Hello July!

It appears the blog fell off the face of the earth for May and June. I’ve been working hard in the garden. This season I’ve added many perennials, something I haven’t done in years. I forgot how much I love many shade plants.

July is predicted to have 13 or so days 90 degrees and over. Ack. Best wish for rain!  It has been very buggy this season. Mosquitoes galore and some nasty little gnats. July is also fly season. Not my favorite month.

A Companion Planting Chart

Via the Heirloom Gardener and others a nice chart for companion planting.  It is tiny print though, so I'll need to use a magnifying glass on my printed copy. 

It occurred to me that I could put it here as well, and just enlarge the parts I need on the screen, so clever.  Ms Work Around Solution.

Sunday Dreaming April 26, 2020

I've been down the rabbit hole lately, but not with The Rabbit.  He and I aren't talking.

This weekend I've managed to get out in the garden and do some cleanup.  I've also got the final re-arrangement of the raised beds.  I'm trying to maximize the sunny spots of the yard and garden for vegetables and herbs.  I like the flowers in this garden too, though and want them to have some space.  Last year's attempt at an in-ground bed area was really successful, so I wanted to keep as much of that type of garden space available as possible as well.

So here's what it looks like today:

I put the greenhouse this season over in the southwest corner, hoping it gets nice sun and is less prone to blowing away (despite my efforts to hold it in place).  I have another greenhouse I haven't placed yet.

Some daylily's were moved to this end of the garden.  It's also a spot for new strawberries and some onions.  Those are happy little chives at the left.  I plan to fill the raised beds tomorrow, then get planting.

This rather dark little corner is where my peas were ravaged last season.  This year there are several small daylilies, a pretty columbine, and an old perennial geranium.

Somehow a brighter looking view.

To make up for all those no posts days, and because I like these pictures, voila:

 

My first attempt at Action Figures in the garden. More to come.

I love this arrangement.

 

An old Library 2.0 thing.

I use the little white bench inside now but it was pretty adorable in the garden.  A garage sale find.

In The Mailbox: Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Here's a catalog I've seen mentioned but have never gotten in the mail: Annie's Annuals and Perennials. 

Based in Richmond, California, they must be in full spring bloom right now.  Wouldn't that be lovely?

Some things like Gomphrena (!) are apparently perennial there, but for us always annuals.  Pricing in general seems to be $8.00-$10.00 +    There may be things I have never been able to grow I'd like that I could justify as a "select variety" of annual.  It's certainly a welcome diversion at this time of year.


https://www.anniesannuals.com/

Toon Tuesday: Spring Wishes

All you need to do is wish!

The Garden In April: Big Chill Edition April 13, 2020

Snowmagheddon:

Tip: Plant Your Potatoes in the Spring

I still haven't planted my potatoes.  It always looks so easy in articles, but I struggle to keep covering mine up as soon as they pop up.  I also just don't like the cold turns we've had this month.  Yesterday I think we did get the six inches of snow predicted.  I'm sure it will melt fast, but the night time temps are still going to be way low this week. Sigh.


https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/blog/first-year-growing-potatoes-here-is-what-our-readers-think-you-need-to-know

Gardening Soul balcony gardening ideas you can use in small space and container gardens.

https://gardeningsoul.com/15-charming-balcony-garden-inspiration-week/


I try to picture Thumper, our rabbit, thus:

I'll be happier when this is me:

 Garden themed coloring pages from John Scheepers that would also make really great embroidery patterns! 

campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?

All rabbit cartoons are welcomed here:

Rhymes With Orange on rabbit feet:

Sunday Dreaming: Garden Inspirations

I use Bay leaves in soups and sauces and would love to grow it, but have only found it locally once.  Perhaps it will be available in this odd season.

yougrowgirl.com/growing-bay-laurel-in-a-pot/

I have several seed varieties of cucumbers, and I always have good luck planting them directly in the garden.  I'm hoping to try some in pots this season to make good use of space.

https://gardeningsoul.com/grow-cucumbers-vertically-effective-way/




From the National Garden Bureau, how to plan a container Victory Garden.

https://ngb.org/2020/04/08/container-victory-garden/





Not sure how much to plant for your family?  The Spruce has some tips:

https://www.thespruce.com/how-many-vegetables-per-person-in-garden

I love Bleeding Hearts.  I could be happy growing one of each type.  Here are tips from the National Gardening Association on keeping them happy.   (My own tip has always been, if you keep them nicely moist, they'll stick around all season.  If you let them dry out, they'll go dormant, particularly the White varieties.)

https://garden.org/plants/group/bleeding-hearts/

The Bunny Battle Rages On

The Rabbit was revealed to have chewed through the bird netting and pushed through the "cattle fencing" on both gates to the garden.

Mr. DOA and my son reinforced the east gate with hardware cloth, and bricked in the whole side hoping to keep him out.  I added chicken wire to the gaps in the fence where no chicken wire or hardware cloth was, and let's hope the varmint is now blocked.  He left bunny fur on the second gate squeezing through!

Is there no end to that wascally wabbit?

Dept of, some things do get old, I thought I'd start a few seeds in some old plugs I had.  Just pour warm water over them and in ten minutes poof!  Nice little seedling spots. Except, on one of the plugs poofed up at all.

Though it was beautiful out today and I just wanted to work in the garden, the four plus inches of snow incoming sometime after 3 a.m. made me just shore up the fencing and I'll hope for better things next week.

Entrenched!

I wanted to work outside at least cleaning up the gardens on Thursday but the high temp of 35 plus some really chill winds made me think I should leave the protections on the beds.  Next week the night time lows will be in the 20s and 30s according to predictions.

Those are no temperatures to start a garden season with.  Luckily there are always things to do inside.

I got pictures while I was outside of the hardware cloth trench he and my son dug on the south soide of the vegetable garden, where Thumper the Rabbit comes in.  Ha ha, six inches deep and the hardware cloth is bent down into the trench to stop digging activities.

He'll do the east side as well, but I need to move a few daylilies out of the way.    I thought I had moved them all last fall, but there they all are.

If you'll recall, in an innocent early February, Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring.  Dear Punx, a lack of snow isn't an early spring. 

Since most nurseries are closed, doing limited curb pickup or have very little besides very cold tolerant plants in April, this will all work out somehow.  Still, if next week's lows at night were in the 60s I would like it better.

Random Garden Pictures with Added Beagles

Wordless Wednesday