soggy crocus

Everything is cold and soggy, if not icy this spring. These are some sheltered crocus in my yard - trying their best to bloom.

Our local plant grower is having hard time with the cold weather. She's pulled plants out of the greenhouse and into her heated garage. I heard at Home Depot that all growers in the area are at least 2 weeks behind because of the cold weather.

Well, I'm pulling for the little crocuses. It would be cheery to see some color around here about now.

the raised bed movie!

Here's another movie of my garden: Time lapse video of raised bed construction. Funny to see us running around and making 8 raised beds in 2 minutes....

eight new raised bed frames

Yesterday my husband and I made eight raised beds for my new garden! Kind of a dreary late March day, but I am so happy seeing the beds all lined up! We made six 4x12 foot beds and two 6x15 foot beds.

To make the six 4x12 beds:
- We started with fifteen 2x8x12's, untreated pine.
- We brought a compound miter saw down to the garden area. (It was raining off an on so we used a canopy to keep it dry.
- To make the 4' edges, four boards were cut in thirds.
- To make 24 corner brackets, two 4x4x8 untreated fir beams were cut the width of the boards, 7.5 inches.
- We butted up the boards one edge at a time and attached them using wood screws.
- We then placed the 4x4 bracket beam piece in the corner and used self-threading lumber screws to securely attach from both sides.
- Then we placed the beds where we wanted them. We're still looking at the placement and it may take us a few days to get the positioning we want.
- Next steps, we will level the beds with brick at one edge since we are on a bit of a slope. Then we'll secure the beds in place by pounding in wood stakes on the outside of the beds, every 3 feet. Then we'll add DIRT and plant stuff!

scoping out sizes of new raised beds

My husband and son carried the wood that will edge my new raised beds down to the site of my new garden. We then laid out a few pieces to see how the beds will look. My plan has six 4x12 foot beds and two 6x15 foot beds.

time lapse video: making Skippy's new garden

I am making a time lapse video of my new vegetable garden. So far, the video only shows us bringing the boards for the raised beds down to the garden area. The boards are 2x8 untreated pine.

We also set out a few boards where the edges of the beds will be, just to see how they look.

Time Lapse Video: Making Skippy's New Garden

I'll extend the video as we create the garden and as the plants grow this year. Tomorrow we plan to make the raised bed frames.

happy birthday Skippy

Skippy is 9 years old! Where does the time go?

6 yr old onion seeds didn't sprout...

How long do seeds last?

I've given up on my 6 year old onion seeds. :-( They didn't sprout this year. Time to throw out the package. I think also last year they also didn't sprout. It may have been the previous year (4 years old) that was the last time they came up. And that year, they took an extra week to come up.

Onions seeds are one of the more short-lived types. Its often recommended you only use them the season they are packaged for. Other short-lived seeds include corn, leek, onion, parsnip, and spinach. Hmm, I haven't bought spinach in ages. Mine have saved very well. But I agree with putting parsnip in this list and I'd add carrots here. I have some 5 year old popcorn seeds I was thinking of using again this year. I'll try a test germination on paper towels to see if there's any life left in them.

Long-lived seeds include beets, all brassicas (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, kohlrabi), chicory (endive, escarole, radicchio), cucumber, kale, lettuce, melons, mustard, peppers, radish, rutabaga, sunflower, tomato, and turnip. Long-lived means 5-10 years if kept cool and dry.

roses for my new arbor

I'd like to grow climbing roses up an arbor over my garden gate. Pale pink ones. Its fun to think about variety. I think my favorite is Eden (also known as Pierre de Ronsard). A modern French rose with an old fashioned look. "The flowers are huge and cup-shaped and very heavy. The buds are light green and develop into creamy white almost cabbage looking and later cup-shaped flowers with a delightful blush pink center. As the flower ages they turn almost white."

'Eden' rose


Other nice roses are 'New Dawn' and the David Austin rose 'Sombreuil'


Other nice David Austin climbers are 'St. Swithun' and 'Mortimer Sackler'


I wonder how it would look to have 'Eden' on one side of the gate and 'Sombreuil' on the other. It seems from the pictures that their colors compliment each other.

'Sombreuil' description: "The flowers have many petals arranged in the form of flat, quartered rosettes. They are creamy white, sometimes with a hint of pink at the centre, and have a delicious tea scent. A hardy rose that repeat flowers well; in fact, we know of no other old variety that produces better flowers in autumn. 12ft."

companion planting plans

I've looked up some companion planting suggestions and included the on my planting diagram. I'll put carrots next to parsley. Peas away from cucumbers. Lupines next to the peas. Marigolds and Bee Balm with the tomatoes. And lettuce by the squash. I've never done more than the basic companion planting - add marigolds and pollinator-attracting flowers here and there. It'll be fun to give this a try.

I've grown hyssop for years and its great for attracting bees. I'll put a row of hyssop, lavender and Echinacea along the front to attract pollinators and look pretty.

At my community plot, I'll also try a bit of companion planting this year. Tansy with the squash and pansies with the onions.

garden-to-be

My husband and I shuffled through the snow to mark out the edges of my garden-to-be.

I'm getting prices for putting in nice fencing around the plot. I'd like 4 foot post and rail. I'll put some kind of wire netting behind it, like chicken wire, to keep the rabbits out. I'll dig it down 6 inches to keep the woodchucks out. Then probably an electric wire at the top (or a 6 foot extension of plastic fencing) to keep the deer out.

Alternatively, we've been thinking we may just go with light weight fencing and metal poles all around this year and put in the post and rail next year. That'll give me some time to see how the location and size work out before adding a permanent fence.

The snow is starting to disappear from some of the sunniest areas. The ground is showing along the little brook that runs behind may garden-to-be. Tomorrow, we have an inch of rain coming. Maybe that will melt more of our snow.

winner - most garden catalogs!

How do these companies find us??!! I moved late last year, yet I'm getting a stack of garden catalogs at my new address - maybe even more than usual.

Though I do most of my reading on-line, its still nice to have a hard copy. Catalogs are my favorite garden reading. Some have so much information.

I remember well many previous years, sitting curled up on the couch with catalogs, waiting for winter to pass.... Well, some years, I sat on bleachers as my son wrestled. Other years, in the waiting room as he had music lessons. Other years, in a car or plane as we traveled to visit relatives. Wherever, love those catalogs.

My favorites,
- BC Greenhouse Builders Limited: Beautiful greenhouses!
- FarmTek: Hoophouses!
- Territorial: Great culture and disease info. A whole refresher course.
- FedCo: More creative fruit and vegetable info than anyone else.
- Kitazawa Seed Co: So much variety in Asian vegetables!
- I didn't get a Johnny's catalog or I would have recommended them too as a second, and more extensive, vegetable culture and disease refresher course.
- And for chickens: Murray McMurray Hatchery. I mush have lost that one from bringing it around with me too much.

second sowing

I planted two trays of seeds tonight. The varieties are listed here: 2014 planting list.

a weekend to play outside

My chickens got to fly the coop this weekend. We had some nice sunshine melting the snow. The girls foraged, scratched, flapped, and shook their booties. (I watched from my chair with my coffee).

After half an hour wandering the thawed areas of the lawn, all three followed Penny back into the coop and hung out with her while she laid an egg. I peeked in through the window and was amazed to see her carefully poke the golf balls under she feathers.

Two golf balls were in the nest box when she sat down, a brown egg too when she got up.

ready to plant more seeds

I got a bunch of seed packets out and arranged them for planting my next tray of seeds. Lettuce, eggplants, broccoli, etc. I need to get to it soon, Suzie already ate one of the lettuce packets!

onion and sweet potato seedlings