The Garden In May 5/15/23

 Naturally I hoped to have the garden looking great by now. Not yet.

I’ve been to three nurseries this season, all in May as April was too unreliable weather wise to purchase any warm weather plants, even if they would be in the garage under lights.

Everything in a green tray pictured goes into the garage at night, then out in the morning when it’s warmer, at least 60 degrees.

I’m taking out the raised beds in the center of the garden as nothing thrives there. Also, the beds are so thick with roots in the spring it’s depressing. Everything planted in the ground does much better, unless devoured by rabbits. No sign of the furballs in the back yard so far this spring.

I will be re-doing all of the perennial beds this year as well. Backbreaking yet ultimately lovely.

A Real Live Finished Project

 I’m ending April with the completion of a baby blanket I started in February. I’m just that fast. I should have used baby yarn, but was so pleased to be making a pink blanket, I used my two prettiest colors. Caron One Pounder in Soft Pink for the main color, one border row of single crochet, and the scalloped edge row. For the centers, joining color and the second border row of single crochet I used Red Heart Super Saver Ombré Jazzy.

I made so many mistakes, agh. Luckily, the overall effect of the blanket is quite pretty, so I don’t think mom or baby will obsess over the mistakes.

The Garden in April 4/15/23

 After several days of 85 degree heat last week, it’s cooled off again and 99% of the snow is gone. Quite a difference from last time.

I wanted to tidy the vegetable garden for this month’s picture, but I wrenched my back scooping up a winter’s worth of Three Dog Poo. I had only gotten half of it, too. The glorious Mr. DOA got the rest before today’s rains. 

The Garden In March 3/15/23

 I call it “sun on the snow”, following the trend for this winter. Apparently tomorrow features a “wintry mix”. Doesn’t that sound yummy?

Hello March!

 February wasn’t overlong, but it was jam packed. It did start off with a miserable cold, and I just burrowed down after that. 

A new month is always an opportunity for a reboot, so I hope to share much more in March, you lucky dogs.

Cheers, Librariandoa

Vegetable Garden February 15, 2023

 I thought I’d enjoy taking a picture of my favorite garden (the reliably sunny vegetable garden) each month this year, on the 15th. Naturally I missed January right away, though it was on my calendar. 

New month, new opportunity. It will be splendid come May but it’s currently deep freeze time. At least the sun came out on what was predicted to be a rainy, slushy, windy day.

Throwback Thursday: My First Garden

 I used my Epson Fast Photo to scan these and they're all a bit fuzzy. I'll have to re-scan, I think.  Anyway, I poured more time and thought and effort and money (for plants) into this garden.  You may not be able to detect that, but then again, I had no clue what I was doing.

Happy February!

 

February can sometimes seem awfully long for such a short month.  Let's hope it skates right along.

February Goals:

Read 

Write

Crochet

Tidy

Organize

Get all my seed and plant orders in.

Make garden maps.

One cake a week.

Wrangle bread. Down, bad yeast, down.

Watch good movies and TV.

Have a good February!

DOA’s January 2023 In Review

 

Counting this one, I had 28 posts in January.  This is a huge leap from previous months. I was, of course locked out by Google. As it is, every time I log in there’s a note is my email IS THIS YOU. Yes, you automated dolt, it is.

I’ve done super short, silly yet sometimes informative posts all month. If you look way back at my 2008 posts, when this blog was new, the same tone was there. It makes me happy.

I have been trying to get a post a day, but don’t plan to keep up the pace. That I’d save for my Merlyn blog where I won’t get booted any time soon.

I’ve been enjoying my gardening posts, so more to come.

Peace, babies, Librariandoa

Plastic Storage Bins As Portable Mini-Green Houses

 Early spring with its rapidly fluctuating temperatures can be a challenge as you’re trying to get your seedlings a bit of sun. Here’s an idea for using plastic storage bins as mini-greenhouses that you can cover or uncover as needed, and you can put them back inside easily while the nights are still cool.