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A Day in the Garden: Made to Order

If you like to garden, today was made to order. The temps climbed into the 70’s F (24C) with just the stirring of a breeze. Can you believe it? After a day in the garden, I have a sore back but a happy spirit. My perfect husband had plans for the afternoon, but still took time to dig a few holes before he left, voluntarily and with no complaining. Coincidentally, we met 19 years ago today.  I’m so glad I had the good sense to make sure he danced with me first that night.  🙂

Digging Holes

The Man of My Dreams

Where was I…

Oh yeah…digging holes. A few months back, I decided to thin the overgrown shrubs around the fruit cocktail tree, originally thinking I would re-plant with a few annuals.  Today we removed the last three overgrown shrubs, making enough room for the two new raspberries. There was also enough room to transplant the blueberry plant, which after three or four years is just limping along. Hopefully the blueberry likes its new home. I’ll be filling in with annuals if not.

Raspberry Cane

Raspberry Cane

Blueberry Shrub

Promising new growth on the blueberry shrub

I tamped the dirt into place and stepped back realizing we’d created a micro fruit orchard.  I’m using the word “orchard” liberally; with our tiny suburban lot, it all needed to fit into about 6 x 8 feet (1.8 x 2.4 meters) of space.  Our micro-orchard has blueberries, raspberries, plums, nectarines, peaches and apricots. When you garden in a tiny plot, every bit of dirt counts.

Since rain is forecast (oh how they tease) I figured I would make good use of the day.  I pulled out the last of the broccoli plants, now covered in green pests, before they could multiply further.  We dug out some old raspberry canes, and moved them away from the raised beds.  Moving them gives me more space to plant vegetables and herbs.

I finished the day raking, pulling out dead twigs, watering the pots (yes…the hose in early March…sigh) and sweeping the walkway.

“An addiction to gardening is not all bad when you consider all the other choices in life.”- Cora Lee Bell

Micro Orchard

Micro Orchard

The Long View

The Long View

23 thoughts on “A Day in the Garden: Made to Order”

  4. Working hard I see. Congratulations on 19 beautiful years, you’re so cute. What a loving message to your dreamboat. Wow, apricots sound amazing. Does that tree/shrub bloom in the spring? I see your Orange tree in the background too. I sure give fruit for a long time. How long will it give you oranges?

    I really like the idea of a raised bed, especially in the north here. It’s the first part of the garden that’s workable in the spring, since the ground stays pretty frozen till early May or so.

    70 sounds fantastic, now a little sprinkle on it all and Bob’s your uncle. We actually had rain today if you could imagine, snowing now though, every so lightly. Morning will be fresh and white again. Spring is so muddy and messy here.

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    • Thank you, Boomdee. The time has flown by. The four in one, also known as a fruit cocktail tree blooms between now and April, then starts to bear fruit in June and July. The tree is still young (three years old) but it does bear fruit.The orange tree is covered in fruit year round. Lots of happy rats around here. 🙂

      Wow…more snow for you. It so pretty when it first falls, but I remember the slush and the mud, too.

      Bob’s your uncle…I love that expression. It makes me smile whenever you use it.

      Today was ten degrees cooler and mostly overcast. Rain in the forecast….we’ll see.

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      • Ahhhhhh, sometimes I crack myself up. I just re-read my comment and I wrote “I sure give fruit for a long time”…LOL. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rat, so that actually might be interesting and frightening HA. Have you ever seen one fall out of your tree at night? Its amazing that the orange tree has the stamina to just keep going, year round. I guess that’s seems pretty normal to you but the fruit trees here are very seasonal. I mistakenly thought all tree’s needed some rejuvenation or period of non-production. Interesting.

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        • I can probably arrange a rat sighting if you are willing to sit under the orange tree at dusk. Just say the word. 😉

          I have a photo of one climbing down the orange tree, and a photo of another one on the birdfeeder. Oh yeah, and the ones I chased out of the house thanks to Lindy. Did I ever mention the one we found hanging upside from our dining table? Still makes the hairs stand up.

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          • Because I’m am a lady, a will refrain from using the words that I would utter if I saw a rat hanging from my dining table…WOW wow, I would run screaming I’m sure of that.
            Sitting under that orange tree at dusk sounds like an episode of ‘Fear Factor’ LOL…I’d have to drink a lot of wine to be on board with that one…hehehe.

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            • M. used to love to climb the orange tree when he was younger. Then one night he was up there at dusk and down came a rat (or it might have been just above on the fence). I don’t think the poor guy ever climbed that tree again.

              I don’t think I did any swearing because I was too busy screaming. Eeek.

              Let’s stick to garden by day. We’ll give the orange tree a wide birth come sundown.

              They are cute when they are in a small cage at the pet store. Maybe you can work your way up to it.

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    • Thank you! We can be quite spoiled with our winter temps. Today is more seasonal (windy and ten degrees cooler), with cooler weather. Still, so nice to have sun and light rain in the forecast.

      I didn’t know Cora Bell, but loved that quote, too.

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  9. Pingback: Getting Back Outside « Putney Farm

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