Tag Archives: gardening

It’s summer now

finally a pleasant evening

Well then. We've had quite the hot  and humid spell lately. I can't say anything nice about it, so I will just say, "The plants seem happy!"

garden explosion!

oh smokebush, I love you so much

ranunculus not looking so hot

porcupine grass!

black eyed susan

white echinacea

clematis, but really just still so happy about that roof

nishiki willow

yarrow

more wild morning slory

still obsessed with the smokebush

oregano blossoms

wild morning glory

monarda at sunset

sunflower

noah's lightning bug friend

under the tree :)

oops, pumpkins are taking over

grow!

So for the foreseeable future, I'll be hiding from the heat and knitting. My current project is being shared in a series of guest posts over on the Juniper Moon Farm blog. So far, just the first one is up, but I'll update here as they're posted. Now fingers crossed that my sweater turns out okay! Because if it doesn't, everybody will see my shame.

Garden and knitting (is there ever much else in the summer?)

zucchini

The (late, late, late!) garden is up and doing well so far!

punkins!

the birdcage, but less robin williams and nathan lane

I haven't been enjoying the humidity and heat, especially after such an incredible spring, but I'm incredibly thankful for all the rain we've had this year.

And on the plus side (I suppose): When it's too hot to be out there, I get more knitting done.

1 single

new sweater for Lydia

new sweater for Lydia

new sweater for Lydia

new sweater for Lydia

(And there is still plenty of succulent excitement going on.)

S O  T I N Y

I love that "big" reddish guy

In between fussing over tiny plants, I decided to cast on a little something for myself.

washed and lightly blocked

a ball of Juniper Moon Farm Cormo Rusticus

If all goes well, I'll be enjoying a lovely new sweater this winter.

7-5

And in the meantime, I can always skulk around the yard in the evenings when the sun is not so brutal.

raspberries ripening

wild morning glory

closer

Succulents!

succulents!

succulents!

 succulents!

It's hard for me to say when I fell in love with succulents.

succulents!

When I was young, my Memmy always had a billion planters spilling over with Hens 'n Chicks, and those fascinated me to no end. But the larger, squidgier plants, like the Prickly Pears and Sedums and whatnot, ugh. They made me shudder to even look at them with their big slabby, squishy things all flopping around.

succulents!

But some time in the past few years, something changed I guess, and that horror turned to fascination -- maybe even obsession. (Me? obsess over something? The heck you say.)

succulents!

In any case, my friend and neighbor Linda recently gave me the most wonderful gift -- my very own succulent gardens.

succulents!

The big one is planted in a Bundt pan with a demitasse cup and a jar funnel for different levels, and it is just PACKED with different varieties!

succulents!

succulents!

succulents!

It came with the frog friend, but I thought he needed my windowsill gnome to keep him company. (I think they're very happy now.)

succulents!

succulents!

succulents!

I love this pot so much for its simplicity and beauty. Old terra cotta is one of the most lovely things to me, and the two varieties of Sempervivum fit it perfectly.

 succulents!

This one was actually from late last Fall and I came *this close* to killing it in my house over the winter, but it sure is happy now!

succulents!

And look!

succulents!

How perfect is that little enamelware bowl? And just look.

succulents!

So now's the part where I beg for advice on not killing everything. This is my first time and I need it all, so lay it on me please!

Ramble, ramble. It’s what I do.

pie time!

Thought I was getting caught up here, but then my annual summer misery kicked in and I was forced into air conditioned hiding by so many 90º days.

Before the heat settled in, there was pie,

delicious, fresh strawberries

... which you don't get to see. It was ugly pie, but very delicious. I am not a gifted dessert maker, that is for sure. I can make all sorts of tasty things, but they all come out looking bedraggled if not extremely disadvantaged in some way. I am just not a big one on the fine details when it comes to something we will be immediately consuming. Or that is what I tell myself so I don't feel so bad when I fail again and again.

In not-ugly land, I made this Matilda cardigan for a friend's baby and just loved how it turned out.

Matilda cardigan

I'm making the same for Lydia in a different yarn and I just started binding off the bottom edge. I'm not positive I have enough yarn for the sleeves and the edging, so some fudging may occur. We'll see.

In other small thing cuteness, I ordered a Miss Maggie Rabbit kit from Alicia Paulson's shop somewhere around Lydia's birthday.

 BunnyBunnyBunny

just starting out

getting there!

I'm glad you like your legs, Miss Maggie, but now it's time for bed

Miss Maggie has taken up knitting!

Lydia finally likes her bunny

I still haven't gotten around to the little boots yet, but I'll do them one of these days. And I have plans for a tiny apron too.

Miss Maggie's playing the banjo now

I noticed today that the marigold Ethan sprouted at school for Mother's Day is now taking over the windowsill, and that the candle jars really ought to be cleaned and put away for the summer, and that there is a giant goose feather I keep meaning to clean. Ah well. I can still sort of see the yard from there.

my Mother's Day plant from Ethan is taking over the windowsill

But anyway, look how hot is is. These are from today, and I'm sure one look at these pictures and you can feel me out there dying among my unhappy plants.

sad, limp raspberries

Sad.

not so exquisite looking blackberries

terrible, terrible blueberries

I looked at my one blueberry and was amazed to see BLUE berries on it, untouched by the birds! I wondered why they hadn't eaten all of these yet and popped one in my mouth and realized it's because birds are smart and these berries are total crap. Bitter, tiny, horrible little things with tough, extra bitter skin. But I had a chuckle, and I'm sure I'll be the subject of many little birds' dinner conversations tonight.

Wondering why the birds hadn't touched them, so I ate one. Yeah, they're crap.

But back to whatever I was working my way around to.

finally got one fenced

I finally got the gardens planted on the 22nd (I know, I know, but I moved them late and all that), and just last night finished some "fencing" for one of them. Tonight I'll finish the other if all goes well. I have a trellis project starting to go between them, so that'll be a thing soon.

Here's the layout,

late start

and I have leftovers of several of them for a fall planting, plus a few unopened ones tucked away.

a few for a fall planting

I ordered everything from High Mowing Seeds because what I've used from them in the past has just out-performed everything else in the garden. I even had some mixed lettuces that I let go to seed and *ahem* never got around to collecting them, so they planted themselves, survived the winter and three different diggings/dirt transfers, and STILL sprouted in the spring and gave me many salads worth of delicious mixed greens. They always say Vermonters are tough, and I guess that goes for their seeds too. ;)

But did I mention how hot it is?

Not, in fact, my giant head, but rather my new gardening hat.

Believe it or not, that perfect circle at the top of my shadow is not my huge alien bubble head. It is my first official gardening hat, and it is lovely (and under $15, win!)

new hat!

And with that, I will finally put the brakes on my unexpected burst of energy today. Expect too many garden pictures soon!

Victory Garden + Four Years

Back in May of 2009, I did a blog post about my Mama turning her front yard into a victory garden. Looking back at those pictures, I just can’t believe the difference that four years and a really long growing season have brought.

Here’s the view from the front back in 2009.

This is the view from the front today.

2009

2013

The transformation has been magical!

As I may have mentioned in a previous post or two (or 10), the strawberries are thriving and fruiting like crazy!

There are three varieties of edible lavender.

And so much rosemary! This isn’t the greatest picture but I need to give you something for scale. That little bit of blue peeking out at the top is a real estate for sale sign. The rosemary bushes are about waist high and there are 8 of them. And to think it all started with a little cutting.

There are blackberry bushes all along the fence. We’re only days away from ripe berries, I think.

Not everything in the garden was a roaring success. The combination of full sun all day and the drought that’s been plaguing Texas for the last few years conspired to kill every tomato plant Mama has ever put in the front garden. (She’s had more success them in the backyard.) But that just left more room for flowers which have thrived.

Turning a front lawn into an edible garden

If you have the desire to transform your lawn, Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community is a great place to start.

Around the Yard + A New Shed Roof!

whirlygigs

sky

bittersweet vine

Though today was our first 90º day of the year, I can't complain at all thanks to the incredible spring we've had thus far.

white clematis

very blue at dusk, but purple in the daylight

cotinus

the shady side of the shed is a jungle now

smells so good

blackberry blossom

I feel like everything growing this year is so extra full of life, so much more vibrant than the past few years.

clematis petals

 nishiki willow

flopsy

robin

I was out taking all the photos above in the evening of the 16th and I tried to get a picture of the corner of the yard toward the side of the house in its current state. But no matter how I angled it, I kept getting blue tarp in the shot. Both our neighbors' shed and our shed have been badly in need of new roofs and guess what?

just love that setting sun

The roof man and his son came today and turned this,

before - ick

into this!

finished!

To say I am elated is almost an understatement. No more ugly old rotten shingles, no more checking the rapidly disintegrating tarp after every windy storm, no more leaks!!! And best of all, I didn't end up having to do it myself.

Another exciting part is that now that this is done, I can proceed with the lean-to green house on the fence side of the shed -- just as soon as finances allow, naturally.

Garden blooms

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Yup, still high on spring, and some moving gardens.

lilacs in the rain

Oh, spring rain! It had been mostly sunny for so long, the rain was quite welcome.

hello ant friend

columbine

peony party!

I just love rainy days so much.

mixed clematis

The plants liked it too of course. Check out that clematis only a few days later, now covered in blooms.

really blooming now!

But a big thing! The yard is changing yet again.

beds full now, and enjoying the rain

It started with finally deciding to plant the back fence and try to get the yard I actually want. You see, that one back section of fence opens, but we really don't need it to, and if the people who buy this place someday whenever we move away want it to open, they can cut down the plants back there, yeah? But I had been hesitating all this time because I felt I was being impractical? Something? I don't know. Basically I over-think everything ever and finally backed off of myself enough to just do what I want and enjoy our yard to the fullest.

So here's the gang:

grow, grow!

The blueberry bed used to be up at the other end of the yard, and the Knockout rose and Elderberry are also new, but the rest has been there for at least a season now.

But the real excitement comes in the form of two "brand new" vegetable beds. They don't look like much here, but they each measure about 72 x 36" and are about 11" high.


new beds!

Having them lower to the ground than the other bed means more critter potential, so I am working on some wire "fencing" to put in them, but my first attempt was a little... off...

well, the idea was there anyway

Haha, oh well. I'll fix it one of these days. :)

The lumber for the beds is all reclaimed from the original one I built up by the patio not long after we moved in.

raised bed planted and "fenced"

I liked it I guess, but the sun was all wrong there, so this year I finally got around to taking it apart. I cut up the wood for the new beds, and hauled all the dirt down the yard on tarps, with some help from the husband or course.

no more big raised bed up here

Impractical as it may seem, I liked having a division between the yard and the patio, and while I didn't feel the need for something as high as the original bed there, I didn't want to completely open it back up again.

Luckily for me, when I decided to extend the small deck in front of the shed so we could put the picnic table there, I found myself with a wheelbarrow full of lilies and irises in need of new homes. (And by the way, best place for the table yet. It used to be on the patio and then at the back of the yard where I just put those veggie beds but it works so much nicer here, and it sits in the shade of the tree!)

table under the tree now

So anyway, the now homeless plants joined some ranunculus and gladiolus bulbs, and some coleus seeds up here.

from left: lilies, gladiolus and ranunculus bulbs, irises, coleus seeds

Mulched and edged now, but still looking pretty bedraggled for the time being.

mulched and "edged" in the laziest way possible

Next up is a line of arborvitae along the fence behind the swingset, but who knows when we'll get them in. And then I suppose I ought to decide what to put in the new vegetable beds sometime before winter hits again. ;)

So that's that for now. Enjoy your weekend!

Compost

IMG_0997 IMG_0957

Over the weekend, Daniel, Chris, and Jason dug out the old compost pile and made space for a compost tumbler. I’ve planted some herbs around it to fill in the space with nice green ground cover.

Ramps

IMG_0962 IMG_0961

Ramps are silly expensive and it’s a myth that they cannot be grown in your garden. To that end, I watched for them to appear in the market this spring and promptly planted some. I managed to get one or two established last year but they like to be shady and damp so I don’t have many just yet. Given how sick I’ve been this spring I’m not sure this new batch is getting watered enough either but I”ll keep trying and eventually I’ll have my own little patch going.