Ryan and I planted the garden this morning, finally! We even had a live audience – Katrina and Zach. We pretended we were on HGtv, demonstrating the proper planting procedures for various veggies. Very fun!
We planted: winter squash, gourds, summer squash, carrots, beets, cucumbers, peas, beans.
Quite a morning! Then we showered and headed out of town for my cousin’s graduation party.
Today Ryan tilled the entire garden in literally a matter of minutes.
We were lucky enough to be able to borrow a tiller from a co-worker for the weekend. What a nice machine! I never would have dreamed that tilling a garden would be so easy. As usual with large projects, it’s all about the quality of the tools.
Our garden was running a little behind this year, so the tiller helped us catch up a day or two. We were able to finish the garden preparation just in time for our bonfire guests to arrive!
Today we picked the first spinach of the season and put it on our sandwiches for lunch. I also got a handful of radishes to eat with supper. Yay!
I planted the green beans and peas today, along with a second sowing of basil, as the first batch didn’t come up at all. The warmer weather should help.
We spotted this nest situated inside a pallet on our bonfire wood pile. I took the photo on the left on May 3rd. The photo on the right was taken today, May 17th. I’ll try to gently check in on them every few days. Too cute!
Tonight Ryan spread all the remaining pine branch wood chips under the pine trees in our back yard. Took a long time, but looks a lot better! No sign of hostas yet.
This was a great use for these particular wood chips, because they would not be as attractive around flowers or bushes. The pine needles and cones look natural here.
This past weekend I was on a mission was to transplant the two smokebushes from the front porch area to the yard somewhere.
They are beautiful trees, and just too close to the house… not to mention the front door. By mid-summer, they hang over the sidewalk, reach up over the roof of the house, and block visitor visibility from the house.
Well, after I got started, I found there a few more than two! The “one” that I started to dig up soon became two, then three, and in the end, four! Who knows how many the other “one” is?! Thus, I had more work ahead of me than I thought…
I planted two in the front yard and one in the back. I left the last one where it was, because I was completely exhausted. It’ll have to wait for another day.
I spent both Wednesday and Thursday evenings planting the perennials from Mom. Fun to get, but lots of work to get them in the ground. I have everything planted now except the 2 forsythia bushes, which I am still deciding what to do with.
I started a rhubarb patch near the raspberry area, in a sunny opening in the sumacs. Minding what Mom told me, I made sure to dig a VERY large hole and fill it with compost before placing the transplants. Digging in rocky clay is hard work! I hope they make it.
Today, Saturday, we put the last of the composted manure onto the garden and I turned-over the entire bean and pea area. Ryan pounded the 12 fence posts into place with a sledgehammer. We’re ready!
I weeded the entire rear flower bed and then walked the ENTIRE YARD with the wheelbarrow picking up every single branch. I used a rake for this job under the fruit trees because of the quantity of downed branches from pruning. I think I was picking up branches for almost 2 hours straight. I’m feeling a little tight right now – not unexpected. That was a big job and I’m glad it’s done. Between the two of us working today, the bon fire area is ready for a party because we have over 5 feet of branches stacked and ready to burn!
Ryan then proceeded to mow the entire property for the first time this season. Yay! Took so long the batteries in his headset radio died, but it looks fantastic.
Here’s a peek at how the (clockwise) radishes, onions, lettuce, and spinach are doing!
I visited my Mom’s house tonight and part of the evening was a spring garden tour. I’ve never seen so many daffodils! What a beautiful sight! They must have thousands in their yard, with almost a dozen varieties.
Perennials she shared with us: large yellow daylily, geranium, forsythia, bee balm, rhubarb, lamb’s ear, rudbeckia, and a pink shade flower that is already blooming.
I left with a cut bouquet of ~50 daffodils. Delightful.
Ryan’s softball game was cancelled tonight, so we had an unexpected evening to work! I know that’s how most people feel, right?
The most exciting thing about today is that we finished drawing up the 2009 vegetable garden plan. (It’s to scale, but not painted…) ;) Here is what we are planting this year:
