The First Turning of the Compost--Today's Garden

54*, 30.07 in and steady barometer, 93% humidity, S 5 mph wind, fog

Today's sky view: foggy with the sun trying to burn through.
Yesterday was the first hose hookup of the year, the first lawn mowing of the year, the first shed cleaning of the year, and I can not forget to mention the first sit out on the patio with Mr. Hyper relaxing with cold drinks admiring our hard work of the year. Well today was the first turn the compost of the year. It was starting to work again, in spots. It was really steaming already--thanks to rabbit poop! Anyway, it needed a bit of mixing up to even out the cooking so I turned it. Note to self: chop up morning glory and gourd/pumpkin vines much smaller as they take forever to break down. Maybe I will take the lawn mower to them first next time.

This pasque flower is opening!! Did you know this is a native plant to the plains? I DID NOT until I looked it up the other day on-line wondering what time of year they normally bloomed. Apparently they like sandy, gravelly, lean drier soils according to what I've read on-line. Well it's in the wrong spot for that! I planted it in rich acid mounded soil that my rhodie is growing in. Yet it survived the winter just fine and it's even blooming. If it starts going down hill, I will move it. But for now I will let it stay. It's my first official bloom of the garden of the year! (I'm not counting pansies, those were already in bloom when I planted them)

Weekend Garden Workout

57*, Barometer: 29.81 steady, 87% humidity, S 6 mph wind, cloudy

Today's Sky View

A sign of spring-- Bleeding heart budding up!

I have also noticed buds on tulips, creeping phlox, and on my pasque flower.

I have a lot to do in the garden this weekend. Today is iffy with rain and its quite damp but not cold. I went ahead and mulched the area around the new fruit trees getting rid of a large diamond of lawn in the process. I think I will grow my watermelons between the trees this year as there will be plenty of light---no need to waste growing space doncha know--as this is the first year for the baby trees. I took about 8 trips in the car to the giant mulch pile to fill up up free red mulch for just that area. Boy I wish i had my pick up still! It would be so much more handy for hauling stuff then my tiny hatch back! I feel the work out in my arms after all that. I should of stretched before, but always forget to. I was trying to do all this while dodging rain drops.

I need to go get free black dirt today too, as there is a fresh load out at the collection point for my veggie garden extension and for planting some flowers in an existing bed. And speaking of planting, I had to pick up some organic potting soil today so I can start more seeds for herbs, flowers, my GIANT pumpkins, and watermelons.

And when I get all that done, It's time to turn my compost for the first time this year!

More Seeds, Spinach Bed, Round the Apple, Borders, Drainage and A Friend with Donuts

38*, feels like 33*, 68% humidity, N 6 mph wind, cloudy

Yesterday's nice warm temps, shorts weather, did not show itself today, on my day off of course. Still, I really wanted to get some things done in the garden. I went first to get some free black dirt and some cow manure, then to pick up some pop to drink while I was out. At the farm, they had a rack of new seeds out. I had to try them of course.....at gun point.

I already have a packet of larkspur, but from a different company and they were more expensive and fewer seeds then this new (to me) brand. Besides, larkspur is part of my scheme to lure and destroy Japanese beetles so I figure I better plant a lot of them if they are going to be sacrificed.

The black dirt went to the veggie garden, to the clay side, that is the new extension of the veggie garden. I like this black dirt. It helps a lot when combined with compost. All it really is anyway is compost with a lot of sand added. Spinach isn't all that picky so that's why I'm going to be planting it there.

The cow manure went into the apple tree bed. Yesterday I mentioned the HUGE improvement in the soil there from 2 years ago. I think part of my success can be given to compost, hay, and leaves. This is the first time I'm adding manure to it. I am going to plant white geraniums along the edge (once its warm enough) and then marigolds and hot peppers in a checkerboard style in this bed, maybe some basil too. I want to put purple basil in there. Wouldn't that look neat?

After playing around for a bit, I told myself it really was time to get down to the real dirty work. Something I had hoped I would have a warm day for. Remember those rocks I wanted but didn't get? Well, I guess the man made border doesn't look so bad after all. It kind of gives the bed a finished look. See, the problem is this, this front area has terrible drainage issues. We get a LOT of rain here, and it either pools up at the walkway (bottom of the photo) for days, pools up in what I call "the Swamp" which is NEVER dry and then runs down to the street through the bed taking my dirt with it. I discovered HUGE freakin pieces of concrete under the bed where it pools at the walkway. And to my delight, I was able to pry it all up and get it out of there. I suspect that I will have a lot less problem there now. The river that runs through the middle of the bed will be stopped by the border, but that still leaves the issue of the swamp's drainage. I have a plan. I really do! More grass is going to be murdered for that project as I expand the apple bed during this year, raising the dirt up a bit, planing things that don't mind water (like cranberry), and the remaining grass paths in there....yup, they will be covered and mulched. Before long, Mr. Hyper won't have to mow through this section at all.

Just as I was finishing this all up, a friend in a car with her son pulled up. She'd been at the Orchard for pancakes and egg hunting and wanted to drop off some syringes for the dog and some Orchard donuts. If you haven't had any Orchard donuts, you are missing out one one of the world's great wonders. They have two kinds, apple spice and pumpkin spice.

Bugs

40*, 60% humidity, NE 3 mph wind, fair
I went out to till the veggie bed from last year. Its the only ground yet that is truly workable with friable soil that is neither water logged nor frozen, thanks in part to the leaves, hay and compost I've been adding to it all last year. The rest of my garden still needs TONS of soil work to get to this point but little by little, it will be done. Anyway, as i raked out the remains of my spinach patch, I found these two critters just bellow the soil surface. I thought I'd take a picture of them before tossing them into the street for birds or cars to take care of in case they are bad guys. Maybe someone knows what these are? If you do, just leave a note in my comments.

8 Things that make me happy. (Garden Edition)

Some of y'all may have seen these lists bumping around in the blogger world and so I too will list what makes me happy (or just 8 of them as it takes very little to make ol' girl gone gardening happy). Here they are in no particular order:

1) Starting plants from seed.

Sure, sometimes there is some cursing involved like "Oh crap-noodles! MOLD!" but overall it is an engaging and fun experience. I love starting things from seeds so much I don't care what it is I'm starting or even if I have room for it beyond the seedling stage. Too bad some of my readers aren't also my neighbors or you might find freebies on your doorstep all the time. I mean I even start roses from seed and who in their right mind would rather start a rose from seed then buying a nice size bush? Me, That's Who!

2) That first vine ripe (fill in the blank).

Be it the first tomato of the year, the first apple, the first strawberry or the first wild berry in the woods, eating the first of anything is an honor and a celebration.

3) Walking barefoot (and sometimes bare!) in the garden or the woods.

OK, so my neighbors are a bit too prudish for me to walk in the garden naked around here but if I had a tall fence, you betcha! There is nothing like the feel of really being close to nature. With nothing between you and the dirt. Which brings me to number 4-

4) Dirt.

I'm a dirt magnet so I might as well enjoy dirt. This is why I can't wear white ever. I don't have to go in search of dirt, dirt finds me. IF I drive by a big pile of dirt it follows me home. Dirt is my manna. Dirt is fascinating. Making your own dirt is fun too. Composting RAWKS!

5)Critters.

Be it cats in the garden, birds or bugs, I love seeing life in the garden. Sure, occasionally I get a rabbit with an appetite for something I don't want consumed in one night, or the deer come and eat your Halloween decorations, but to me having a garden is a way to connect with nature and a little bit of wildness is very much appreciated.

6) Snow

Especially snow balls. (Cue Evil Laugh) Trespassers beware!!!

7) Trees

I'll admit it. I've done my share of huggin' them.

And last but not least:

8) Flowers

Wildflowers, flowers, I love em. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Show me a flower and I can't help but smile. I especially love wildflowers that grow in the wood and ditches, in the meadows and in the alpine rocks. And there is something magical about the belly flowers that bloom in the desert in which you have to lay on the ground to get a good look at.

Weather is moving in....

54*, 34% humidity, W 15 mph wind, cloudy

With the rest of the week predicting freezing weather and possible snow, I KNEW my time has run out for puttering around in the garden. It was all business this morning for me. I got up first thing and drove around the neighborhood to leaf piles and loading up on them. I didn't have to go far before I hit the mother load of maple leaves. I brought them home and began working in the garden. First I dumped a bunch of leaves where I had grown the broccoli and corn this year as it's heavy dirt there and could use some worm action going on. I tilled it in just enough so that it would break down well by spring. I then turned the compost bin and harvested a surprising amount of new dirt which I covered that plot with. the worms shall be happy this winter with something to munch on! I then weeded the garlic well and gave it a covering of straw for the winter. Next, the remaining perennials in the garden that weren't put to bed yet were cut down today. I used the day lily leaves to mulch the new conifer and all the rest went into the compost bin. I have lots of extra leaves in black bags, which I can use in the spring compost and garden beds.

I also needed to use the two remaining pumpkins I had grown since I didn't have time to carve them this year. So Into the kitchen I went--- I cut them up and even though they were from the same plant, I was surprised at their differences. The taller one had fewer but large seeds. the rounder pumpkin had small seeds, but more seeds then I have ever seen in a pumpkin before. I cut them into chunks, scraped them out, and stuffed two large soup pots with them and boiled them till tender. Once they were tender, I scraped them from the skins and pureed them. It would be much easier with a food processor but I don't have one so I used a potato masher. 10 cups of pumpkin went into a big sauce pan, with apple cider, brown sugar, regular sugar, spices and is on it's 3rd hour cooking down. Pumpkin butter rocks! I had 7 cups left of pumpkin, which all got frozen in measured amounts for recipes.
Also, since we ate the last of the store bought bread, I am making a couple loaves right now. A simple recipe, but easy.


The Micro Greens had already started to sprout last night when I got home from work. 1 day sproutage!!

To-do's tomorrow

To-Do

Go ninja some leaves from nice piles in the neighborhood. (Maple for the veggie garden and flower beds, oak for the blueberries) (done)
Ninja some mulch for the tree--there is an abandanded stash along one of the roads here. All I need is a little bit.... (Made my own mulch instead)
Cut back remaining perennials--add leaves to the leaf piling on veggie beds (done)
Clean bird feeder--and try to find the seed that is somewhere in the shed under everything else. (done)
Turn Compost (done and got a nice load of good compost from it)
Weed garlic and cover with straw. (done)
Go through seed stash and take inventory.
Cook remaining 2 pumpkins (done)
Make pumpkin apple cider butter (done)
Make a pumpkin pie
Freeze any leftover pumpkin (done)
Make 2 loaves of bread (1/2 done, made only 1 loaf)
Don't even THINK about housework cept maybe dishes and laundry.

Favorite Trees

41*, feels like 37*, 53% humidity, NW 6 mph wind, cloudy

Driving to work today, our road takes us along the edge of some woods full of trees in autumn glory right now. Reds and bright yellows are always pretty but to me, there is something soothing and wonderful about the earthy yellow and brown tones of the oaks around here. They create a tapestry of muted colors, that just seem to resonate with me. This got me thinking about favorite trees. My favorite trees have always been oaks. There is nothing grandeur or wiser then a great big majestic and gnarly oak. I grew up living under a 150 year old canopy Blue Oak in CA, I loved it on bright spring days with fresh new leaves. The deep shade of summer provided cooling--at least 15 degrees cooler under there then anywhere else. In fall plentiful leaves filled the compost bins to create rich earth for next years garden. And in winter, the dark bare and gnarled branches created a stark contrast against foggy weather and fallen twigs and branches got the fire in the hearth burning brightly. It was home to more birds then you can imagine. Yellow-billed Magpies, Scrub Jays, doves, Ruby-throat Humming birds, titmice, finches. It was home to squirrels and was a jungle gym for kittens. I don't have the room in my yard for a majestic oak, and dream of someday having lots of oaks on a large property.

Mr. Hyper, when asked about his favorite tree, said he likes the Tulip Poplar best. He likes them for their fragrance in early spring, drifting from so high above in the canopy. They are huge trees in the wild. Tall, reaching to the sky. A grove of mature tulip trees is impressive indeed, the trunks tall and strait, no branches for at least 50 feet up. They have an unusual shaped leaf, which makes them easy to distinguish even from maples. They are a valuable timber tree, and the most important part (to me anyway) is that they are the favorite food of humming birds and several kinds of native insects and moths. I planted one last year, I will likely never see it as big as they can get, but I understand they are a pretty fast grower too.

What is your favorite tree and why?

A very nice day!

50*, 54% humidity, NW 6 mph wind, High Wind Advisory

Energy is a good thing to have! I have been so low on energy that even 50-year-olds comment on my tiredness. So I decided maybe vitamins were in order. I found a one-a-day vitamin for boosting energy, with plenty of b vitamins and iron and now I have more energy then I know how to handle! Brain fog has lifted, and I can think so clearly all of a sudden. I had grown used to feeling tired and foggy all the time. Today, I got an amazing amount of housework done. Stuff that I usually dread so it piles up. I cooked dinner, helped Mr. Hyper under the house putting on heat tape and pipe insulation, and scratched a lot of garden stuff off my to do list, without dreading any of it. I even got around to repotting succulents and cactus, cleaning the grow light stand, tossing out old pots and soil, and deciding which plants I no longer wanted and tossing those too (into the compost bin of course). And to top it off, I had enough energy to take a nice little walk at the park for some fall colors. ( http://tiredsoles.blogspot.com/ ) Energy, in abundance is a blessing.

Putting The Garden To Bed

I have had my day off, and I was glad to be able to get into the garden for some work.

I am jsut about finished with the veggie garden for the year. The lettuce needs pulling, the spinach I'm still harvesting, garlic is growing behind them, and there are a few flowers left (Calendula Sherbet Fizz and a sunflower) that the frost will likely take care of pretty soon, although I am hoping to get seeds off of the calendula first. I also turned the compost today as well. It was dry so I drenched it with the hose. I'm going to miss the rabbit manure that gets it going really well.
The flower bed along the patio was also cleaned out and weeded. It looks really really bare now. Next year, pole beans will climb the supports as that is my rotation after the gourds. In the bed near the front walk, I collected Aztec Sunset Zinnia seeds and pulled the brown plants up and discovered my sea thrift I'd started from seed are blooming!

I then collected hosta seeds from all the plants that had them and cut them back for the winter. Their leaves were mostly yellow now. There are some smallish plants in this bed that must of been seedlings from the big plants, anyway, I think I will move them next spring so that they can have room to grow big.
The compost is flowing over again!

Note To Self: Things to move next year--

Sea Thrift

Apple seedlings (maybe, depends how much they grow)

Yellow Lilac

Hostas

Lambs Ears (from out of the veggie garden)

Bleeding Heart (from out of the veggie garden to shade garden)

Lavender (from out of the veggie garden to near the apple tree)

Dark Red Lily (needs division and its too close to the path, gets beat up)

Red Cardinal Lobilia--- maybe move it.

Things To Get Rid Of:

Tall yellow yarrow----falls all over the place either move it or get rid of it!

Alpine Strawberries---Move or get rid of. They seem to attract Japanese beetles to the apple tree.

M.I.A.

Missing: 1 short dumpy female gardener. If found, please load her up with bulbs, compost and manure tea and send on her way.

OK, I've seriously been remiss here on GGG. I've just been totally overwhelmed by everything that the few spare moments I have, I havent spend much of them in the garden. I guess I was also suffering from GGG burnout. FOR SHAME!

OK, so I have been cheating on you kind folks a little bit too, right here: http://tiredsoles.blogspot.com/ That's mine. Thought I'd keep the health food and hiking junk all in one spot and leave this blog strictly for all things dealing with garden and critters! I dunno if its a good idea but whatcha think?

So you probably want some kind of garden update.

There are no frosts yet, but one is possible tonight. I still have to dig up my brugmasia tree which no doubt has roots as thick as tree trunks by now. It certainly has grown this year, the stems have really gotten fat. I may have to cut it back a lot just to fit it in the house. I'll have to cage it too to keep Miss Freya cat from tearing it up this winter. She likes it as a scratching post inside despite her bakers dozen of real scratching posts scattered around the house!

I have garlic growing in the garden now, I planted it over a week ago and it has already sprouted. Lettuce has bolted but the spinach, though covered in caterpillar holes this time, is going great. I have a bird planted sunflower just opening its sunny yellow face today. The rest of the annuals need to be ripped up and the seeds collected. It looks awful but I've had no time to garden at all. Mandatory overtime at work. I worked 8 days last week in a row then went backpacking for 4 days and right back to work where I am trying to survive a 10 day stretch before a day off. The weekend off before that I helped a friend painting her basement and renovate her 100 year old house. I really haven't had a single day of rest for ages it seems.

The blueberry bushes have turned a pretty red color. I wish they had grown more this year. They hardly did anything at all it seems.

A sad note about Snuggles, the big boy bunny. Mr. Hyper is certain someone poisoned him. He called the cops on some drugged out kids freaking out on our property one afternoon. The next day our rabbit was dead. He'd been happy and healthy hours before, when I checked on him before going to work. I don't know if that's true or not as we could not afford to have the body tested for toxins so I'm not jumping to conclusions. I buried him in the garden in front of the Lady Bird Johnson rose bush and put his favorite toy there as a marker.

That's what has been going on. Mostly work, not much gardening. Hope things settle down soon.

My garden is a swamp.

72*, feels like 78*, 98% humidity, calm wind, rain, FLASH FLOOD WATCH

Goodbye little sunflowers. I was willing to let you stand there with browning leaves, and bowed little faces, because the little yellow birds loved to feast on your tiny black seeds, picking them from your packed faces and littering the ground with the shells. But, as seeing how you now lie across the soggy ground, branches broken and strewn, faces in the mud and water, you are no longer welcome. Its time to meet the compost. Oh, I will save your once cheery faces now full of embryonic sunflowers and place them in a bird friendly location for further consumption--after all waste not want not is the rule round here, but even that likely will be short lived. Perhaps you will reappear next year, as a guest you will always be most welcome. For now, feed my lemon yellow friends to strengthen them for their coming journeys. Once this rain stops...if it ever stops, your stalks shall be uprooted, chopped and added to the overflowing bin to become dirt renewed for a future garden.

There is no chance of doing any work outside today, its too rainy, the ground is a mire, and it's down right humid. The weather went crazy last night. Sometime during the wee hours, I woke with a frightened scream, as a particularly loud thunder cracked seemingly right there in bed between Mr. Hyper and I. I literally jumped out of bed, screaming, from sound sleep. So I sit here, a few indoor chores done with a large mug of hawthorn-hibiscus-cranberry tea with a hint of honey added with a pretty heavy decision I am going to have to make about my dog Sasha on my mind.

The house is full of flies, where have they all come from? They gather by the windows in groups, on the curtains, and tease the cat like there's no tomorrow. I do what I can to swat them with a rolled newspaper, but either my reflexes are slow in my old age, or they grow a super-hybrid type of fly here in Portage with super speed bred into them. Quick little buggers.

That's all for today.

Man Time: The paper shredder

66*, 96% humidity, SE 3 mph wind, light rain, FLASH FLOOD WATCH

On today's episode of 'Man Time' we feature a brand spankin' new paper shredder. I bought this thing last week, it was a good deal. I figured it was safer to have one since you hear about identity theft so often these days--plus, I could use the shredding paper in my compost bin so I would be helping to recycle and not send anything extra and unnecessary to the landfill. At first Mr. Hyper moaned about the extra purchase, and it sat in the box a couple days until I took it out, put it together, and plugged it in. Then came the fun. Ever since, throughout the day I now here the rrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr as Mr. Hyper amuses himself with junk mail. I think he just likes the noise....I do hope he keeps his fingers out of trouble though.

Views of the garden from different places, and another daylily!

74*, feels like 73*, 50% humidity, calm wind, fair

Nothing much new in the garden to show you today so I thought I'd share some different views:

Some poppies. Red, white and blue just in time for the 4th of July.

This is Gold Spider daylily and she opened this morning. Isn't she gorgeous?

View from my kitchen window as I do dishes.... I like to day dream I am looking into mountains and forests rather then my neighbors house.... Still, at least I can watch my compost while I work!
The beginnings of my shade garden. It will eventually stretch all the way down along side and behind the house. Gardens are like paintings, you have a general idea of what the end will look like but you let your whimsy take you where it will go and sometimes no one understands your methods but when it's finally done they will all go "WOW!". So much more needs to be done, but a little at a time.... I have my hosta seedlings in there :) It gets morning sun but mostly shade the rest of the day.

I was at the nursery buying mulch today when I saw the same type of daylillies that I got for free the other day selling for $9.99 a piece...and they were one or two fans per pot. I felt very smug because my freebies, even when divided up into 15 plants are way bigger plants. But even if they weren't bigger: 15 X $10 = $150! I'd still be happy. Here is what they look like all planted and nicely mulched. Good bye more lawn. I swear, and every body thinks I'm crazy for this, but someday I will NOT HAVE LAWN. Not a speck. Well, maybe some weeds in the cracks........

Daylilies and More Flowers

81*, feels like 85*, 74% humidity, WSW 10 mph wind, mostly cloudy

This time of year it is way too hot to be digging up loads and loads of lawn. BUT with the free daylillies I had to get them into the ground. But daylillies are tough as nails when you come right down to it, and that's why I decided that they were going to go here, along our parking spot. So in each hole I added a bit of compost from the bin, and popped in the daylillies. From the 3 big clumps, I cut 15 smaller but still good sized plants. This weekend I will get rid of the grass the lazy, easy way. Wet newspapers and mulch. Then it will look like actual work was done to create this bed.


Here are a few more poppies blooming this morning.

And another Aztec Sunset Zinnia

This is a cleome....the flowers are hard to get a photo of but it really is pretty. The stem is spiny though, and I really don't like the smell of the leaves, which are suspiciously shaped like pot...

74*, feels like 76*, 85% humidity, S 6 mph wind, fair


# Of Japanese Beetles Liberated From Life Today: 174 (so far...man oh man, this is war!!!)

You know you are a gardener when........

When you have a garden problem and can't sleep all night trying to think of ways to fix it! That was my insomnia last night....




Here is a bit more lawn gone today... Actually hubby did some of the digging and he put my big rock here and set the big clumps of daylilies here too while I was at work. Now, I was thrilled he took an interest in doing some garden work BUT I had other plans for that rock and those daylilies (that need to be divided anyway...) Plus, they just didn't seem to look right here and the big rock was hidden in the middle. So I took matters into my own hand and removed the daylilies and the rock, dug out the center bit of lawn that he'd left, and added a couple buckets of compost from the compost bin. I planted the little butterfly bush, the lambs ears I had rescued and I put my bird bath here with a little rock to help hold it steady as it tips over if the wind blows hard. Sorry hubby, I know you tried, but the yellow flowers just didn't look right here.

I used more compost and I planted the shade plants I had rescued yesterday on the shady side of the house. It only gets a couple hours of morning sun and then shade the rest of the day. I put my big rock over here also. Tomorrow I will plant my baby hostas over here too and this weekend I will put down wet newspapers and then mulch. I also put my foam flower in there and my tiny crested fern as where it was it was getting too much sun and burning.


Tomorrow not only will I get my baby hostas in the ground, I will divide up the daylilies and plant them where I originally intended because they are tough and can take abuse like heat, bad soil, and street snow piled on top in the winter. Also I may bet my lilacs planted now that the ground has softened, and my hardy hibiscus that I had started from seed.

Veggie Watch 2007

Today we have a whole heap o berries! These are wild berries though, mulberries and black raspberries. Mulberries are coming in strong now with a good harvest every other day so I will be out again on Friday morning picking, while the black raspberries are just starting to have a few ripe fruits. There are going to be TONS of raspberries this year where I go berry hunting.
Mostly mulberries.

Raspberries....yummy!

And in my garden, my puking pumpkins are blooming!

One gourd is already as tall as I am believe it or not. The first broccolis to produce have already produced a flush of side shoots that were for lunch today. I pulled up those plants after I harvested them. the other broccoli will be giving us heads tomorrow. The beans are growing steadily and I moved the compost and turned it again.

The Daily Compost

83*, 46% humidity, SSW 12 mph wind, fair

The Daily Compost

The Daily Compost