Flowers at Cagasa April 22
I'm doing garden-therapy. Dirt beneath my fingernails, burst blisterrs on the inside of my thumbs, I'm making my world a beautiful place.
What's in bloom? As of today, some daffodils just peeked out. There are some grape hyacinths in the lawn near the lower tiered garden. Other than that, nothing. Dandelions aren't even out yet. I saw snow on the north face of a rock wall on the hill Small Boy calls "his Worst Enemy" while out walking yesterday. (This was named the summer he learned to ride a bike.)
So far this week (I'll cut this because it's long and boring, but is mostly about gardening tasks.)
I've raked up all the garden beds. I'd done a lot of winter-kill removal last Fall when I was here during a particularly nice bit of weather, so now it's mostly raking. I filled four compostable leaf bags with leaves. I haven't bought those in a really long time, but we didn't bring the pickup truck on-island so it's what I'm using instead. That, and a tarp to hold the non-leaf brush. I'm about to take a load to the transfer station, I'll see how that works out. Leaf bags are far cheaper than paying gas to drive the truck instead of the car, though.
I've planted the pansies. I got six six-packs this time, not a full flat. Enough for two windowsill planters, the blue pot on the east deck, the AuntAndUncle pot, and a few in the whiskey barrel planter. I have two more windowboxes that I'm decommissioning this year: we never hung them back up after painting the south face of the house and I don't feel the need for them. The transplanted rose and whiskey barrel planter serve nicely.
I bought another huge blue planter. I think it cost $70 (plus needing to drive on to haul it onto the island.) It's sort of my version of a vacation splurge. I brought seeds and soil and plants and I'm making that west garden into edibles. The iris flower bed got a brussels sprout and a broccoli, just leaving them there for me next fall after the summer is over and the irises die back and - look - coles! Planted six months ago! I love the sneaky way coles last all year. I also threw in two zucchini seeds. Let's see if anything comes of that.
In the little west garden bed alongside the blueberry bush I also planted one brussels sprout, one broccoli, and a kale. It'll mostly be flowers, these three plants won't transform the nature of it, but will feed me when I'm here.
In the pots, of which there are now five:
the white one on the east side up against the house will be a tomato plant again. It's too soon to put one in.
The grey urns at the top of the stairs will both be herbs that smell nice as you walk past them. The west one is filled with "salsa cilantro" (such a heavenly scent, we put some in a salad last night.) It's also got a rosemary and some chives. There's a sage that may have over-wintered from last year that I left alone, and I left an oregano in there from last year, too, that may have survived.
The east grey urn is a "pineapple mint", and to this I added some basil seeds on the south side and some rainbow swiss chard seeds on the north side.
The black pot is going to be veggies. I planted two zucchini seeds (I'll thin it to one) and two rows of romaine lettuce.
The blue pot needs some rocks in the bottom before I can add soil. I went down to the beach yesterrday to collect rocks but discovered an amazingly high tide that was over-washing the causeway to Long Point. I stood there being amazed at how high the tide was when a wave came washing up and overran me. Wet shoes. I can't think the last time the ocean accidentally caught me. I sat down in the sunshine to take my shoes off and watch the waves. Such power and glory and white brightness. I didn't get my rocks. So now I have to go back. :-)
But I've got some more kale to put in there, and probably another kind of lettuce, and maybe another zucchini and/or broccoli.
I brought a new little planter with me this time filled with runniculus from Home Depot. I bought it primarily because it came pre-planted with four runniculus and some soil. I divided the runniculus around the place - some in the whiskey barrel planter, some in the blue planter, one in a pot, one still in the planter, to which I added some pansies. But when those go by I might throw some more lettuce seeds in there. Or maybe some swiss chard: they're both pretty and edible.
I've very much enjoyed being able to pick some kale leaves to add to whatever I'm cooking. It makes every canned soup more palatable, and every stir-fry benefits. I have one plant that overwintered in the upper tier and I've already picked some from it.
I've also already raked the east lawn, put down fertilizer (22-2-2) and then used the last of last year's ever-wear lawn seed to overseed it. The south lawn got fertilized, too, but hasn't been raked or over-seeded yet. The west lawn got raked and fertilized, but no seed.
I put down sulfer on the hydrangeas and blueberries as well as the lawn fertilizer.
I sneaked into the neighbor's yard and pruned their pear tree, cut back the bittersweet that was invading the pear tree and our yard, and cleaned out their winterkill. (It's part of what I'm hauling to the transfer station in my car. This is less fun than throwing it in the back of the pickup truck.) I'm going to sneak back in and sow a bunch of zinnia seeds I bought at Home Depot in bulk in there. Hey, they don't come until July, they're here six weeks, and then they leave. I'm the one whose front windows look out onto their unkempt back yard. (My lot has a pan-handle where my south lawn abuts their side lawn, but their house sits in front of mine partially blocking my frontage.)
I did a little pruning on the crabapple, but it needs a ladder to do more. (So does the pear.) I also pruned the two blueberry bushes. Now I'm off to use the hedge-trimmer on the spirea and the white shrubs on the east side. (I already pruned the butterfly bush back to the quick, as well as most of the hydrangeas.)
The south compost bin is covered and curing. It needs turning but I didn't bring the compost turner. the north compost bin is mostly empty. I added some wet leaves and some dry grass along with the current kitchen compost and it's ready to take what the summer brings. I'll cover that this fall when I use the compost in the south bin to mulch the gardens for the winter.
Eldest son has been here this week and that's a joy to me. In fact, Darling Daughter was here for the week-end and that was helpful in ways I can't say in a public post.
What's in bloom? As of today, some daffodils just peeked out. There are some grape hyacinths in the lawn near the lower tiered garden. Other than that, nothing. Dandelions aren't even out yet. I saw snow on the north face of a rock wall on the hill Small Boy calls "his Worst Enemy" while out walking yesterday. (This was named the summer he learned to ride a bike.)
So far this week (I'll cut this because it's long and boring, but is mostly about gardening tasks.)
I've raked up all the garden beds. I'd done a lot of winter-kill removal last Fall when I was here during a particularly nice bit of weather, so now it's mostly raking. I filled four compostable leaf bags with leaves. I haven't bought those in a really long time, but we didn't bring the pickup truck on-island so it's what I'm using instead. That, and a tarp to hold the non-leaf brush. I'm about to take a load to the transfer station, I'll see how that works out. Leaf bags are far cheaper than paying gas to drive the truck instead of the car, though.
I've planted the pansies. I got six six-packs this time, not a full flat. Enough for two windowsill planters, the blue pot on the east deck, the AuntAndUncle pot, and a few in the whiskey barrel planter. I have two more windowboxes that I'm decommissioning this year: we never hung them back up after painting the south face of the house and I don't feel the need for them. The transplanted rose and whiskey barrel planter serve nicely.
I bought another huge blue planter. I think it cost $70 (plus needing to drive on to haul it onto the island.) It's sort of my version of a vacation splurge. I brought seeds and soil and plants and I'm making that west garden into edibles. The iris flower bed got a brussels sprout and a broccoli, just leaving them there for me next fall after the summer is over and the irises die back and - look - coles! Planted six months ago! I love the sneaky way coles last all year. I also threw in two zucchini seeds. Let's see if anything comes of that.
In the little west garden bed alongside the blueberry bush I also planted one brussels sprout, one broccoli, and a kale. It'll mostly be flowers, these three plants won't transform the nature of it, but will feed me when I'm here.
In the pots, of which there are now five:
the white one on the east side up against the house will be a tomato plant again. It's too soon to put one in.
The grey urns at the top of the stairs will both be herbs that smell nice as you walk past them. The west one is filled with "salsa cilantro" (such a heavenly scent, we put some in a salad last night.) It's also got a rosemary and some chives. There's a sage that may have over-wintered from last year that I left alone, and I left an oregano in there from last year, too, that may have survived.
The east grey urn is a "pineapple mint", and to this I added some basil seeds on the south side and some rainbow swiss chard seeds on the north side.
The black pot is going to be veggies. I planted two zucchini seeds (I'll thin it to one) and two rows of romaine lettuce.
The blue pot needs some rocks in the bottom before I can add soil. I went down to the beach yesterrday to collect rocks but discovered an amazingly high tide that was over-washing the causeway to Long Point. I stood there being amazed at how high the tide was when a wave came washing up and overran me. Wet shoes. I can't think the last time the ocean accidentally caught me. I sat down in the sunshine to take my shoes off and watch the waves. Such power and glory and white brightness. I didn't get my rocks. So now I have to go back. :-)
But I've got some more kale to put in there, and probably another kind of lettuce, and maybe another zucchini and/or broccoli.
I brought a new little planter with me this time filled with runniculus from Home Depot. I bought it primarily because it came pre-planted with four runniculus and some soil. I divided the runniculus around the place - some in the whiskey barrel planter, some in the blue planter, one in a pot, one still in the planter, to which I added some pansies. But when those go by I might throw some more lettuce seeds in there. Or maybe some swiss chard: they're both pretty and edible.
I've very much enjoyed being able to pick some kale leaves to add to whatever I'm cooking. It makes every canned soup more palatable, and every stir-fry benefits. I have one plant that overwintered in the upper tier and I've already picked some from it.
I've also already raked the east lawn, put down fertilizer (22-2-2) and then used the last of last year's ever-wear lawn seed to overseed it. The south lawn got fertilized, too, but hasn't been raked or over-seeded yet. The west lawn got raked and fertilized, but no seed.
I put down sulfer on the hydrangeas and blueberries as well as the lawn fertilizer.
I sneaked into the neighbor's yard and pruned their pear tree, cut back the bittersweet that was invading the pear tree and our yard, and cleaned out their winterkill. (It's part of what I'm hauling to the transfer station in my car. This is less fun than throwing it in the back of the pickup truck.) I'm going to sneak back in and sow a bunch of zinnia seeds I bought at Home Depot in bulk in there. Hey, they don't come until July, they're here six weeks, and then they leave. I'm the one whose front windows look out onto their unkempt back yard. (My lot has a pan-handle where my south lawn abuts their side lawn, but their house sits in front of mine partially blocking my frontage.)
I did a little pruning on the crabapple, but it needs a ladder to do more. (So does the pear.) I also pruned the two blueberry bushes. Now I'm off to use the hedge-trimmer on the spirea and the white shrubs on the east side. (I already pruned the butterfly bush back to the quick, as well as most of the hydrangeas.)
The south compost bin is covered and curing. It needs turning but I didn't bring the compost turner. the north compost bin is mostly empty. I added some wet leaves and some dry grass along with the current kitchen compost and it's ready to take what the summer brings. I'll cover that this fall when I use the compost in the south bin to mulch the gardens for the winter.
Eldest son has been here this week and that's a joy to me. In fact, Darling Daughter was here for the week-end and that was helpful in ways I can't say in a public post.