garden

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Garden Spruce Up Continues: Old Swing, New Discovery

It’s a busy week!  Since I can’t sew and plant and take pictures all day long, I fit things in when I can.  Yesterday I pre-washed my garden swing upholstery fabric (goodbye sizing, hello softness) and today set up the ironing board.  I had about ten minutes to plot my pattern strategy, also known as winging it, when I heard rustling in the orange tree.  I thought I might catch a glimpse of the squirrel entering or exiting the nest but no luck.  (They are probably out front trying to outsmart my screen saver).

After three minutes of neck-craning, I ran inside for the camera.  A powerful camera lens trumps my aging eyesight any day of the week.  Camera in hand, I still couldn’t make it out!  Was it a bird nesting or eating?  I caught a glimpse of gray and wondered if the mourning doves were back.  We don’t see them as often as we used to, and in this month of crow mating season, they are even scarcer.  Whatever was up there was clearly enjoying a long drink of orange juice.

Sated, the gray one made its move.  Methinks a rat..or a mouse…or a rat.  In broad day light!   Shouldn’t they be sleeping in the middle of the day instead of snacking on oranges?

Is it a bird?

Nope!  Definitely Not a Bird

Is it a Rat or a Mouse?

White Beard, Photo Artifact or Orange Pulp?

Is this a young rat or a grown mouse?  Take this short quiz and let me know what you think.  I got 10 out of 12 correct, but I’m still undecided.

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Birthday Week in the Garden: Blue and Gold

Go Bears!

I’m sprucing up the garden this week.  My husband turned 50 today, so we’re celebrating this weekend with an informal party.  In honor of my Cal fan (Go Bears!!!), I bought a few annuals in yellows and almost blues, emulating his alma mater’s blue and gold.  I’ll plant them in a spare pot near the entryway.

I bought a fabric tablecloth (trying to use less plastic), but I need to make some modifications.  My sewing machine is on standby to bind the edges of the hole I’ll cut to accommodate the umbrella pole.

In my perhaps overly ambitious plans for the week, I bought fabric to sew a new cover for the garden swing.  I mentioned a few months back that my beloved swing was looking a little frayed at the edges.  Nothing like a party to light a fire under my procrastination.  JoAnn’s Fabrics had a 40% off sale on outdoor upholstery fabric so the timing was good.  I love the retro-1950’s style coupled with modern-day efficiency.  The fabric will resist water, mold and other outdoor perils while looking hip.

Pictures to follow.  Time to get busy…

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Thwarting Squirrels: A Different Kind of Screensaver

Screened In

I headed to my local garden center this week in search of Floating Row Covers (I blogged about them here).  I got lazy, and drifted into the Home Depot parking lot instead since it’s closer.  After a frustrating search on my own, then with the help of an employee,  it was apparent the cupboards were bare.  Sure, I could have come home and called around town or simply ordered row covers online, but I really wanted to find a solution pronto for my sunflower seed challenge: keeping squirrels at bay till the seeds grow.

I wandered the store looking for inspiration, and found a role of screening used to repair screen windows and doors.  I still wasn’t sure what I would use to support the screening, but at least it would fit two of my requirements:  it would allow air to circulate and the seeds would be easy to water.  While kneeling in the aisles comparing materials and dimensions, I noticed adjustable window screens and had my ah-ha moment.  They were perfect in every way.  The light wood and aluminum frame offered the support I needed and the screen would deter the four-legged pests.  Hurray!

With a bit of trial and hardly any error, the plan worked.  I tied a pair of the adjustable screens together using garden twine.  I folded them tee-pee style over the planter boxes and determined the angle and width of the sides.  I made a template using the back side of one of last year’s calendar, then cut scraps of an old screen into the correct shape.  Mike helped me staple those in place along the ends.  I now have functional, reusable tents for my planters.  The last step was to figure out a way to secure the tents to the planter boxes.  I found my answer on my husband’s work bench: sliding window locks!

I will bravely plant more seeds this week.  Once they emerge I’ll report back.  Wish my luck.

Assembling the Squirrel Barrier

Squirrel Barriers

Materials:

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Back to the Drawing Board: Sunflower Seed Do-Over

Sunflower Seedlings: Long Gone

Did you see the sweet little photo I posted earlier this week?  It was my celebratory shot of my emerging sunflowers.  If I hadn’t snapped a picture, I’d have thought I imagined the whole thing.  Squirrels, you are my nemesis.

I lived with my discouragement for a few days then tried again.  I transplanted the seedlings I started indoors and planted the last of the remaining seeds in the pots along the deck. I covered some of the seeds with makeshift domes.  The larger dome worked and the three remaining seedlings are okay…for now.  The other “dome” was too light: I caught the squirrel lifting it up right in front of me.  The nerve! What remains: three little stick shaped shoots (photo “unavailable”…ha!).

Happiness arrived today in the form of an email from Botanical Interests entitled Sow Successful.  What timing.  I learned about soaking seeds for faster germination and I learned about Floating Row Covers or FRC.  I’m going to wrap up this post and head to my local garden center now before it closes.  Stay tuned…

In the meantime, you many want to take a look at Botanical Interests In The Garden blog.

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Seed Keeper Deluxe: Organized Seeds, Happy Gardener

Seed Keeper: Seed Sorting and Storage

My Seed Keeper Deluxe arrived by post yesterday. Is there anything sweeter than receiving a much-anticipated package on your doorstep?

I took a peek at my new kit when it arrived, but had to set everything aside until early this afternoon when I had a break in my schedule. In no time I had my box filled with seeds, alphabetized of course.Reading the face of each divider has been fun, with clever quips and tips including Rain Barrel Rush! There’s Gold In That There Water! and Vegetables – To Seed or Not to Seed on each tabbed divider

I also learned:

“Eleanor Roosevelt, inspired by War Gardens made popular during WWI started The Victory Garden. Remarkably, 20 million people planted gardens which produced up to 40% of all the vegetable produce consumed nationally.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to return to that tradition?

Lindy’s in charge of quality control

Various Features

The foam core insert keeps the dividers standing upright

Seed Keeper:  The basics

Seed Keeper Deluxe:  Pictured above

Burlap Girdle: Short on space?  Try these collapsible pots

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Blooming Thursday: Hydrangeas Pink and Blue

First Hydrangea Bloom of the Season

I love the coordinating schedules of our hydrangeas.  Sweet synchronicity from both sides of the garden.  Our potted hydrangea has a soft, pink bloom, while the three sisters are showing a light dusting of blue.

The blue hydrangeas hang out under a pine tree, so will likely keep their hue.  I’ve read that you can change a pink hydrangea to blue and vice versa, but the white ones will always be white.

Here is what the Gardener’s Supply Company* has to say about changing the color of the bloom.

“Hydrangeas with bloom colors that range from pink through blue and purple usually belong to the hydrangea cultivars known as mopheads and lacecaps. These types of hydrangeas have the interesting ability to change the color of their blooms based on the chemistry of the soil. When grown in alkaline soil, the bloom colors are pinker. When grown in acidic soil, the bloom colors are bluer.

Because it’s the soil chemistry that determines the bloom color, the variety names given to these types of hydrangeas means very little when it comes to bloom color. For instance, Nikko Blue, Pretty in Pink, Forever Pink and Blue Deckle, all have an almost equal chance of blooming pink or blue, depending on the soil they are planted in.

To manipulate the color of a hydrangea’s blooms, you need to manipulate your soil’s pH level and mineral content. This is not something you do just once. In order to maintain growing conditions that result in a specific bloom color, you may need to apply special soil amendments several times during the growing season.”

Too much work for this gardener!  I’m just happy they’re blooming.

Blushing Blue

I’ve got my eye on you!

*One of my favorite catalogs!

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Garden Log: May 9, 2012

Here’s what’s growing in my garden this week:

Flowering Annuals:

Most years I plant Alyssum and Impatiens from cell packs.  It’s nice to have the head start.  Instead I went with seeds, surprised by how tiny they were!  It was late in the day when I planted them broadcast style, so I wasn’t sure what kind of coverage I would have.  They broke ground on Tuesday.

Sunflowers:

I have two varieties growing in three locations this season.  It will be interesting to compare variables.  I planted a single row near our dwarf lemon in the front side yard.  We had great luck last year, which is to say, that four out of ten survived the squirrel rampage.  That works for me.  A few sunflower seedlings sprouted in the kitchen, and will move outdoors when they set true leaves.  The third batch has yet to come up.  I planted them in pots in a row along the front deck. (I’m dreaming of a wall of sunflowers this summer, something I once saw in a catalog.)

Sunflower Start-ups

Pumpkins:

I have one impressive volunteer from last season with leaves the size of dinner plates. I can’t wait to see what the fruit looks like. It could be our prize pumpkin. The transplants are limping along. I dressed the beds with Hydro Organics Bat Guano, which has high levels of phosphorous and nitrogen.

Pumpkin Leaf

Berries:

The raspberry vines look healthy this year. They’ve doubled in size and are stretching towards the trellis. Blooms are giving way to the early formation of fruit. We’re pretty excited about that. The blueberry plant also looks healthy. Fellow blogger, What’s Green With Betsy! says “the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps.” It’s a leap year! Finally, the strawberries are establishing well. The holdover plant from last year is already producing fruit.

Planting Box (4×4)
Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries
Basil and Sage

On Deck:

I tucked in a few annuals to fill out the pots on deck.  We have two miniature roses, replanted from the back yard and a beautiful coleus.  I moved the geranium to the front of the garden, making room for the tall grasses that shot up this week.  I’m going to try to get a better picture when the light is just so.  It’s especially beautiful at the end of the day.

Deck Top Annuals

What’s growing in your garden this week?

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Drying Lavender: My Garage Never Smelled So Good

Lavender-Scented Garage

Lavender grows along the front of our deck, creating a dense wall of flowers.  Now that the plants are established they grow up and over on the deck.  The flowers are graceful in the wind and fragrant beyond belief and  they attract bees to our garden.  Flower perfection.

Last week I decided to experiment with sunflowers in pots along the top edge of the deck, so I unceremoniously pruned back a handful of lavender, and set it in the garage for drying.   I needed the narrow space on the edge of the deck to maximize full sun exposure while maintaining a clear path.

I’ve been dreaming of a wall of sunflowers this summer, so if all goes well, we’ll have a row of yellow and orange sunflowers with lavender blooms draped around the stalks.  I’m giddy just writing about it.

Eventually I gathered the lavender in a loose bunch with some string and hung it in the garage to dry.  Our garage smells like a Crabtree and Evelyn shop!  Seriously, why didn’t I think of this sooner?  I’m ready to dry lavender in every room in the house, though my men-folk may feel otherwise.

Can’t you just smell it?

Ladies fair, I bring to you
lavender with spikes of blue;
sweeter plant was never found
growing on our English ground.

by Caryl Battersby

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Catnip Corner: The Purrfect Spot

How to Grow the Perfect Catnip

I’ve been scouting for the perfect spot to plant our catnip which needs full sun and easy feline access.  I had pretty much resigned myself to planting in a low pot, when I noticed this bare patch of earth near the lawn next to the other mint. Kismet! er…catnip!

We have a pair of seed-embedded cards from a Petco fundraiser we’ve been saving to plant this spring. I’ll plant one now, keeping the second as a back up just in case this first batch fails to deliver. It seems a bit of a shame to cover these clever cards with dirt, but I’ll save a fortune on catnip.

Here’s a bit about catnip also know as cat mint from catworld.com. This powerful herb has many human uses and attributes, beyond a feline-high:

Catnip tends to have a sedative effect on humans. It is most often drunk as a tea.

It is also useful for settling an upset stomach. It has also been used to treat headaches, scarlet fever, coughing, insomnia & smallpox.

Catnip can also be used for cuts, studies show it has a natural healing quality. Crush fresh catnip leaves, damp them & apply to your cut. **

Pregnant women should avoid catnip.

It can also be used as an aromatic herb in cooking & salads.

The Perfect Spot

=^..^=

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Blooming Thursday: Random Gifts and Neighborhood Rifts

For all the time I spend in the garden, complete surprises are rare.  With my nose down close to the dirt, or my camera directed at flowers and trees, it feels as comfortable and familiar as a good marriage.

That said, my husband still surprises me with flowers “just because” and this week my garden did the same.  After an hour of planting and the requisite cleanup, I turned to go inside and spotted something flowering behind our fruit tree.  I climbed over the rock wall and shrubs, rounded the tree, and there it was!  The flowering bulb has roots under the fence line, so perhaps the bulb divided from the neighbor’s side.

It would be nice to think of the flower as a gift, or more appropriately a peace-offering, for in this community of otherwise incredible neighbors, this unhappy soul stands out.  He once trapped my cat and dropped him off at the Humane Society without a word.  He calls the authorities when someone’s dog barks.  He asked us to lie when our shared fence fell down and had to be replaced. We declined.

Perhaps this random gift is not the flower, but the opportunity to let go of the angst I feel when I pass his house.  All these years later the anger and hurt are gone, but the angst lingers on.

Spring Bulbs

Any guesses on the name of this flowering bulb?

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