The Thawing

Ahhhh, spring-ish!
The snow is finally gone and yard work has commenced.  I have to admit, I'm sad that I don't have my own yard yet, and a little lost because of it, but there's enough to do for Mom that will keep me busy.  
My tomatoes are out of control and I've had to pinch them back to keep them from getting too leggy.  When I transplanted them into bigger pots, I did bury them as deep as I could.  Something I never realized before is that those little white hairs on the tomato plant stem will actually become roots, so burying the stem works well to support leggy plants.
My peppers and radicchio are not as spectacular, but they're still alive.  I need to set up my container gardens and replant some of my cool weather crops.  I did plant my peas a few weeks ago, so I'm on track with at least one crop.

The bank behind these pots is one of my future projects - I'd love to create a terrace garden here.
And check out my latest Craigslist score!

This is an 8'x3'x3' fiberglass structure that was used to cover some kind of electrical transformer.  The seller had two, but I was only able to get one of them.  It's going to make a fantastic raised bed planter!  It's open top and bottom, so drainage will not be an issue.  I won't be able to use it this year, because I'm not sure where I want it.  Once this thing is filled with dirt, there will be no moving it, so I want to be sure I've placed it in the best spot.  I'll most likely use a hugelkultur-type method of filling it, like I do with my stock tank gardens.  Start with a layer of branches/logs, add leaves or natural mulch, waste hay from the mule pen, composted manure, and then soil.  As the layers decompose yearly, I just add more soil to the top.  I cannot wait to get my gardens set up!

Saturday Musings

Apparently last year was a banner season for maple trees, and this spring everyone I know is absolutely infested with baby maples.  In the gardens, suffocating lawns, springing up between cracks in the cobblestones.  My property was not spared - I just spent two hours weeding my holding bed and 95% of what was plucked out were tiny maple trees.  One bed down, a bunch more to go.  But it does look better, and I'm finding that plants I had divided and moved around last year have survived the winter and are looking healthy.

 

 

 If finances allow, I'm hoping to re-mulch this bed.  It's been three years and it desperately needs it. A gardening friend really loves cocoa mulch, but I understand it can be dangerous to dogs and cats.  If I try it, I'll only use it on the beds in the front yard, where the cats aren't allowed.  It's pretty expensive compared to good old bark mulch, so that may factor into my decision.

I met with a realtor to begin the process of selling my house, so I do want everything to look nice.  Fingers crossed that I can get a decent price for the place, because if not, I'm stuck here.  It's not a horrible fate, but the commute to work, high property taxes, and expenses of keeping an older, massive house maintained are beginning to wear on me, physically and financially.  I need a smaller house where I can focus on the land more than the buildings.  It's all about the outside for me!

This weekend Mom and I are headed to the Freyburg Home and Garden Show, which should be fun.  We've attended many times and always find something new.

Last weekend I went to the falsely named World's Largest Yard Sale in Rochester with my friend Kim.  We were both disappointed at how many vendors were selling cheap, new products instead of actual used treasures.  Granted, there were deals to be had, but it wasn't nearly as large or exciting as we had hoped.  I did come home with some little guys for my gardens.

And this great jewelry box that I'm using to store my remote controls and various pairs of glasses. It matches my coffee table perfectly!

 

Why yes, I did inherit the junk loving gene.  My grandfather was instrumental in passing that along.  Never pass up a deal, and free stuff is always best.  Which reminds me, time to do a dump run and check out the free section; I've come home with some great stuff from the dump.  *unapologetic* 😏