It's happened--I've already changed up one of the tabs in my binder. Spring is lurking around the corner and plans are being made. I needed some place to keep all my gardening plans and the calender section was superfluous. I'll now use the calendar to plan out when to plant our veggies. You know, there's that whole pesky "last frost date" thing to deal with and when to plant based on that, etc.
This morning, Lil and I went through our favorite heirloom seed catty and selected the veggies we wanted to plant this year. We then made plans of our two raised beds and plotted where each would be planted. Then, I visited
their site and made my purchases.
Lil put in a couple of special requests, so we'll be picking up some pumpkin and watermelon seeds as well. Given the size and space of our backyard, this shouldn't be a problem.
Oh, I'm just getting giddy about this! I have all these plans swirling around in my head and I'm anxious to get going. My beds are shot all to pieces right now and need a bunch of TLC, but I can "see" how they are going to be come spring and summer. :o)
Do you all have that ONE (in our case three) tree(s) that flat out refuses to shed its leaves with all the other trees? :sigh:
This bed is going to house the tomatoes this year, as it gets the most sun. It'll also be the herb bed.
Wait, what's that I spy in one of the front squares? Could it be...?
Yes, yes it is--LETTUCE! :o) See, I
knew it was time to get the lettuces in. ;o)
The beds have to be uncovered and weeded--again. Maybe next year I'll get smart and cover them
before autumn and winter descend...
Hannah's poor pitiful garden. I'll perk up, I know, but it's always so sad this time of year.
The back perennial garden is also rather sad. And coated in leaves. Yes yes, I know, we're lazy. :oS
But, in amongst those leaves (I've been using to insulate my plants...yeah,
that's it...) the Johnny Jump-Ups are sprouting and the perriwinkles are spreading. :o)
The huchera is wintering over quite nicely.
I'm also making plans for out front.
It's time. It's time for those rocks to GO. When we moved in, they were the main decorative landscaping feature. They were in ALL the flower beds, around ALL the trees and there along the sidewalk. I know many folks love them, but to me, they are a nuisance. This is the year they will be removed. They are so heavy they are tiring to remove, and given Brien's aneurysm, we try not to overtax him.
These two beds in the front house daylilies, callas and glads. The glads tried to come back again in November, even though I had already removed their dead leaves. Can you see the some of the daylilies trying to make their presence known?
There's also quite a bit of weeding to be done up here as well. I would like to add on to what we began with the daylilies, but I'm not sure what. The front of the house is seriously BAKED in the summer. We get the late afternoon sun and it fries anything out front. So far, the only thing that has been happy are the lilies. I would like to put a climbing vine of some sort on a trellis between the windows to add some height and interest. I'd also like to put in some sort of ground cover. But, what in the world could survive the intense sun and heat? Do y'all have any ideas?
Anyhow, the weather is supposed to be simply lovely this weekend and into next week, giving Lil and me plenty of time to get out and begin to clean and make ready our gardens. She's hoping we can put in one more garden this year, one for HER. :o)
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Today's Sparklies:
1. B called this afternoon and had me check out the sky. The clouds looked as if they were a giant body of water with the wind rippling over it and a stream running through it. It was amazing.
2. Planning planning planning.
3. Having a place to keep those plans. ;o)
4. NOVA has been
really cool the past few weeks. This week is "Build it Smarter". The shows have been all about how nature has influenced science and improvements in technology.
5. Portion control at work once again--only one chicken enchilada for dinner tonight. Go me!
No milestones.
15 comments:
Clematis like their heads hot and their feet cool. If you put a trellis in the front, a clematis is a good choice *IF* you put a ton mulch around the bottom. (6" maybe). It can take a while for a clematis to take hold, but once it does, it is wonderful. A Jackmanii is a good choice.
Lissie
Please don't rush my winter away. I am loving it. We have the same problem with rocks. The people that owned our house before loved them. We have gotten rid of most of the ones in the back yard but still have them on the side of the house. What do you do with unwanted rocks????
Whoohoo! I love your plans. If you want a beautiful sun resistant flower, plant lantanas. I put them all over my backyard. I sometimes forget to water them in the 112 degree heat and they will wilt but the second you water them, they perk right back up. They are awesome!!
Any thoughts of something evergreen to anchor those front beds? You don't have to go with the traditional choices, there are lots of things you can get away with in your warm zone!
I'm so obsessed I haven't even written all my plan on FYB because I know I probably have bigger plans than $. I fall asleep every night thinking about my garden! We put so much in during the fall that this spring and summer should be a real treat.
I told Bob today that if we move in the next few years I think I'll be sadder to leave my garden behind than friends, b/c I can keep in touch with friends!!!
PS - Lazy S Farm is BY FAR the best plant shipper I've found, the plants all arrive very healthy. They only offer quart size of their stock but let me tell you, they have more plants than I can possibly imagine - even really hard to find stuff and b/c it is small it is affordable.
I am already putting together an order from them to be shipped in the spring.
I LOVE Jess' comment about you being in a warm zone. As an Aussie that makes me LAUGH!!!
I so enjoy watching your gardem through the year. You get every season and they are so distinct amd wonderful.
Love,
Jane
Don't worry, Anon, I'm not rushing away winter. I'm not a great fan of summer around here and have been thoroughly enjoying the cold. But, I know spring will be here before I know it and I need to be ready for it when it arrives.
Rach, ah... ground! We haven't seen the ground - or soil - or our grass, since November. We aren't likely to see them for another couple of months either! Love that you ordered the Heirloom seeds. Way to go on portion control. You should be very proud of yourself. Love that you are getting rid of the hardscaping.
Hugs
Jaydee
petunias do great in the sun, if they droop just hit them with some water - our old house used to bake too and this was the only flower that worked. they smell great too.
I'm so addicted to your blog. I've been reading it since Hannah passed away and have cried quite a few tears from reading but mostly I love your blog because you constantly remind me that life is uncertain and to enjoy our families and lives each day! I started my Eucharisteo list (like your "sparklies" list) recently! I also went out and bought a binder, pockets, tabs, etc. and am adjusting it to my life. You are younger than I am but teaching me so much! Thank you for continuing to share! If you get a chance read the book One Thousand Gifts by Anne Voskamp. There are MANY reasons you will love this book but the loss of a child (her sister at a very young age in an accident also) and her outlook on life and trying to remain positive and thankful-reminds me so much of you!
--
jj
I am not sure how hot it gets at your house in the summer but I live in Dallas. We had some 106 days this past August. MISERABLE! Give me a sunshiny cold day over that any time!!!
Oh, anon, we hit well over 100 a few times this August as well. It's hot. It's miserable and I lay on my couch in the a/c panting like a dog. UGH! I love these sunny cold days. :o)
But, again, as much as I don't want to admit it, spring is going to be here shortly and I need to prepare. :o)
How refresuhing to hear garden talk as the temps are below zero with even colder wind chills and PILES of snow from "the blizzard of 2011!"
I'm thinking of expanding my community garden from one plot to two for this upcoming summer. My big kids want cantalope. We'd love pumpkins but let me ask you this....how soon can they be harvested? You see, the plots are on school property and part of the agreement is that we have it all cleared away by Oct. 15th. Would love to plant pumpkins but it would be so sad if I had to remove them before they are done!
I wish I could garden but we don't get enough sun in the back. I love your yard!!! We also have trees that don't shed with all of the others for some reason. I can't wait to see some color again, though I'm not all excited about weeding :) I can't wait to see what your lovely yard looks like this year!!! And yeah a new tab in your binder!!!
Consider putting a listing of freecycle for your rocks when the weather is a little nicer. Someone might be delighted to shovel them away for you in exchange for free rocks.
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