

At the bottom of the yard, the larch and viburnum are leafing out.



Under the dogwood tree, where I planted various native white flowers. None of which is showing any signs of growth (yet?). Instead, the hyacinths and daffodils that preceded me.


The patch of ostrich ferns. I cleared the English ivy and landscape cloth from one part last summer. I should tackle the other part before the ferns return.


The raised beds. The parsley remained all winter, so I've let it be.

The issue of the moment is the fence on the south side of my yard. It is in sorry shape, and it isn't mine. I'm hesitant to plant anything along it, because it'll need to be replaced, and I don't know what it'll be replaced with. The yard slopes downward from the house to the alley, and the fence is level along the top, about 1' high near the house and 6' high at the alley. Some sun gets through the pickets, but I'd have more sun without a fence, or less sun with a solid fence. So I messaged my neighbor today to ask whether we can discuss options. She replied promptly, which is encouraging, but she shares the house with her mother and I don't know how ownership and decisions are arranged.

I'd rather have no fence at all. It's not necessary as a practical matter, no dogs or kids on either side and we're all civilized enough to respect the boundary.

The fence on the neighbors' side. You can see braces holding the fence sort of upright, not with full success. The yard isn't tended between the shed and the alley (last year it was a field of garlic mustard). I'm in no position whatsoever to complain; I'm thinking mostly that they wouldn't seem to need a high barrier where they never go.


The fence on my side.

>13 qebo: Where I live, the owner of the fence is the one with the smooth side (which you have). Hopefully they'll be happy to have it gone. I'll think positive thoughts for you.

>12 qebo: Glad you mentioned parsley. I need to plant some. You can't have too much parsley. :-}

Your tomatoes are looking good, too. I can hardly wait to get mine started.

Spring is the best.

>14 Lyndatrue: Here, the good side is supposed to face outward. The neighbors used to live in my house, but it was too small so when the larger house next door became available they moved. I don't know exactly when this happened, or when the fence was put up, but the braces are in the neighbors' yard so they would seem to have control over it. Regardless of whose fence it is, we should agree on a solution for the sake of a positive neighborly relationship. They have an enclosed back deck and I hear voices out there often during the summer, but I've never seen them in the yard. So I'm hoping they don't care about a fence for privacy.

>12 qebo: the native flowers "know better", perhaps, and are waiting for warmer weather?

I wonder if your parsley will seed this year, if you leave it. Mine wintered over and still seems to be growing normally - it may bolt once things warm up, though. They're supposed to go to seed the second year (biennial) like carrots - which makes it a pain to get the seeds, though I really like gathering my own (or in some cases, just letting them scatter and reseed themselves).

>17 jjmcgaffey: IIRC that's what happened when I kept it around over winter previously. I'm hoping the parsley will be available for the early swallowtails; last year it was slow to start, so I had nothing to offer.

>18 qebo: I left my carrots in the garden over the winter, for the swallowtails. And I planted more carrots, over the weekend. I want the raised bed to be "for the butterflies", with carrots, and milkweed, and maybe some lantana and pentas.

I've yet to plant parsley.

As those of you watching the Hanover eaglets know, yesterday was a chilly rainy day.


I saw encouraging spots of green in the soggy brown leaves though, so after the rain I meandered around under the Japanese maple.

This is a wild bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia).


These are wild ginger (Asarum canadense).


These are trilliums (Trillium cuneatum/erectum/recurvatum). I planted 15, 3 sets of 5. This seems to be one set. I think it's Trillium cuneatum which has "marbled" foliage, not certain because the tags got strewn about over the winter.


These are sweet white violets (Viola blanda).

>20 qebo: POP go the perennials!

The tomatoes at 3 weeks:


I've begun moving them to larger pots, which I hope will be sufficient until the Master Gardener plant sale in 4 weeks...

Yesterday was a busy gardening day, with spare time and pleasant weather coinciding.

I got mulch from the township facility last week, tromped through the mud so I'd have it for the weekend. Most of it went under the azaleas. So that's done for the year, and I dunno that it's worth the bother every year; they were happy enough with leaves.


Next, removing the hairy bittercress from the moss. It's edible. At the community garden a few days ago, someone was collecting it.
Before:

After:


I seem to have three species of moss.


I cleaned up the area in front of the moss too.


All 5 of the wild geraniums that I planted last year are returning.


Also a couple of ferns. But not the lady ferns yet.


Around the neighborhood and in my yard, it's time for lesser celandine. Which looks pretty but is invasive.


See the speck of green under the window? The raspberry (Rubus odoratus) is returning.


The Japanese maple doesn't look like much yet, but it is showing signs of life.

In the back, I refreshed the containers and swept the deck. I didn't plant anything. I'll let the squirrels investigate for a few days and hope their curiosity has been satisfied by the time I add seeds.


The last I'd checked, nobody had found my bee hotel, so I was pleasantly surprised when I bent down to clean around it.

>23 qebo: Spring found you, I see. I'm still heartlessly digging out the dandelions from garden beds, even though they're doing their yellowy best to suggest they should stay. The wallflowers are swinging into action as well.

I see that the celandine has the same trick as dandelions; no, no, you should keep me, look how pretty I am. :-}

Wild geraniums; what a lovely thought! I wonder if they'd survive at my house?

>24 qebo: Nice to see a bee hotel in use!

I had to go look up what a bee hotel is. Fascinating! Did you make yours?

>27 ronincats: No. I bought it at a plant sale. What I really want is a bee hotel wall.

Love your yard, but especially that deck! Nice.

Sitting on my front patio at lunch today, I noticed a disproportionately large bird in the bird bath across the street. Only camera on hand was my phone, thus the poor photo quality. I'd suppose Cooper's hawk.

>30 qebo: I think you're right!

Signs of life! (Blurry. Taken spontaneously with a phone camera when I went out for a walk this evening.)

American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana).


Three fragrant sumacs (Rhus aromatica) on the slope north of the driveway, which have been sticks about 1' high for six months.


Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus) in front of the house, which I thought I'd killed last summer because I didn't nurture it through a drought.

The tomatoes at 4 weeks.

On Saturday, the neighborhood tree committee planted 30 or so trees. These are bare root trees, which have to get into the ground within a week. We did this last year too, and the most difficult part was removing a 3' diameter of turf. So we were hoping to prepare a week or two in advance, but we have to coordinate with the township and utilities for permission to dig, and the time frame is tight so once again we were down to the wire. However, this year we had a class of college students for two hours on Friday, and in exchange for a tree planting lesson, they supplied manual labor. Which didn't make Saturday easy, but it was easier than last year, and we got all the trees in the ground with protective tubes and stakes and mulch by early afternoon.

My muscles were ready to call it a day, but the weather was ideal so I continued spiffing up my front yard.


The wild ginger won't spread much this year, so I may as well keep the leaves in place as mulch.


I don't have experience with the raspberry, but if it spreads it'll be in a sprawly sort of way, so I may as well keep leaves there too.


The wild geraniums continue to grow.


The lady ferns are resurfacing.


The native cardinal flowers are returning. So far no evidence of the cultivar with dark leaves.


My vast field of trilliums. I planted 15, and see 8 emerging.


Including one flower.


Since I haven't killed the Carolina allspice, I weeded its bed.


The turtleheads are emerging, so I weeded there too.


Status of the Japanese maple leaves and azalea flowers.


Scattered violets on the front lawn.


Not yet in full glory...

The ostrich ferns are growing rapidly, so top of the agenda for Sunday was clearing the entangled English ivy. The goal was to the lamppost. Behind the lamppost, up toward the raised beds, was a patch of poison ivy last year. I don't see it yet, but I'm sure it's lurking.


A few hours and four yard debris bags later...


I'd been thinking I'd deal with the garlic mustard in the afternoon, but I could barely move.

Much later in the afternoon, I sought a small manageable task. I've been thinking this would be a good place for a bush. I want something that grows above the railing and provides cover for birds. This is on the south side of the yard and gets a reasonable amount of sun. A friend is offering elderberry shoots. I wasn't sure about just one, so I checked the internet, which sez elderberry self-pollinates to some extent but does better with two. So this runs into the fence issue; a reasonable place for the second would be to the right of this photo next to the fence. As it happens, I crossed paths with the next door neighbor yesterday evening, and she volunteered that she wants to discuss the fence this week. Regardless, whether it's elderberry or something else, a bush can go here so the compost has to move.


I have no idea what else to do with the north side of the house, and this is a convenient location for access and proximity to the raised beds, so here it goes. Not done yet.

At the bottom of the yard, the viburnum is blooming and the larch has leafed out.

I'm in amazement. You must not do anything but garden on the weekends; well, that and sleeping when it gets dark.

>34 qebo: "Not yet in full glory..." has me wishing I lived nearby. It's very beautiful, and makes me want to go tell my Crimson Maple to hurry up (it's got a few more weeks, with just baby leaves beginning to show now).

>38 Lyndatrue: You must not do anything but garden on the weekends.
Easter weekend, nothing scheduled except the tree planting. This weekend'll be a bunch of things both days, and the following weekend the plant sales start along with accompanying obligations for Master Gardener service hours. So now I wish I'd gotten more done yesterday; it was my last shot in awhile.

>33 qebo: pretty tomatoes.

>34 qebo: that happens to me too: once I get started, the momentum keeps me rolling until dark.

I'd leave the leaf mulch whenever in doubt: it probably won't hurt, and it might help. Plus, you can remove it anytime and throw it in the compost.

We have wild geraniums as weeds here...they sprout everywhere. I leave them anywhere I can, because they're pretty. Ours have small white flowers, yours?

That's a beautiful Japanese Maple. Mine has finally topped more than 6', after ten years. It was a tiny baby of about 18" when we planted it.

>35 qebo: good job! The mustard can wait...I hope?

>36 qebo: I used to have a compost bin like that! I've used snow/dune fence, too.

>40 fuzzi: These are Geranium maculatum, pinkish flowers.
>41 fuzzi: Best to catch the garlic mustard before it flowers, because it'll keep going long enough to produce seed even if it's pulled out. I didn't realize I had such a large patch until the flowers appeared, because it's in the midst of ivy and I can't get in there so easily. It's not unique to my yard, but still, removing it would be a nice neighborly gesture.

Over a couple evenings this week I cleared my community garden plots. I forgot to take "before" photos, so "after" is fairly meaningless.

At the edge of one plot was a mound of debris from last fall, and when I got to the bottom of it...


The best I could think to do was cover them back up, and hope mom would move them. When I returned the next day they were gone.

>43 qebo: bunnies?

>44 fuzzi: Yeah.

Gone is good, much better than abandoned and still there.

>46 ronincats: That's exactly what I was worried about. There's other debris in the immediate vicinity, so they may be OK for now, but people are getting started with cleanup, so the safest place is probably the "compost" pile on the other side of the garden.

My mission this morning was to rid the world of garlic mustard. I let it be last week (at the bottom of >35 qebo:) because the English ivy destroyed my muscles, but today I dealt with it in an hour. You can see how much the ferns have grown already.


While I was there, I cut the ivy around the tree trunk near the neighbor's fence.

Today is off and on drizzly, which is why I'm posting photos instead of working outside. Around and about the yard, spring status...

The poison ivy is emerging. Which isn't exactly a good thing, but at least I can see where it is.

In the front yard...

All three lady ferns are up.


The wild geraniums are blooming.


The trillium flower count is now three.

The fragrant sumac has leaves and flowers.

One of the pawpaws has a leaf!


One of the spicebushes has a leaf!

The dogwoods are flowering.

In the front yard.


In the back yard.

Beee-u-tiful!

We have the dreaded PI all over, and I'm allergic. I do what I can wearing gloves, cheapies that I don't mind tossing in the trash afterwards.

I've grown my first lot of seedlings, and disposed of all but one of them to the Earth Day fair. Next lot of tomatoes and basil goes in today (inshallah). I love my Aerogarden - it makes this so much easier, and faster! At 3 weeks, most of the ones that went to Earth Day looked rather like your 4-week ones. The one I kept was a spindly little thing, of a tomato I love - so I'll nurture it and see what happens. Also picked up a couple from my friend who usually shares her starts, equally spindly (she had a bad year, nothing worth giving Earth Day she said). Mine is Spike, hers are Matina (I've grown Spike the last two years, Matina is new to me).

But if I want to plant the starts I picked up at Earth Day, I need to do some major work on my balcony. Two of the Earthboxes are jam-packed-full of snow peas and fava beans - see if I can shift things around and get some of the sturdier starts into them. I can probably pull both (having gotten a decent harvest) before the second lot of seedlings are ready to plant out, mid-May. The snow peas will still be flowering, but as it has powdery mildew already (argh!), I want to get rid of it early. I'll try the milk cure too, but.

The other pots are empty or nearly so, but need new soil and so on. That's my big project this week.

Right now, as I look at tomato varieties, I'm wishing I had more space - more pots, or in-ground dirt. I don't have a plot at the community garden this year, things fell through, so it will be balcony only this year. Maybe more next year. Of course, in late summer, I usually wish I could just garden on the balcony, that's hard enough - don't want to go over to the community garden. We'll see how things work out this year.

Which is to say - I kind of envy you your garden, with all the big permanent (more or less) plants, and so much space, and so on. And I kind of don't envy you at all - that's a lot of work! I love your before and after photos, though. It's nice to see how much can be done with a bit of concentrated work (though yeah, the body objects afterward...).

>55 jjmcgaffey: milk cure?

More plant status photos:

The wild ginger under the Japanese maple is blooming. Its flowers are underneath the leaves at the base, apparently pollinated by ants.


This is the slightly raised area around a black cherry tree, a little weedy but also the milkweed is returning. I probably won't keep it here but I don't have an alternative ready.

A neighbor offered woodland poppies (Stylophorum diphyllum), and I picked them up on Friday. Two people have told me they started with one and now have large patches. I suppose this could become a problem in the future, but for now it's ideal. I cleared and smoothed the weedy area by the driveway, which had been dug up by the gas company over the winter.


Before:


After:

Today, unexpected excitement. The weekend before last I cleared a patch of English ivy, and after a few hours my muscles were rubber so that was it for the day. This motivated me to find someone to help. I googled for local landscape companies, eliminated the ones without web sites, eliminated the ones that seemed too froufrou for my purposes, contacted one whose truck I've seen around the neighborhood and whose web site lists basic services such as bush removal and seasonal cleanup. The landscaper was here late last week to assess, seemed comfortable with the requested tasks and unfazed by the presence of poison ivy, said there were too many variables to set a price, but he could send a couple guys to work at an hourly rate and then I could judge how long to keep them going. I didn't expect them for another week or so, but this morning there they were, three guys. An off-and-on rainy day, I suppose not suitable for tending lawns. In about 3/4 of a day they accomplished much more than I'd hoped, well worth the cost to have the yard in manageable condition. Still lots of work to be done, but I won't have to devote every weekend this summer to muscle destruction, can concentrate on fine tuning and planting.

The English ivy is gone (compare to >48 qebo:). Much of the landscape cloth is gone. There's probably still some yet to be discovered, but they dealt with the known locations.


The barberry bush is gone, along with several other stray unidentified bushes at the bottom of the yard.

During:


After:

Well, congratulations! That seems to have been a very productive day.

>59 qebo: wow, nice! Did you have to supervise?

I once had a friend offer to help, and instead of clearing the overgrown vegetable garden, he cut down all our blueberry bushes.

>61 fuzzi: I'd told the initial guy what I wanted to have done, and I wandered into the yard several times during the day to make sure that's what was happening. There were minor glitches, e.g. they didn't remove the patch of daylillies, and they tromped over a few small plants that were intentional, and toward the end they were raking minor debris for cosmetic spiffup instead of applying the brute force I was paying for to remove the remaining landscape cloth, but they were respectful of the things I'd mentioned to the initial guy, e.g. the ferns and the viburnums, and the things I pointed out, e.g. the mesh cylinders around the pawpaws and the groundhog holes.

I imagine I'll get all sorts of opportunistic weeds now that the ivy isn't there to suppress them, along with reemergence of the ivy...

>62 qebo: it's easier to pull stuff like ivy when it reemerges than when it's firmly rooted...

>56 fuzzi: Apparently, a cure for powdery mildew is to spray it thoroughly with half-and-half milk and water. I haven't tried it - went to buy soil and found a spray that's also supposed to be a cure (garlic oil, among other things) and bought and tried that instead. One application half-emptied the spray bottle, so I really hope it works. I think I'll refill the bottle with the milk-and-water, if there's still mildew after the second application in a week. I quite like the smell of this one; the milk-and-water may be less pleasant. But I'll take it if it suppresses the mildew!

>64 jjmcgaffey: that's a new cure for me, might come in handy in the future.

>59 qebo: I have to admit that I had a pang when you said you took out a barberry, but I had to remind myself that what's useful in one area is a pest outside of its natural home.

I'm also trying to understand that ants might be pollinators (not here, they're either dangerous, or ignorable). Interesting. I (almost) envy you the new start on a yard. I've just hit an age where I know it would be more than I could to.

It's really starting to come together.

>66 Lyndatrue: We'll see if I manage to tame the yard before I become decrepit... Busy weekend w/ the first of several plant sales yesterday, and yard work today. I have photos, but organizing to post will take more energy than I can muster this evening.

In early January I walked around my neighborhood taking photos of moss in preparation for a brief presentation to the Master Gardeners, the final requirement for the classwork portion. This house is just up the street from me.



As I was passing by last week, I saw equipment on the lawn and a man on the roof cleaning around the edges. So I asked if he was removing the moss. He was, and he nicely retrieved the owner when I asked if I could have some of it. The result is that I now possess a large bag full of moss. I'm not sure what I'll do with it. It may not be happy in other locations, but I may as well try.

Saturday was the native plant festival. I had to help with the Master Gardener booth and wanted to see one of the presentations, so I was there for six hours and the day was pretty well shot by the time I returned home. But I did acquire plants, along with sunburn.

Sunday was free of scheduled obligations, so I began putting the plants in the ground.

The foamflowers from last year are returning but not with much enthusiasm. I got two more of a different cultivar. Here they are with the neighbor's ridiculously friendly cat.



The Labrador violets from last year (right side of path) are returning too, but you can see that the ones I bought (left side of path) are much more voluminous. The Carolina allspice seems to have lots of dead branches, but it is producing leaves so maybe it will be OK.

These are yellow, and will go on the north side of the driveway near the trees. They're all supposed to be reasonably shade tolerant.



I got the golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) and golden ragwort (Packera aurea) and spicebush (Lindera benzoin) into the ground. They all look kinda pathetic, but they'll spread.

These are purple, and will go on the north side of the driveway at the front, which gets some sun. I want to keep the violets, so I'm weeding out the grass. I got the blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica and mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum) into the ground. The mistflower began as three small plants that I got via mail order for my old yard. It proliferated, and I gave some to a friend last year. It proliferated in her yard too, so she is now distributing the excess.

Before:


After:

At the end of the day I was too tired to do anything serious, so I chose the relatively small task of cleaning out the raised beds. I realize they don't look all that exciting, but this means I can simply plant without further preparation. The parsley is left over from last year, and was growing nicely until somebody chomped it off.

Before:


After:

Not quite gardening, but in the yard so it kinda counts... I had a Little Free Library at my old house and left it in my old neighborhood when I moved, adopted by someone a couple blocks away. I got a new one, but it languished in a box for over a year, until late January when I put it on on the dining room table as a constant reminder. I finished painting it in early April, and then it sat for another month plus until today, when a handyman helped with the post.

>74 qebo: I'm now officially exhausted from your diary of events, but it all looks lovely in the finished bits. It almost makes me want raised beds (as if I needed more work).

Neighbor's kitty was making blinky eyes at you. What a sweetheart!

>68 qebo: free is good. I've read somewhere recently about putting moss in a blender with water and other ingredients, mixing it into a thick shake consistency, then spreading it where you want moss to grow. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the idea, as I don't need to grow moss anywhere: it already grows nicely on the north side of the house (on the ground, not the house!).

>76 fuzzi: For my presentation I read a few books about moss, supplemented by web sites, and the consensus is the milkshake method doesn't work very well except under ideal circumstances. The recommended method is to tear moss into small fragments (1"-2" diameter), press them onto the surface, water regularly, and wait patiently for the gaps to fill in. Starting with moss that's compatible with the location, since different species prefer different conditions.

82 tomato plants ready to be delivered to the Master Gardener sale. I am glad to be rid of them.



The remaining tomato plants will go to a Master Gardener demonstration garden, and my plot at the community garden.



The annual Master Gardener sale was yesterday. We'd been told that Master Gardeners could choose plants from 7-7:15am only. This motivates Master Gardeners to arrive early and help with setup and the mad rush when the doors open at 7:30am, and preserves the plants for the general public. Wasn't motivation enough for me; I figured on arriving mid morning and staying to help with cleanup. By noon the pickings were sparse and the remaining plants were half price, and Master Gardeners were encouraged to clear out everything, so I got a couple golden Alexander, a few Joe Pye, several snakeroot, and miscellaneous plants that can go to the community garden because my yard doesn't have enough sun. I unloaded the car in wind and drizzle, and forgot to take a photo.

Wow, qebo. You are amazing. I wish I had half your energy and knowledge. I too have been battling the ivy and my back is suffering as a result. Your solution of hiring brawn has me thinking. I have two boys from the neighborhood that can help with some things, but lose enthusiasm when it comes to ivy and Himalayan blackberry (the two worst invasives at my place). The previous owners were Garden Club types, but were more into looks than natural. One consequence is the ivy, and another is the landscape cloth under the entire three-quarter acre. What a nightmare! My biggest problem at the moment is not knowing how to prune the trees. One arborist was ridiculously expensive; another, recommended by Plant Amnesty never showed up. I had been hoping to shadow him and try to learn more so I can maintain.

It's funny that you are trying to grow moss. Here in the Pacific Northwest, after the second record-breaking rainy winter in a row, the joke is that if you stand still for too long, the moss with grow on you. For us it's a scourge.

I have a suet feeder with a cage around it to keep the squirrels out that I retired and put on a shelf on my side porch. A clever Junco decided it was the perfect place for a nest, and I've got to say, it does make sense! I tried to take a picture, but I'm not tall enough to get a good angle and I don't want to disturb them. No sounds yet, but I'm hopeful. The pair that usually nest on my front stoop did not do so this year. I'm worried the neighbor's cat, who lurks around licking his lips, got the babies last year and now the parents have moved on.

A baby pileated woodpecker hit the sliding glass door yesterday, and I thought he was going to break the glass. Even the juveniles are so big. I love it when the fledglings have their orange spiky crests (rather than the sleek red crests of their parents). They look like teens with bed-head. :-)

>79 labfs39: Landscape cloth over 3/4 acre?!? Yikes. I have less than 1/4 acre and the landscape cloth is only at the edges, and even that much I was anticipating would occupy every weekend all summer if I tried to do it myself.

>77 qebo: interesting, and good to know. I have grown moss successfully in 2 liter bottle terrariums using the method you described (Cub Scout project).

>78 qebo: I'm considering trying Joe Pye weed, based upon your experiences.

>79 labfs39: am SO interested in seeing any photos of the nest. Wrens are also very creative in their nesting sites. A friend had to wait a few weeks to start outdoor cooking, as a pair of Carolina wrens used her portable grill as a nursery!

A few years ago, a pair of mourning doves decided that my parents' side porch was the perfect place to nest. They built their nest (a messy pile of twigs) just on the floor of the porch, underneath the small grill out there - we didn't discover it until the babies had hatched, so left it alone. Which required some serious cleanup after they fledged - poop all over the boards. We've been fighting them off every year since - they keep coming and investigating various pots and spaces (the grill has left - it didn't get used enough to be worth its space). Last year one laid eggs, but we found them and took them and destroyed the nest; this year one laid an egg in one pot, but with the late rains the pot ended up a couple inches deep in water (it's a reservoir pot without an overflow hole, I don't know why Mom loves it so much) and the egg was just lying in the water when I found it. My parents have a water pistol by the door of the side porch, with the intention of shooting them to convince them it's not a good spot - don't know that they've ever actually managed to hit a bird. I just open the door and yell. Stubborn birds!

Last week was a complete zero for gardening. Along with the full time job, I had some meeting or event on the schedule most evenings, and the weather was chilly and rainy.

I was looking forward to the plant sales, but now it's been three Saturdays in a row, with Master Gardener obligations. Now I need to get to work. I have acquired a few plants. There are more on the front porch.

To fill the void... last Sunday I went on a hike with the botanical society to a park that mostly looks like this.


It was another chilly rainy day, and the moss was abundant and happy. I took lots of photos. But the primary reason for this hike at this time was what's in bloom: pinxter azaleas, and ladies slippers.



On the way out we happened upon a luna moth, dying on the trail.

>84 qebo: I know what you mean about last week's weather. I found one small block of time to go out and rip up some weeds (so therapeutic!), but that's it. Hoping this week is better because there's more to be done.

>86 lauralkeet: And this week you are no longer burdened with a full time job. I probably won't have much time until Memorial Day weekend. Getting a bit done this morning, inside briefly to research two plants before I decide where to put them...

>84 qebo: nice! Looking forward to "meeting" your acquisitions.

>85 qebo: I like open woodlands like that. Most of the woods in this area are full of brambly undergrowth, and not fun to try to walk in.

Sorry about the moth, but the Lady's slippers are gorgeous! We used to have them in the woods behind the house when I lived in Connecticut.

>87 qebo: yes, that will help! Earlier today I realized hey, I don't have to go to work on Monday! That was a weird (but good!) feeling.

>82 fuzzi: Here's the photo, although it's not very good. The shelf is high up, and I didn't get a very good angle...

>90 labfs39: thanks! I have a very similar feeder that the wrens frequent for suet cakes.

Smart birds: nothing will or can bother them there...

Been awhile. And not for lack of activity. I've been too exhausted to organize photos. So lemme start to catch up before I head outside again.

At the community garden, because of the school construction (which is supposed to begin as soon as school is out for the summer), the plots on the eastern end are likely to be lopped off before next year. We aren't sure which plots, and we aren't sure when, so we can't rent them out to new arrivals. Gardeners from previous years had the option to move; some did and some are waiting. I've stayed put since I run the world and can choose where I go next year, and I've also taken on responsibility for the adjacent two unrented plots which next year will either be lopped off or become mine. I've had milkweed along the fence in previous years, but that's exactly the fence that will be moved. Also I don't have time for extra tending. So I decided to move the milkweed from the fence, plus any volunteers in my plots, to one of the not-really-my plots.

Here's my corner plot, where I had a patch of milkweed last year but want to grow tomatoes this year. I dug up the milkweed...


... moved it...


... and planted it. This was two weeks ago.


Then last week I planted the tomatoes. They're in there, about 6" high. Two views of the same plots. The two with straw have been planted. The one with patchy thistle has been cleared but not planted; I plan to grow parsley and fennel for swallowtail caterpillars. The one full of weeds (last year's plotholders moved away) hasn't yet been cleared in this photo.


The plot of weeds was last weekend's task. Just getting started...


... and all done.

Also two weeks ago I planted the raised beds in my driveway. Nothing exotic, same as last year: fennel, dill, parsley for swallowtail caterpillars.

The big project occupying most time and energy has been the front lawn. This is an annoying patch to mow; it's across the driveway and sloped and irregularly shaped. I've wanted to be rid of it for a year. Which is why I've been neglecting it this spring.


Two weeks ago I began at the top of the slope next to the driveway, removing the grass and leaving the violets. This was inefficient, and made the ground lumpy. On the right is the small patch I cleared.


So I let it sit for another week, and scouted on the internet for lawn removal methods. I should've covered it with cardboard and leaves last fall, but I didn't. So last Sunday I spent the entire morning chopping it up into 6" chunks. Here it is about halfway done, with the previously cleared patch on the right, a patch I've covered with leaves on the left.


Several robins were bopping around. This one found a grub.


On Tuesday, I got a delivery of mulch and topsoil in preparation... This is "economy mulch" intended for paths.


During the week, I went through chunk by chunk separating out the grass and keeping the dirt. The weather was not helpful, several days of rain so the dirt never dried. Yesterday morning, the last section...


... removed. I've kept the grass around the edges to prevent erosion until I figure out what else to do.


The plant arranged, with mulch paths roughed in.


This path leads up from the street, and separates my yard from the neighbor. Technically the grass on the right from the stone wall to the curb is mine, but I've left it as a buffer zone because the neighbor keeps a tidy lawn and I don't want to interfere with it. As it happens, the neighbor was outside mowing so I talked to him, and he'll include the patch. I could plant something there, but then either it'd begin to invade or he'd have to mow around it, and this way seems simpler.


And all planted. No, it doesn't look like much yet. These are all supposed to be shade-tolerant. This is not deep shade; it's sunny enough for the grass to grow more than I'd wish, so I hope it's sunny enough for other plants too.


I'll list the plants later. Now, I have to get going with the back yard...

Lots of work done, looking good!

I've done virtually no gardening the last week as I pulled a muscle in my shoulder and spent two days in the recliner with my heating pad.

Looking good. So nice to have a large enough canvas for your ambitions!!

Today's agenda: the back yard.

The general idea is meadow with mulch paths so I can get at things. This area gets some sun but not for long durations, so as in the front I'm experimenting with shade-tolerant plants.

Step 1 was marking the boundary. The main path will enter where the tarp is, and the boundary will be a narrower mulch path. It's a kidney shape because it passes underneath the dogwood tree. Along the fence will be bushes. Along the alley will be bushes.


Step 2 was clearing the debris. Didn't look like much but there it is piled on the tarp. The remaining green is violets, in lines because they grew in the spaces between tarps.


Step 3 was assessing the plants I have on hand and considering where they could go, then marking the beds. The ground is quite solid and crisscrossed with roots. I used a spade fork to break up the top 4" or so. I had to dig down deeper for some plants, and the soil actually improves below the surface.


Step 4 was slightly amending the soil and breaking apart the clumps.


Once the beds were prepared I was about done in, but I really wanted to get the plants in the ground today and rain was predicted for tonight into tomorrow. So plowing forth...

The meadowy plants from my deck, roughly arranged, with two enterprising robins.


The swamp milkweed from last year is returning, but I don't want to keep it there (that was the only place I had clear last year). So I dug it up (the remaining plants are weeds)...


... and moved it.


This is whorled milkweed.


This is three types of Joe Pye.


This is a cultivar of snakeroot, and phlox.


Everybody at once. Minutes after I finished, the rain began.


I have more plants on the deck but they won't go here. So I have space to fill, which is a nice position to be in with another native plant sale in two weeks.

>96 ronincats: It's kinda too much for practical limitations of time and energy. What with scheduled events and weather, this is the first weekend I've been able to work on the yard for two days straight, and meanwhile weeds are proliferating. I dealt with the front yard first so the neighbors can see that my intentions are honorable.

That's just because this is the first year. Everything doesn't have to be done at once, but just getting the structure laid out is taking a lot of time this year. You'll enjoy tweaking it for years to come.

>99 ronincats: I think you nailed it.

qebo, I love seeing the progression of your gardens. I just can't do the digging anymore (old shoulder/back injury that keeps flaring up every time I grab a shovel or fork) so I am living vicariously here on your thread. :)

Two items of progress: (1) The guy who mows the neighbors' lawn (other side from the area I tore out last weekend) swung through my lawn too after I bought the house but before I moved. I've realized since that my manual reel mower isn't up to the task, so I've been hoping to hire him again but didn't have contact info. With the weather finally decent enough to keep windows open, this morning I heard power equipment and caught him at work. So now my front lawn is civilized enough to signal "construction" rather than "negligence" for the wild parts, and he'll tend it whenever he's around. (2) I crossed paths with the neighbor yesterday and asked about the lawn guy so she would've passed along contact info soon anyway, but also she invited me over this weekend for a conversation about the fence.

On Saturday evening I got another community garden plot planted. This is sunflowers. I have one more to go. I should've done it on Sunday evening, but I couldn't get my muscles motivated.

After I planted the back yard "meadow" last weekend, I worried that I'd been too stingy with paths. I meandered around during the week considering, and decided to revise. The paths at the community garden are 30", passable even when everything's fully grown, so I made this the standard. Took several hours on Saturday morning, but I'm happy with the result. This will be the main route through the yard from top to bottom. If the paths are too wide, I can expand the garden beds in the future; easier than shrinking the beds if the paths are too narrow.


I've been saving violets as I dig and weed, purple and white. These are white violets, planted in the bed with the white milkweed. Violets are my default groundcover; the flowers are pretty, the leaves are green for 2/3 of the year, they spread rapidly and densely so keep weeds out.


On Sunday afternoon I mulched the paths. This is a thin layer, more proof of concept than the real thing. The beds look tiny but this is partly camera perspective. The shortest distance from the mulch to the fence is 5', and mostly it's 6' or more.


At the bottom left of the yard, the English ivy was cleared away. So far not many weeds have sprouted up, so I pulled them out and smoothed the dirt. I have two types of chokeberry, which is supposed to manage in part shade. How part? I don't know. So I placed them along a curve from the meadow to the alley. This area gets filtered sunlight and sometimes more. To the left of this photo along the fence is a cherry tree, but much of the shade comes from three viburnums, which I'm not devoted to. So we'll see. I could remove them altogether, but more probably will prune them as needed. The stick on the ground marks the concept of a path to the alley.


On the bottom right of the yard, a path will go toward the fence and meet a trail that extends along the fence from the street to the alley. I removed the daylilies to its left, but kept the daylilies to its right because they are mixed with poison ivy. I had planted a pawpaw tree last year, but it got chomped off by some critter and didn't return. So I replaced it, and added another. These are from a recent plant sale, and have been sitting on my deck, where somebody seems to view them as food.

>103 qebo: nice paths.

Violets are not only pretty, and a fairly inoffensive semi-invasive ground cover, but they are hosts to butterflies such as the fritillaries!

Good idea to use the collars on the newly-planted trees.

>104 fuzzi: fritillaries
Yeah, this is among the reasons I like them.

I don't know what's so appealing about pawpaws, but the leaves keep getting chewed and chomped. Not by caterpillars. Rabbits? Groundhogs?

>105 qebo: You might try my personal remedy for critters that chomp (although try this on just one leaf first). I fill a spray bottle with one part tobasco and four or five parts water, and coat the leaves. It doesn't hurt most plants (it does hurt some, though, which is why I said to test it). Not all critters will care, or be put off. Squirrels don't care about it. Groundhogs may not. Rabbits for sure will care.

>106 Lyndatrue: Oh! Good idea. I will try it on my strawberry plants. If there is anything left to them.

Thursday and Friday I was at the annual native plant conference and sale. Plants acquired on days 1 & 2:

Saturday evening I went to the community garden for another round of plot clearing and planting. In my one fenced plot, I had set boards off to the side a few weeks ago, and yesterday I dislodged an ant colony underneath. I let the ants move the babies to safety, then shifted the board where I want it. I planted fennel for swallowtail caterpillars.


The state of my plots as of yesterday evening. The milkweed in the foreground plot is doing nicely. The tomatoes in the background corner plot are growing slowly. The thistle is relentless. I'm barely managing to keep things under control.

Today was free of obligations but heading into a heat wave, so I wanted a productive but not strenuous task. Two weeks ago in >94 qebo:, I'd cleared the front area but kept grass around the edges, and roughed in a mulch path. Today I refined the path to 30" and added another layer of mulch, and cleared the remaining grass, leaving violets and plantains. This occupied about 6 hours.

Looks like progress is happening on all fronts, Katherine!

We've been chilly and overcast, our usual June gloom, but we are supposed to have sun and temps in the 70s this week. I thought my sweet peas were done for (the vines are in very poor shape) but after a good watering the other day, I picked three vases worth today. I can't put in the cucumbers until I pull these out--but I like sweet peas better than cucumbers! Our apricots are ripening, as are lemons, and the big tomato bush out front is putting on fruit like crazy. I'll try to take a picture to put on my thread tomorrow.

>110 qebo: I'm impressed you were able to work outdoors for 6 hours in Sunday's heat! Your garden is really shaping up, looks great.

>110 qebo: looking nice!

I didn't get anything done in the yard last weekend, because I was sick. Apparently with Lyme disease. Symptoms: a prominent and expanding rash, and extreme fatigue w/ headache. I never noticed a tick. Over the weekend I tentatively self-diagnosed w/ the internet, and on Monday a doctor agreed it was probable, sent me to get a blood test and prescribed antibiotics. Unfortunately, the blood test was negative, so I'll never know for sure. Lyme symptoms can appear within a few days, but Lyme antibodies may not be produced for a month or more, so the blood test is unreliable in the early stages (estimated 25% false negatives). But treatment in the early stages is essential; long term problems occur when people don't realize they have it (rash doesn't occur or is in an obscure location, illness doesn't occur or is mistaken for a run-of-the-mill bug) so it lingers for months or years. The medication is a nuisance: 2x per day, not deviating too much from 12 hours apart, not within 2 hours in either direction of substantial food because it binds with calcium and iron and other minerals which reduces effectiveness. The rash is now fading, and I feel reasonably normal.

Lots to make up for this weekend...

On Friday evening, I put plants around the Japanese maple in the front yard. Getting dark when I finished, so I took photos on Saturday morning.

Two types of fern: maidenhair (2) and spleenwort (4).


Two types of hepatica: round-lobed (3) and sharp-lobed (3).


And partridgeberry (4). There was a berry on Friday evening but it was gone by Saturday morning.

On Saturday, I had no grand theme, just a whole lotta plants on the porch that need to get into the ground.

I started with the milkweed because it was easiest. I got this strip of whorled milkweed because it was inexpensive. Added it to the existing patch.


The swamp milkweed is hanging on here, but it doesn't get enough sun. Also somebody is stripping off the leaves.


At the native plant sale, I looked for poke milkweed because it prefers shade, but I found only one. Here it is, about in the middle of the patch.

Next, the raised area under the cherry tree. This is where the swamp milkweed was last year. It's something of a problem because of the fence. The neighbors have weeds between the fence and ornamental grass, and a coral honeysuckle which was cut back but is expanding again. The fence issue is not likely to be resolved soon. I did talk with the neighbors, a mother and daughter, but the mother has serious health troubles that are more pressing. Meanwhile, I'm going to plant an elderberry bush, which is compatibly messy and resilient enough to survive fence reconstruction in the future. I should plant two, because they don't self-pollinate. I had a rooted cutting, but it died while I was considering where to put it.

Then the area north of the driveway where the Norway maple was removed. I planted ferns around the stump last year, and they have returned along with lotsa weeds. I have two hazelnut trees that have to go here because they can't go anywhere else. I need two because they don't self-pollinate. They will produce fewer nuts in shade, but can tolerate it, sez the internet. We'll see. Here's before and after, with the trees not yet planted.

And the front meadow. It's still looking sparse, but a few plants are blooming or on the verge.



Here's what I have to put there.


Here they are all in place. Doesn't look much different.


Along the driveway, false indigo (2). See them? Each a single stalk in a blank space.


In the pointy end, two types of blue-eyed grass: narrow-leafed (3) and needle-tipped (3). See two small triangles of tags. This is not actually a grass; it is an iris.


In an empty space, a giant hyssop.


Along the street, wild petunia (2).


Sorta mixed in because there's not much open space, bottle gentian (3).


Over the past couple of weeks, I've been systematically tracking the sun. I go out with a camera on the hour, and take photos of specific spots in the yard. Get maybe a few hours each day, depending on schedule and weather, and now I have everything from 7am - 8pm. Some of the results are unexpected, e.g. this front meadow gets nearly full sun at the tip.

Ugh so sorry about your lyme disease!! I hope your treatment is early enough that you don't have any long-lasting problems

Sorry to hear about the Lyme. The hubs had it a few years back and it does kinda suck. The good thing is you sought treatment so I'm sure you've avoided any long-term problems.

The poke milkweed that I planted yesterday? Today, sigh.

Today, more plants.

I planted the hazelnut trees.


Near one tree, I planted a patch of ipecac (3) and a patch of miterwort (3).

Then yellow things.

In with the already planted golden Alexander and woodland poppy, now also yellow stargrass (3) and downy goldenrod (2). The yellow stargrass is not a grass; it is a lily.


Around one oak tree, Indian cucumber root (3) and green dragon (1).


Around the other oak tree, blue cohash (3).

This is the trail from the street to the alley, looking toward the street. I was down that way planting around the hazelnut tree, so toward the end of the day when I didn't feel like planting any more, I began spiffing up.


A couple hours later...


This is the part that I care about, keeping the moss clear of weeds.

So much catching up to do! I somehow missed your garden page, and I hadn't read a post from you in some time in any of my starred or my own threads. Hoping everything is OK with you.

Everything's fine, I'm just behinder and behinder in posting updates.

qebo, I missed your updates from June, too. I am very sorry to hear about the Lyme disease. My sister apparently contracted it around the time it was originally being diagnosed and named (we lived in Connecticut, where the first cases were found in the town of Lyme, hence the name). I'm so glad you got treatment right away, as she never did, and has had a number of health issues since.

Love the gardening, admire your stamina!

I too had contracted Lyme a year and a half ago. Was misdiagnosed at first, because we don't get a lot of it out here in the Northwest. I most likely got in when visiting family in Maine, although I didn't see a tick either. By the time it was properly diagnosed by an infectious disease doctor, the rash was gone. I too tested negative, but the test is, as you say, notoriously inaccurate. I was treated then, but had problems with my heart for the next nine months or so. I seem to be okay now though. Horrid disease.