I can't believe it is the middle of May and I still don't have all my garden in. It has been too cold. The 5 tomato plants I did plant don't look good! They need some heat. I put black plastic around them this morning to help heat the ground. I left one without the black mulch for a test to see if it makes a difference.
I took yesterday off from outside work except for milking. I did milk Willow, but will just have 12 more days and then I turn her dry.
We were completely out of bread so I baked. I made three loaves of Oat Bran/Whole Wheat. I also made a small mincemeat tart (for me) and a cherry for DH. He is not a fan of mincemeat.
I did my morning tour to see what was happening in the garden and took a few pictures.
The Garden Fence Border
This is another path: Between the garden fence and the smoke house.
One side is the fence (Garden Fence Border) and the other side is part of the New Bed, the smoke house (hosta bed behind) and the old apple tree. It runs all the way to the old chicken house.
This is a border that was never dug. I layered wet newspapers and then flakes of my old hay....once in a while I would lift a flake and dump the kitchen waste of coffee grounds, greens and egg shells, but that is it. I let it lay over one winter before planting then I just moved a flake and dug through the wet paper to plant. I had to replace the hay this year in places but it lasted through several seasons.
I have clematis, roses, iris and perennial salvia and some white hesperis that tried to take over this year all along this fence. It is actually prettiest from the garden side. There also is the shrubby perennial persicaaria polymorpha which is just beginning to bloom.
The two heirloom roses, Reine des Violettes, a hybrid perpetual and Baronne Prevost, also a hp. require an acid soil so I have added iron, soil sulphur and sprayed with Miracid. The BP has responded better and has dark green leaves. The RdV needs more care and attention. Both are in full bloom and smell wonderful.
There is a bluish hint in the pink of the RdV but the camera doesn't pick that up well.
The blooms of both are very double and very fragrant.
The blooms are very similar but RdV is more purple which doesn't show in the photographs very well.
Next to the roses is a clematis named Pink Chiffon... I later found it is the same as my Hagley Hybrid, just a different name:
I am waiting for the sun to dry the grass before mowing and trimming.
We had a minor adjustment made to the Stihl trimmer this morning and it should start much easier. I have already started it once to test it and did a tiny bit of trimming.
In the meantime, I am making a pot of chili for lunch.
Surprise, surprise! after lunch DH said he would mow the orchard (can't damage anything back there). I will start testing the trimmer.
The purple flower in the top picture is beautiful I hope to plant a couple of clematic vines if the weather ever warms up. Our high today was 51ยบ. L(
ReplyDeleteAt least it looks like you've got some SUNshine. Here it's dark and drear and cold and rainy. And the weather is whack! All the clouds and rains are coming from the East and looks like someone is running the radar BACKwards on TV!
ReplyDeleteThat path to the smokehouse really looks inviting. Wish I could stroll down that way... :-D Hey - I'll take up your offer of rose cuttings if you have any success. I could use some natural 'barb wire' back by the golf course! ;-D
Your gardens looks devine. We are in for another 3-4 days of rain and storms, up to 3 inches! yikes, I will be asking for a dingy. And forget about the garden. I have plastic up around the tomatoes, I did lose some, and I hope that I can keep my seedlings going with the light until this weather straightens out. I have lost a few seedlings of vegetables.
ReplyDeleteI mowed the front yesterday, and sprayed the weeds. I hate to use spray, but around where I live, no one takes care of anything and the yards except mine have weeds galore, and the house neighbors gripe, which I don't blame them.
Have a great week.
The flower beds are struttin' their stuff with all this rain, more on the way for us... ohhhh! I need some sunshine, have moss on me feet! Just a few things planted here too, wet ground and cold nights sure put a crimp on gardening. Yesterday, I put up "invisible fencing" to keep out the deer. I read on a gardening site to buy the heavy fishing line and tie it about 3-4 level around the perimeter of the property. We will see it that works. They mostly come up through the woods on the south and west sides but they may decide to just come in the driveway and then this idea is shot!
ReplyDeleteLooooove that clematis and those double roses! Good idea about the newspaper and hay flakes. I will probably do some of that this fall/winter.
ReplyDeleteIt has rained all morning here and since we'd had several clear days in a row, it's not a bad thing. But more coming, from what I understand, so I'll be complaining about it before long.
Beautiful roses-love the doubles. I bought my clematis at Hagley Hybrid and later learned it is also called Pink Chiffon. It doesn't look too good this year-one of the first I purchased.
ReplyDeletePut some epsom salts around my tomatoes and the two Knockout roses that are in that bed this morning and also did some weeding and spread some mulch. My back told me it was time to quit and I also needed to get cleaned up as I am getting a haircut later.
Take care and hope your hip is better.