What Did You Do In The Garden?

[ducks4you]

I have so much I'd like to do, but we've had huge amounts of rain this winter, instead of snow, so ground is just too squishy...I can't even get out to trim my fruit trees, I don't want to compact the soil. I have to admit, I am liking the warm winter we've had so far...way above average temps.
On the flip side of that is learning how to garden with our "new normal"...I used to be able to have a spring crop of some things, but the last few years we go from 50 to 80 with no in between. I'm going to try shade cloth this spring for some things that have bolted the last couple of springs.

Try starting some cool weather seeds inside. Lettuce is really easy and sprouts quickly.

 

[Branching Out]

A while back I was lamenting how fiddly it can be to grow pansies from seed, but now that it is dark, wet and cold out I am sure appreciating their cute little faces when I step out in the garden. These frilly ones are just starting to bloom. They are growing in a window box style planter that sits close to the house, keeping them dry. When I cook rice I give them a drink using the starchy water from rinsing the rice. (BTW it is my understanding that pansies are edible, so I tried eating one of the flowers the other day. Man, did it ever taste awful.)

Yesterday it was sunny and dry for a bit so I was able to get some chrysanthemum and Sweet William divisions from my neighbour. Phaedra has me inspired to start dividing plants, and lopping off part of a large chrysanthemum was much easier than I had expected it would be. Next up will be mint and chives.

 

[ducks4you]

I amended my out of the way 3 ft by 6 ft bed yesterday. Post #56
Go here for the photo.

DUCKS for THEE in 2023

DH had his first cataract eye surgery last week. aMAZING!! Great success! :weee :weee :weee He went for the much better lens that was inserted after a laser broke up the cataracts. 15 minutes. ONLY complaint was that he got a call the afternoon before to give the time for the...

www.theeasygarden.com

 

[digitS']

Well, I wasn't gonna put this in this thread but since I added to the "garden activity" today, it amounts to a few hours ... more like 90 minutes to gardening .

I moved some bricks around trying to make sure I have enough to fill in an area of the lawn immediately in front of the back steps. The ground has collapsed there over the years of traffic and something has to be done. The bricks have holes in them and allow grass to grow and I think that is fine. I can mow right over the top of them and they can stabilize the soil. Where I have them elsewhere in the backyard and where there is adequate sunlight, they have disappeared beneath the grass. There may be too much traffic at the back steps but there's plenty of sunlight and in a couple of years, we shall see what the grass can do.

I also moved a very large load of soil in the wheelbarrow from the 2022 potted tomatoes and such, into the backyard garden beds. The ground is still frozen over about half that area because it has so much shade during the Winter months. Still, I picked up quite a bit of mud on my shoes .

Yesterday, I hauled some of the hydrangea branches, tree branches, surplus mountain bluet and some weeds to the pickup. Also, pruned the clematis. That is something that should have been done in the Fall but we went from warm to freezing and snow so suddenly, those vines have been there providing "Winter Interest" for months! There's more to do in the way of clean-up and before a run to the dump but some of it is started. The wheelbarrow had a flat tire and I had to get some air into it so that I could dump the soil and make use of it for clean-up. Now, I'm too tired for any more "garden activity" so I will just take a shower and have dinner . If'n I don't post anything more on this thread for several weeks - just consider that the remainder of the clean-up was done and the run to the dump was made ...

digitS'

 

[Branching Out]

It sounds like you had a very productive day Steve-- way to go! I ventured out for several hours too, liming the lawn and applying some dry organic turf fertilizer. Then I spent an hour and a half hand-pulling my cover crop mix, to make way for the ranunculas that will be going in that spot in a week or so. It was satisfying to get that task done-- only thing is my legs feel like Jell-O now. Lol. I am sitting with my feet up, watching the sun set on a very pleasant day.

 

[digitS']

It was Yard Clean-up Day. About 6 wheelbarrow loads of debris went in the back of the pickup.

Yes, it could have been composted but we are working on filling a 7th 5-gallon bucket of kitchen scraps. I'm fairly sure that is, at least, one more than the record for a Winter - and I have been conscientious about refilling each when a brief thaw has happened so that the "compostkraut" in each settles a bit.

I have the buckets covered with large pots in a discrete location in the backyard on the deck of the chicken coop. I have checked the stealth compost bin beneath and beneath the greenhouse deck. I think that there has been active decomposition going on down there so finished material to take out and those buckets can be emptied soon. It's just a matter of waiting for a sufficient thaw.

It was necessary to avoid the parts of the yard still snow covered. The veggie garden beds will also have to wait because there is still snow and the ground is frozen in most of it. But, the beds for the ornamentals are cleared and the leaves protection covering perennial plants has been removed so that they can be aware that Spring is Nearly Here!

Steve, who will welcome a little rain this weekend which just might melt the last of the snow that has been here since the first week of November!

 

[ducks4you]

I am dumping from the stalls in between my 2021 tomato fencing, ~12' x 4'
I took the time to dig up the baby curly dock and remove them. If you don't do this, they will become a perennial and grow up through any compost you dump on top.
I cleared 4 "lanes" and I am hoping that the spring rains will leach out nutrients from the manure and straw.
Garlic is 8 inches tall and looks terrific!
2 rows, each south of the 1st and 2nd fences.
I am leaving any clover bc it fixes nitrogen.

 

[flowerbug]

rained yesterday and almost finished melting all the snow, last night it snowed and is snowing now to cover it all up again. it will probably be melted off again soon enough.

that is, all i'm doing today in the gardens is looking at them out my patio doors.

 

[Phaedra]

I kept cleaning up the raised beds and pruning some plants. As the forecast looks friendly enough, I also transplanted some young plants.

Later, I 'harvested' some new self-seeded chamomiles and potted them for succession planting.

 

[Alasgun]

I’ll catch up with some of you soon enough BUT in the mean time “Working” in the garden is a lot more work right now!

To the left of this compost bin is another one which had to be dug into, removing the snow so i could lift the gate off the hinges to retrieve a fish cart full of compost for the greenhouse. Had i been thinking i would have wheeled the cart up and into the greenhouse in the fall.
Anyway, after some digging i pushed the wilderness back enough to wheel the cart out. Right now that cart is setting in the shop until it un-thaws and i can carry bucket loads up to the greenhouse. It’s a steeper hill and a longer pull as well. Buckets will be fine.

So, at the end of the day i guess i made preperations to work in the garden.