Anyone have a garden going this year?

Garden is ready. Seeds are ready. Weather not ready. At least two weeks until first frost-free day.

 

Just started with potted zinnia seeds in 12 containers (indoors) The seedlings have sprouted about an inch tall now. It took 10 days. I'll be transplanting them into outdoor planter boxes. They are suppose to be large hybrids .... 3-4 ft. tall with large 6-8 inch flower heads. Time will tell.

 

My landscaping got 150 bags of mulch this year... and I need 30 more.


(Note: I've only spread 60 bags so far.)

 

It's naturally disconcerting when a species seems to have moved on. But something has come in to make up for it. They're always redistributing. They either seek out a new area, or more likely are run off by more aggressive species. Nothing to worry about, it's just how nature works.

I once had a lot of doves. And by a lot I mean it was typical to see maybe fifty perched around. Now it's about ten. Back then it was rare to see a cardinal. But recently I counted twelve pair. I just came in from an amazing cacophony of different bird sounds. Most are species I don't know what they're called. But there's little fast woodpeckers and big slow woodpeckers, robins, sparrows, bluebirds and blue jays in the mix. Occasionally a crow. Sometimes buzzards out scouring. A couple hawks come around from time to time, sometimes screeching. Once in a blue moon a heron. Three bald eagles came nosing around last month.

There's so much out there that we don't notice unless we pause and take notice. And even then...

 

There are folks who'll bring you a truckload. Big savings over bags! And no plastic to send to the landfill.

 

Wow... amazing. I already knew that.

 

O kaaaay :-/

 

A bunch of starts that were planted in the house are now about 6 inches tall and ready to go in the garden areas. We had deer in the yard last season (our first here in this house), but the fences have been fixed and hopefully that will keep them out. They also liked to stand on their hind legs and clean out the bird feeder! Have not seen one raccoon in this area since we moved in. Looking forward to sweeeet tomatoes!!

 

I wonder if any other people never had Martins come back or just us. We spent more time in garden last year because of Covid. And they swoop down and buzz you when they have young. They are famous for eating bugs, so I'll see if the bugs are worse this year.

 

We're missing the Martins as well. Haven't seen any this year. Not one. There are usually a dozen or so in my neighbors Martin houses. Those are as pretty as ever, but they are empty.

We've also noticed that we are missing a lot of Robins. We typically find at least a half dozen hatched eggs. We haven't found any Robin eggs this year and I've only seen one adult pair.

 

I want to start one. I don't have a yard. I do have a balcony that I can hang stuff off of.

 

Tomatoes!

How To Grow Tomatoes on a Balcony

 

I like that. Thank you!

 

About 3 weeks late but finally got all these plants plus about 60 feet of carrots, 50 feet of beets, 45 feet of taters, and 60ish feet if onions and 14 feet of peas planted out. Hope we start getting over these under 40 degree mornings REAL soon. Plants were quit root bound and 6-8 inches tall in 16 oz coffee cups in the green house.

 

Square Foot Garden planted. Corn, beans and cucumbers sprouting nicely. Tomatoes and peppers looking good. 2 spaces left. What to plant?

 

A small one. Great squash plants, but no squash.

 

Garden was looking pretty good, then the rains came. A lot of tomato vines are dying, and green tomatoes falling off.

 

Still just container planting as the steps needed to secure a garden from pests around here are better suited for a place I own, not a rental I plan on being in for less than a year BUT I'm happy to announce all the mustard, dwarf mallow, mesquite tree detrius and a healthy dash of homemade charcoal I composted seems to be an excellent growing media that I can't wait to pop some Mary Jane into, but so far the basil and rosemary love it.

 

At 36 F. this morning I hope so, didn't cover last night.

 

My woven stick fence did a great job keeping out the deer, even without a gate (they dislike enclosed spaces). However, my sunflowers were still decapitated - it seems the culprits are bunny rabbits. Fortunately, they dislike black-eyed susans and lavender, so I put some of those in with the sunflowers and the grazing seems to have ceased!

The sweet peas are all gone, but they were delicious while they lasted. My watermelon do not seem to want to grow this year, but the pumpkins are very happy. The tomatoes, and green beans are also doing very well, but the beets do not seem very excited to be in my garden.