The Duck Report - spring snow edition
This update from the hinterland includes a lot about plants, and a little about tv shows.
Duck Report 27 April 17th 2021
I found a TV show you all might be interested in if you can get it. It’s called Escape to the Chateau and unlike Escape to the Country, which is just wannabe’s on television, this is about a family who buy a French Chateau and renovates it. They are really nice and do just a terrific job. It’s an English show so those in the U.K. will have seen it, I am sure. And Australia may get it on public television. I received it on Boston P.B.S., but I think Buffalo P.B.S. also carries it.
Duck Report 28 April 22nd 2021
Yesterday we received 3 inches of snow and today it is really cold, so I went and inspected the veg patch to see how much damage I could expect. The asparagus have quit at 2 inches and turned purple. I really can’t blame them, I would too if I were out in this weather. All the brassicas seem to have sprouted as has the peas and radishes. The lettuce is up but not looking happy. The lawn is growing at a rampant pace, but I was looking forward to dandelions for dye and they are simply not making any progress. (blythe note: only Mum would be despondent at the loss of dandelions)
I have the work table in the studio full of plants waiting to go outside. Many are now quite big, but the parsley still has not taken. I re-seeded twice and used a full package every time but no luck. My only failure.
The indigo plants are doing very well. I just hope when I plant them out they will continue to flourish. I think I shall have to buy plastic and hoops to put a tunnel over them for extra heat and humidity. (blythe note: or you could build them a mini rollercoaster, like a flora-based theme park in the yard????)
Last week when it was warmer I dug up the few maple trees I had in the veg patch and planted them in the fence lines. They have been a huge disappointment as they have only grown about 2 inches in 3 years. The rabbits pruned them in the winter, and generally, they looked pretty sick. I had hoped to start a maple orchard, but they all died regularly and even in the veg patch did not look happy. I think they need [extra] water, which I'm not prepared to do, so Wally can have that patch of land back [for farming]. I also planted raspberries out there which will be dug up and given to one of the gardening club members. The deer ate all the raspberries before I could get to them last year, so that was a waste of time.
The great varmint hunt is still in progress! So far we are 2 raccoons, 1 squirrel and 1 chipmunk down. I have 1 black squirrel who is here from last year having evaded the trap. He is so smart - he digs under the cage to get at the grain, never going inside. I am going to try moving the cage onto the driveway and baiting it where he will not be able to dig. With him gone, I shall be rodent free for a while. (blythe note: Mum is always proud of her rodent hunt results and subjects the family to regular, gruesome updates about it. We've told her not to, really...)
Duck Report 27 April 17th 2021
I found a TV show you all might be interested in if you can get it. It’s called Escape to the Chateau and unlike Escape to the Country, which is just wannabe’s on television, this is about a family who buy a French Chateau and renovates it. They are really nice and do just a terrific job. It’s an English show so those in the U.K. will have seen it, I am sure. And Australia may get it on public television. I received it on Boston P.B.S., but I think Buffalo P.B.S. also carries it.
Duck Report 28 April 22nd 2021
Yesterday we received 3 inches of snow and today it is really cold, so I went and inspected the veg patch to see how much damage I could expect. The asparagus have quit at 2 inches and turned purple. I really can’t blame them, I would too if I were out in this weather. All the brassicas seem to have sprouted as has the peas and radishes. The lettuce is up but not looking happy. The lawn is growing at a rampant pace, but I was looking forward to dandelions for dye and they are simply not making any progress. (blythe note: only Mum would be despondent at the loss of dandelions)
I have the work table in the studio full of plants waiting to go outside. Many are now quite big, but the parsley still has not taken. I re-seeded twice and used a full package every time but no luck. My only failure.
The indigo plants are doing very well. I just hope when I plant them out they will continue to flourish. I think I shall have to buy plastic and hoops to put a tunnel over them for extra heat and humidity. (blythe note: or you could build them a mini rollercoaster, like a flora-based theme park in the yard????)
Last week when it was warmer I dug up the few maple trees I had in the veg patch and planted them in the fence lines. They have been a huge disappointment as they have only grown about 2 inches in 3 years. The rabbits pruned them in the winter, and generally, they looked pretty sick. I had hoped to start a maple orchard, but they all died regularly and even in the veg patch did not look happy. I think they need [extra] water, which I'm not prepared to do, so Wally can have that patch of land back [for farming]. I also planted raspberries out there which will be dug up and given to one of the gardening club members. The deer ate all the raspberries before I could get to them last year, so that was a waste of time.
The great varmint hunt is still in progress! So far we are 2 raccoons, 1 squirrel and 1 chipmunk down. I have 1 black squirrel who is here from last year having evaded the trap. He is so smart - he digs under the cage to get at the grain, never going inside. I am going to try moving the cage onto the driveway and baiting it where he will not be able to dig. With him gone, I shall be rodent free for a while. (blythe note: Mum is always proud of her rodent hunt results and subjects the family to regular, gruesome updates about it. We've told her not to, really...)