DUCKS for THEE in 2023

[ducks4you]

FINALLY I got some gardening time in, besides moving future compost around and picking up little pieces of gardening trash like broken plastic pots and small unusable pieces of baling twine.
I organized my seeds in my new cabinet.
I planted in my ~20 inch diameter whiskey barrel planter on the porch. It has been full of potting soil since last summer.
I tried carrots in it last Fall, but they didn't make it.
This porch is not heated but the windows let the sun in and it retains heat. It's always warmer there, east side of house, than it is outside, sort of a greenhouse, of sorts.
I deeply watered the soil, although it was pretty damp. Then, I dug deep and hand raked.
February 6, 2023
Most of the seeds I planted are old:
radish
Dante carrots
bok choy
scallions (new)
spinach
I covered with a biodegradable garbage bag and I'll give it about a week then take a look.

 

[ducks4you]

More seed organizing in my seed cabinet,
I Panicked!! WHERE were the bean seeds that I bought from Baker Creek?!?!?
Phew! I had stored them in some glass jars and found them in the kitchen. Now they are in their appropriate drawer.
I have a lot of interesting seeds to plant this year,
I bought about 8 different tomatoes from High Mowing 2 years ago, and I had them stored in ziplock bags and inside of a plastic jar that used to have applesauce. VERY dry and stored well.
Add the other seeds to that and I could plant out 12 varieties of tomatoes this year.
I think I need to buy some plant markers for this year.
I have 3 different leeks to start, although one package is old, so I'm not holding out much hope for germination.
Still, stored well, so I might get some.
I have a lot of flower seeds. The first ones to be started will probably be sweet peas,
I have moved my storage jars to the basement. They will be available for seed staging bc we are very humid here and that can spoil seeds in packages,
I have noticed that several seed companies have started to sell their seeds in plastic packaging for longevity, I suppose.

 

[ducks4you]

NEWS! My boiler pipes are fixed!!
I caught their boiler guy in between COVID and his winter vacation.

 

[ducks4you]

Meanwhile...
I have brought in plants to overwinter. In the past I have put geraniums into pots, then to the 2nd floor windows.
Sometimes, when I would remember to water them I would have flowers in February. Sometimes, I would kill them by a forced drought.
This year they sat in this snacks bowl in the downstairs sink. 7 of them are now transplanted in my window planter and right next to a north facing window. I gave them some friends, which were sprouting onions. Even the 2 geraniums that looked dead have small leaves and are worth saving.
I don't care if they grow through the chicken wire. I will cut them off and try propogating.
I always say that only drought and ice can kill these things, bc they really didn't get much light, either, just sat in a little pool of water.
Last time I put any plants in this spot some kittens used it as a litter box and kicked all of the soil out on the floor of my pantry!
I lined the planter with a white plastic garbage bag. I bought a 40 pack of biodegradable garbage bags specifically for gardening and I didn't want these to dry out,. The soil was reused 2022 potting soil and it was full of tiny dead roots, even better!

 

[ducks4you]

My Poor perennials!! Last year I killed 1/2 of the privets, bare rooted, bc I should have gotten them planted.
Oh!!! to be a critter owned by Duckums, My cats, dogs, and ponies surround me and follow me around,
All are well fed and well housed,
Ewwww to be a PLANT owned by Duckums!
Ignored...underwatered...under potted...dried out...forgotten...
I got 1/3 grapes planted in 2022.
The one in the ground may/may not make it. Some rabbits ate it 1/2 down before I even noticed,
I guess if I see it leafing out I will tomato cage it and surround that with chicken wire.
The other 2...one I brought inside in December and left it on the basement floor,.
It survived! It's leafing out in indirect light. (below)
The other, the one that the Japanese beetles were feasting on was left on the porch,
I have tried to remember to water it, and the twigs seems pliable, so I will be moving IT downstairs today to try and save it.

 

[heirloomgal]

The great thing about perennials ducks is that the top doesn't really matter near as much as the bottom, it can be amazing what sprouts back after the tops die for whatever reason - lawnmower, tiller, drought etc. My stepmum brings her geraniums in every fall and lets them die back completely. To me, they look totally devoid of life. But they always get going in spring when she brings them back upstairs, and she has the most amazing, huge, lush geraniums I've ever seen. They don't even look like geraniums!

 

[ducks4you]

I know!! I don't have the nerve to knock off the dirt, put them in a paper lunch bag and hang upside down in my garage, but there are gardeners who Swear by this.
I am going to try cuttings. One of the geraniums is a bright pink, the others are red and I would love to have a row of red geraniums this year!!

 

[Branching Out]

Maison de Bonheur (House of Happiness) is a charming Canadian documentary film about a woman who has lived in the same apartment in Paris for 50 years, tending the geraniums on her Montmartre balcony in a tender yet spectacular fashion. It is in French, with subtitles, and about an hour long. Not sure which networks still have it, as it was made in 2017. https://www.criterionchannel.com/maison-du-bonheur

 

[ducks4you]

I moved my grape on the porch to the back of the house a few days ago to take advantage of some heavy rain and nitrates. Low of 32 degrees F this morning. I moved it into the basement next to the other grape. IF I am right that the warmer basement temperatures AND the longer days caused the other grape to leaf out, we'll see soon if this one is still viable.
I had meant to move them BOTH to the west facing window in the pantry, where I have a table with an old plastic tablecloth on it so that plants can get light.
We'll see if I get to this. It's much easier to keep them on the floor until it's time to transplant them.

 

[ducks4you]

DD's and I have planned a Valentine's Day sweatshop this afternoon. ALL, DH and both DD's are looking forward to their travel pillowcases. DH always steals a pillowcase & pillow for road trips, and they now ALL want one, so it doesn't matter what the other presents are now. I will take pictures to share.
Same Valentines' Day fabric, but different colors of piping to tell them apart. Mine will be red and probably won't travel anywhere.