Planting .... and weeding

         The growing season is upon us. I am amazed at the buds on all the roses, though I'm not expecting blooms just yet. The white tree peony is still blooming well, with two out of three blooms out, while the burgundy one has 4 buds, none out yet.  The poor pink one has put on a bud too, I hope it's not the last hurrah before it croaks!
     The vegetable garden gets a bit more work today, and then I think I have to plant it - I'm working on supports for a net for the brassicas - I just have cauliflower and broccoli seedlings so far. I am going to use the plastic I used for hoop skirts - I have set one up using bamboo skewers for bases! and I think I will have to lash a bamboo cane to the tops to keep them from collapsing on top of the plants.
      While I was walking to work the other day I noticed rebar posts under the spruces planted by the new Uni housing - the spruces are big now, and no longer require the supports. I wonder....
      I am expecting a service person from Aliant to see what's up with the internet - so I can't stray far from home. Must get busy, though. The sun IS shining, and there's hay to be made.

Life begins....in June!

The newcomer - a rhododendron!

      I have reached the month in which I turn 60. I am quite contented with my life, compared to this time last year - and, in spite of having few dollars in my wallet I am finding life is good. Even great. How unexpectedly wonderful! I have always been a contented person, I think, but I have recently endured a lot of work-related stress and have come through it.  Life begins at 60? Who knew?
     Today I spent mostly in the vegetable garden. We have "boarded  in" three of the five beds, which means that there is more planting space. There are two beds which are - and will be for this growing season - just mounds. However, there are now three beds which are 1 metre wide and 10 metres long. The other two are just as long, but not so wide (yet). Today I specialized in onions - regular yellow, Spanish, and bunching - and I planted out the three pots of leeks which I had raised from seed. The leeks made four rows, each about 4 metres long. Mmm.
     I put all the tomato plants (except the Early Girl ones) out of the greenhouse, as I would like to harden them off. I want them in the ground soon. I have moved the hoops from the asparagus bed so I can cover the tomatoes with plastic and give them some shelter from the wind and a good warm start. We don't have any frost warnings for the next week, so this may be the propitious moment.
     I had planted zucchini seeds in the lasagne bed, and two of them have germinated. I may just put the seedlings I've raised into the other planting pockets in that bed. That will save space in the regular vegetable plot for other things. I put several more tatties into pots in the greenhouse, but I think that the rest will go into the ground. The ones I planted in the ground last week (they were Irish Cobblers) haven't shown themselves yet. We have had a cold and rainy week, which may have slowed things down. I have a few beans, and some carrots, peeking up.  Also another row of something which might be basil. I rather hope not, as I planted more of that today. (I certainly already have the memory of a 60-year-old.)
     In flower news, the white tree peony is blooming! The burgundy one is some days behind, and the pink one is suffering quite a bit - it has not put on growth like the others. It did have several suckers coming up from the root stock, which I have ruthlessly pulled away. I hope it manages to survive.
       I was listening to GQT today, and they talked again about the "Chelsea Chop" - pinching back late-blooming perennials by 1/3 to 1/2 to encourage bushing up. So I did some of the phlox and some of the sedum "Autumn Joy" - they especially recommended it, as it has a tendency to flop over. Mine certainly DOES. I hope this is the cure. I took the tips to the greenhouse and tried propagating them. Not the phlox of course. I have far too many of those.
     I have a three-day weekend, so I plan to garden and sew and generally make the most of it.

May's Away

Miniature Iris (Henry) with snail damage on fronds.

      It's been a great month for growth in the garden. I hope the rest of the growing season will be as good.     
      There is a frost warning for tonight, but I haven't put put anything that would be susceptible yet - seedling tomatoes and cukes, etc. are still safe in the greenhouse every night.
I have let the asparagus out of its tent, and am letting it grow up into fronds now. The last bunch of the row, No. 9, had been nibbled right OFF by slugs, so I set a couple of Guinness traps and consoled myself that we still have 8 - and then just yesterday I found No. 9 sprouting again. They look purple and delicious but I am leaving them strictly alone. They have gone through enough with the slugs.
     Speaking of purple, though, I planted the seeds of purple sprouting broccoli the other day in the greenhouse, and they have come up! I fancy they will make for an interesting-looking broccoli salad. I really need regular green as well, but I still haven't found my seed stash from last year. I may have to purchase new ones.

     I have completed the sides on the second raised bed, and have begun work on the third. I fancy that, IF I manage to finish that one, it will use up all of my materials. I hope to visit Arsenault's Mill sometime and get some cedar slabs for the remaining two, and eventually to replace the flooring I've got on the first three beds, before it rots away. It *is* three years for the first bed I 'sided", though, and I  wouldn't have predicted the flooring would last that long. If only it were waterproof - otherwise it is perfect in size for the purpose.
    So far I have planted some basil (no sign of germination), tatties and carrots, beans, and lettuce. I have a few Spanish onions in as well. I like the beds with the sides because there is more planting room in them - you can go right to the edges with stuff. I had planted a few zucchini seeds in the "lasagne" bed, where I had the ground cherries last year. I see one has sprouted. I may have to protect *that* tonight against the frost.
     The strawberries (Sarain) in the pots in the greenhouse have set fruit! I was afraid they wouldn't get pollinated in there, but it seems that they have done.  The outdoor ones are just a bit behind. I saw the June-bearing ones yesterday at the neighbours', and I shouldn't get so excited about mine - the June-bearers set much, much more fruit.

    It's coming up to the Small Halls festival again, but there's no big names to be excited about this time - just local folks we've seen many times before. I suppose they've lost federal dollars ( as so many have), and can't afford the bigger prices. It's too bad, though. The local musicians learn from the big names - or at least, one hopes that they do!
     One of my three new hydrangeas has been totally denuded by the slugs - the poor thing! I have removed the slugs, but I have strong doubts that the plant will come back. I am keeping the one I got at WalMart safe in the greenhouse, and it's sprouting new leaves all over the place - they had clipped it off to fit into the shelving unit and it has responded well. I think it must be one of the vigorous ones. I'm holding back on planting it out, though. The slugs aren't getting this one.

Growing things

Finally cut some of the grass today, between rain showers. Things are just jumping into growth.

I am pleased to report that the blueberries are leafing out and the blossoms are developing. This is a surprise, but of course we don't yet know if there will be berries! I probably should pick the blossoms off, to give the roots a chance. Maybe I will.  The blooms are these tiny pink tips on the branches. The plants are only about 15 cm. tall. The old plants, which have been there for a number of years, are at the same stage, so it looks like I haven't disturbed them much by moving them. That's so pleasing.
I checked my cranberry bog, and I seem to have just one living plant - of the 10 or thereabouts that I put in last fall. Ah well. Blueberries are better - and I shall try again with the cranberries, as soon as I find some plants. ETA: Checked again and I have three! alive out of 10. Better, but not good enough yet.

We have had asparagus twice already. This is the first year of the crowns, so I don't want to discourage them. I am not sure how much more we should pick. I have them under the poly tunnel still, and it is simply amazing how fast they are growing. If I had the time to watch I am sure I would see them at it. I usually open the tunnel on sunny days, because it gets really hot in there - and of course it has to be watered because the tunnel keeps off the rain as well.
       I am hoping to use the tunnel elsewhere in the garden later, perhaps over the tomatoes or something else that needs covering. I am planning to use curtain sheers over the broccoli when I put it in - but perhaps I don't need anything so sturdy to support the sheers. I have lots of plastic pipe saved from hoop-making that I could re-purpose.
     Once the May Long Weekend (a.k.a. Victoria Day) is over I can get back into the planting of the garden in a big way. I have more boards for the raised beds to go on, and plenty of seedlings started in the greenhouse to go in once the beds are ready. Bean seeds are soaking already.
     I was thrilled to find an Eryngeum at WalMart this week and immediately bought it - and another Hydrangea, MUCH bigger than the ones I got from Veseys. I have been wanting the Eryngeum for quite a while. It seems quite innocuous at the moment, though I've heard that it can be prickly and difficult. I need to find the perfect spot for it, so it doesn't prick the unwary.

It's Spring at last!

    Still haven't cut the grass, though lots of our neighbours have done. Much progress has been made in the flower beds, including some splitting up and moving things.

Bush cherries: Back: Romeo, front left Juliet, right: Crimson Romance.

     I received the long-awaited package from Veseys last week, and put the cherry trees into pots in the greenhouse, but I foolishly decided to plant the hydrangeas into the shrub border right away. It's been quite cold at the nights, so I have had to cover them up. I should have hardened them off - but I was so excited, I didn't think of it. There were three - of the 'Hardy Hydrangea" variety. I planted the first, Hydrangea paniculata 'DVPpinky', on the east side of the central shrub bed, and the second, Hydrangea aborescens 'Abetwo' on the west side of the same bed. The third I put in front of the rugosa roses in the west bed. It is Hydrangea aborescens 'NCHAI', ppaf, cbraf. Common names in order, with sizes at maturity, are "Pinky Winky", 6 - 8 feet tall & wide; "Incrediball", 4-5 feet tall & wide, and "Invincibelle Spirit", 3-4 feet tall & wide. Hope they survive.

Blueberries, mulched with sawdust

      I took the truck up the Black Creek Road last week and dug up some lowbush blueberries - easy peasy, as the road machine had been and they were hanging out over the road, with almost no soil underneath them. I had started a bed for them, and when I got back with the plants I Googled and found what they need - basically, manure and sawdust to increase acidity, so that was easy to provide. I think it must be acidic there already, as I have put them near the ones that have been in our garden for years. After I got them planted, I mulched with more sawdust and watered well. I'm not expecting a lot of fruit this year, but I know they are a late and sweet variety because they performed well on the road last year. Apparently I am to let them fruit one year and cut them back the next - or maybe every three years. The pros do every two. The ones we have haven't ever been cut back, of course.

     In knitting news, I have started a spiral scarf using black Kroy and a long-repeat multicolour - Elann's Sock it to Me dankai. It's short-row wedges between black borders which really set off the colour changes well.  I had gotten a bit obsessed with the pattern after seeing it on Ravelry, and went to Owl's Hollow looking for a long-repeat colour. All they had was the Noro cotton-and nylon in a couple of truly ugly colours, so I bought the Kroy and came home, and ordered some Chroma from Knit Picks. And then I was looking for something else in my stash page on Ravelry, and saw the two skeins of dankai I'd bought some time ago, and I was off! TGFR!

       I have completed the linen closet (but for the doors), and today I dry-fitted the cradle for the bathtub. I have to wait for Fred to come home to help me lift the tub on to the cradle, and then probably take it all apart to nail it into place, and then together. The tub needs a bit of sawing to make the holes for the water attachments and I'll have to cut the cradle as well, just not sure where yet.This will have to come after the dry-fitting. And then it's the plumber again to fit the drains and attach the water supply, and we will have a bathtub again after - seven years?
     I painted the walls around the tub space, as I thought it would be easier without the tub in place. Of course I still haven't decided on a colour for the walls, but at least the gyproc is primed. 

       I have plans to tile the walls around the tub, just up 9 inches or so - as I am hoping the days of splashing in the tub are behind us. I am surprised how finished it looks, I think because I put a bit of pine along the front, rather than the rough 2 x 4s. I will probably put tile there as well - at least,  I do have the tile for it, and if it looks good I'll go for it.

     The end is in sight. Then I can spend ALL my time in the garden.

Making Progress in the Garden

    Tuesday night we fulfilled a long-term commitment to gather red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea - or C. stolonifera at the MacPhail Woods). We borrowed the Family Truck and drove to the Victoria Road after supper, and dug up 10 pieces from the ditch. We discovered that they are shallow-rooted, and the stems root readily and send up new shoots. We did get involved with some deeper-rooted bits but they were really hard to get out with just a shovel - an axe would have been handy. Since they were in the ditch, they have been bush-hogged countless times, so we weren't destroying or even damaging the stock - we even took from four different clumps.
       Back home, we put them in several places, mostly on the outside of the spruce and pine hedges so they will get lots of sun, which they like. I watered them the next morning, because by the time we finished planting it was dark! I discovered that we actually have nine plants, so perhaps we put two in one spot. I put two in the "front" garden, one in the shrub border and one beside the rose bed, and one in the line of shrubs under the maple in the "back" garden - the row of shrubs now consists of: 1. P.G. Hydrangea; 2. Cotinus coggyria (purple smoke-bush), 3. Potentilla (white),  4. Cornus sericea,  5. Chaenomeles japonica, and 6. some sort of Spirea, scrumped from the garden opposite Sears.

The Six Flowering Shrubs - not yet flowering, of course!

     Quite a list. It's a bit dark under there, and I have to keep the spruce hedge trimmed or it would overtake the shrubs, but it should make a good display - sometime.  If necessary, the maple can go - it's a Norway, anyway, and I consider it a weed tree. The number of saplings I pulled up in the flower beds this spring! Some of them two or three years old!!
     The Ring-around-the-Rosey bed is looking good - the Rugosa roses are putting out buds and the one in the middle is just fountaining out, over all. I am not sure if the last-year branches will flower, so I shall keep an eye on them and if they don't, I'll prune them out. They remind me a bit of raspberries at the moment, so I won't be surprised if they don't flower on last-year's canes.

Thornless! Mystery Rose

      I had decided that it might be Rosa Pleine de Grace last year, but in reading about it just now (got to love Google!) they talk about how thorny Pleine de Grace is, and mine has no thorns, none at all. Back to the drawing board, then.
      If anyone has any ideas I'd be happy to hear them. Blooms early, once, in clusters of single small blossoms, no scent that I've noticed, no thorns, vigorous, roots readily, blooms white with a hint of pink, turns more pink as it ages. Blossoms long-lasting. I once thought it might be Rosa Banksiae but their blossoms, though small, are doubles.
    The greenhouse has had a re-vamp, I de-skinned it and worked on the strapping, replacing four broken ones with new, and then re-taped the plastic and pulled it over again. There was one bad hole where a broken strap had poked through over the winter so I just taped it up. The plastic is quite opaque, so I don't expect it will last another year, but I am hoping it will do for this one. I hoiked out the strawberry plants I'd sunk into the vegetable garden bed late last fall and they are loving the warmth of the greenhouse at the moment. They all seem to have survived, and the ones which were on the West side of the bed were much warmer and so have started into growth - much more vigorously than the ones which had been on the East. I am sure they will all catch up eventually. The outdoor strawberries (the ones in the ground) are looking well. I have uncovered one bed and am leaving the other covered, to see if it makes a difference. There were three degrees of frost last night, so the uncovered ones are shivering this morning.

Frosted Lady's Mantle, April 19, 2012

    I am uncovering flower beds gradually, and discovered that the Alchimilla mollis was coming along grandly under quite a covering of brown leaves. It was quite big, so I dug it up (with quite an effort, it had made a considerable root-ball) and used the two-forks method to divide it into five pieces. I put one in the north-door bed, two in the South, and two beside the rock steps on the side lawn bed, pulling out two huge phlox to do so. I'm trying to keep smaller plants beside the steps. I should re-plant those phlox, because they are probably the nicer-coloured ones (not the dull light mauvey-pink ones I have in such abundance) - either white or the darker pink. I must check last year's photos to be sure. 
    I located some flower seeds at WalMart (though the garden centre isn't open yet) and bought some - another package of Nemophila Total Eclipse, some Morning Glories, and Cerinthe, which I saw on Beechgrove last year and loved. I started the seeds yesterday, and some are indoors in the wee greenhouse, while the rest are in the outdoor one. Fingers crossed - it's rather late to be starting them, they say, but I think 6-8 weeks until the last frost could be now.

More activity, of a scattered sort.

    I'm working too many hours this week to make a proper start on anything. I did get the greenhouse tidied up a bit, although it's not yet reinforced with new strapping. I moved the southern-most 'feet' inwards about 30 cm. and that makes it taller - and also gives me a bit more room on the edge of the strawberry and cranberry beds. I hope that it will shed snow more readily as well. Today the weather is not conducive to being out, so I am doing some domestic engineering this morning, as I have to go to work for 1 pm.
     I think the cherries - when they come - will go nicely where the blue tarp has been sitting since last year, discouraging the grass and weeds a bit. That is South of the greenhouse and East of the raspberries. I still have to figure out the fruit cage to keep the birds off the cherries. Surely I can find an old fishing net or two down at the wharf?
    I have been working on a little booklet of bead and sequin techniques, based on one of my favourite books from the library - Bead and Sequin Embroidery Stitches by Stanley Levy.

     I must see if I can get a used copy somewhere. I have borrowed it a lot! Anyway, I am trying out some of the techniques in my little booklet, to see if I can do them, firstly, and secondly, in case I can't find the book, I shall have a record of the techniques. Luckily, Fabricville has been going out of beads at the same time, so they have been really cheap. Now I have many colours of flat sequins and quite a few of the cupped ones - they didn't have many of those. Of course I already have lots of beads.

The bathroom continues, sluggishly. I painted the closet inside - two coats yesterday alone - because it's 90 cm. deep and I don't think it will be much fun to paint once the frame and the doors are on. I cut some of the face frame, it looks good, but I think I need a longer drill-bit - it needs to go through the 1 x 3 edgewise, and into the cross pieces a bit. I have decking screws long enough to fasten them together once the drilling is done.
     In any case, it is coming up to completion (if only I could get some time at it) and then it's on to the cradle for the tub, which is a bit terrifying at the moment but which will turn out to be possible once I get started on it. The tub has been sitting in the living-room since I started on the closet. It looks a bit Bohemian in there at the moment, I have to say.