tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9076209265752214952024-02-07T05:19:00.731-08:00Garden on BoulevardGardening is a lost art. Come follow the journey of my Southern garden. I promise to give you beginner-friendly gardening tips and pretty pictures along the way.Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-32150221147097938152023-04-02T13:38:00.000-07:002023-04-02T13:38:06.006-07:00New Season, New Strategies!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0du-IuZcxkIpRAQOk54rTpXtXpak_2qvscNzpsqA5Z01A5u-pi_jIpj_GNuKtw9T474n_-k9uKQqq0zeGS9SXh3u0IKPOtYwKYYro4sN3oIpO4eoLcJPIAy6Hq25PZIuZLxbVdTyouYeLE9Toj1D8SCs_Lj_kjNErqLoDNZPi73lcHPHXy586aeb4/s1315/C54E4228-7846-4667-AEBB-6C92D9F29A80.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="1315" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0du-IuZcxkIpRAQOk54rTpXtXpak_2qvscNzpsqA5Z01A5u-pi_jIpj_GNuKtw9T474n_-k9uKQqq0zeGS9SXh3u0IKPOtYwKYYro4sN3oIpO4eoLcJPIAy6Hq25PZIuZLxbVdTyouYeLE9Toj1D8SCs_Lj_kjNErqLoDNZPi73lcHPHXy586aeb4/s320/C54E4228-7846-4667-AEBB-6C92D9F29A80.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">New strawberry plants have their first bloom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div> I tend to be a creature of habit with a lot of things and stick with what works. But I also love learning new things, so every spring becomes an opportunity to try something new and see what happens.<p></p><p>I got a late start on my vegetable garden last year, which never gives me great results. I got a lot of peas, cucumbers, zinnias, and the little yellow tomatoes that grow like weeds (literally and figuratively) in my garden, but not much else. Some of the older raised beds fell apart, and the weed trees proliferated a little more among the herbs.</p><p>Thankfully gardens are always willing to give second chances.</p><p>I started by giving two of my beds new borders. I found a source of discarded bricks, and made a quick and dirty stacked border. I didn’t put all the effort I put into last year’s project of giving the bricks a sand foundation and making sure the walls were even, I just put them in place. I think they call this look “rustic.”</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAu_slEq1yBL1DtkE6nPn2lz4RDqiMBbSzS3WSpminZaw6f9ABRlA_XeYIBy5UXTjzWrPC7UiHK2OrXdeqBTariWqbqLcShPDF_84BVvhwxzXrT7cwNcVXZhgGCC-5axuHbmWZKJBBYyMsq4jCLIGBxidGUtTMtCGhzj3yKKvWpcL-NU3FxPCTIx6w/s4032/41326760-5C07-41B3-A06D-AD46C8ECE35A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAu_slEq1yBL1DtkE6nPn2lz4RDqiMBbSzS3WSpminZaw6f9ABRlA_XeYIBy5UXTjzWrPC7UiHK2OrXdeqBTariWqbqLcShPDF_84BVvhwxzXrT7cwNcVXZhgGCC-5axuHbmWZKJBBYyMsq4jCLIGBxidGUtTMtCGhzj3yKKvWpcL-NU3FxPCTIx6w/w300-h400/41326760-5C07-41B3-A06D-AD46C8ECE35A.jpeg" width="300" /></a></p><p></p><p>After cleaning out the weeds and seeing what space I had left, I decided on what I wanted to grow this year. First, the old favorites: dwarf peas, Yukon Gold potatoes, ‘Jedi’ & Shishito peppers, ‘Muncher’ cucumbers, Bush beans, and assorted tomatoes. Then, I decided to retackle two vegetables I loved but always had difficulty with: bell peppers and zucchini. This year I’m subbing out bell peppers for ‘Lunchbox’ peppers. I also planted some new strawberries after my few-years-old plants didn't come back this spring.</p><p>Another experiment this year: mulch. I've thought about mulching for many years, but never quite got around to deciding how I wanted to do it. This year I decided to try wheat straw. In the course of researching growing tips for asparagus, strawberries, peppers and zucchini, I thought they would all benefit from the moisture retention and weed suppression of mulch. Since my peas got a late start, I hoped some mulch would cool the soil down and keep them happier. I also once got a tip in the hardware store from a fellow customer that beans love being mulched with wheat straw. The Square Foot Gardening book by Mel Bartholomew also recommends preparing the soil with compost and fertilizer each fall and covering up the soil with mulch. I'm a little late for fall soil prep, but I went ahead and prepped and mulched everything a few weeks before planting.</p><p>After starting zucchinis indoors from seed I read that they prefer to be directly seeded outside. I carefully transplanted one outside this week, and I thought I would plant a second beside it next week. Hopefully one of them will be happy and take off. If they both die in the next few weeks, I have some extra seeds to plant.</p><p>Meanwhile, I'm enjoying watching everything sprout up!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlR6crEFRWC6_SA-O1pIUBrYX7xQiOYQbs1QRHplWNJP2UXff9FVLQqeA-_vzF-rb7ST6H2ErP6HyCh43d8dpKKWLMNM3xz6JeJC_ufaXIjhk-8mr492axq98qUS19VB1x3kafXZbuSUnx8J_tBXPDeMZ_fagO9t6rPJy7O5JaORZCtkWdoWGt_zX/s1350/15C2CA84-5C6B-415D-865B-DABFB8914EDB.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1350" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlR6crEFRWC6_SA-O1pIUBrYX7xQiOYQbs1QRHplWNJP2UXff9FVLQqeA-_vzF-rb7ST6H2ErP6HyCh43d8dpKKWLMNM3xz6JeJC_ufaXIjhk-8mr492axq98qUS19VB1x3kafXZbuSUnx8J_tBXPDeMZ_fagO9t6rPJy7O5JaORZCtkWdoWGt_zX/w394-h316/15C2CA84-5C6B-415D-865B-DABFB8914EDB.jpeg" width="394" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato sprouts<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCFDdqJisVnhjp3h8S7OApTaCPMWwicXUdbXwxErh424edHQppte1v7t5YuwkuskliVkoff4UEkDVZXPhBtU0CDqlETP5uDHgGMXWyCZAQVQF_7-cu-H_Ev_TSvdkza9C01SVwTj8dsYnG4iOhgV4omkLtj3G_bGW4HWoh43Q2DwMMqOqdgCyAAYM/s1350/A522D162-027B-4A0E-90B7-E2C7B202964E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1350" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCFDdqJisVnhjp3h8S7OApTaCPMWwicXUdbXwxErh424edHQppte1v7t5YuwkuskliVkoff4UEkDVZXPhBtU0CDqlETP5uDHgGMXWyCZAQVQF_7-cu-H_Ev_TSvdkza9C01SVwTj8dsYnG4iOhgV4omkLtj3G_bGW4HWoh43Q2DwMMqOqdgCyAAYM/w393-h314/A522D162-027B-4A0E-90B7-E2C7B202964E.jpeg" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asparagus in the garden</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-53276982565410586032022-05-22T12:38:00.000-07:002022-05-22T12:38:01.596-07:00What a pest!<p> As I was inspecting my garden this week, I noticed my pea plants were looking a little stressed. I wondered whether I had been watering them enough in the 96-degree weather we had been having.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf4S2wXF4kLbw48L02WG4rIGEzapEryF_JOVoU0ZYeSQAn-jGjhBs9kQ4MINB8h4PbA_1EWrf58K04_DfZNHgNZP1-tBmVl_g0STbPx6em9u5YfzzaEd6aJLGQ3ivMIzPvzPQDesytzq0970muoS2vNjv4c4JUkEw7YlDi6v49mezCElpU5-WgPvr/s1040/21164033-F86D-4D6E-B4DA-5D079EE225D5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1040" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzf4S2wXF4kLbw48L02WG4rIGEzapEryF_JOVoU0ZYeSQAn-jGjhBs9kQ4MINB8h4PbA_1EWrf58K04_DfZNHgNZP1-tBmVl_g0STbPx6em9u5YfzzaEd6aJLGQ3ivMIzPvzPQDesytzq0970muoS2vNjv4c4JUkEw7YlDi6v49mezCElpU5-WgPvr/w400-h400/21164033-F86D-4D6E-B4DA-5D079EE225D5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My peas snuck up on me! They were just flowers a few days ago.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWT09X3ow0j1zpUit4uD0Fwk9LI1PBvq2kq8zcVuSa4e0ydPvu8vortGJB9SfHgZ0pLZ0BVq7l4BhLiORw1gFsXLZwNqyWxrDsQSDlgVER-rQbiNefZsdQoPi9XGTI-ZsC8dGvrDNkmGxgX5Owiq8AOkVp3ftBigd99ZFyCMWw2AzZAYD-20_c3Xo/s4032/C99647D0-9DCB-416C-8A6B-790FC8F515FC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWT09X3ow0j1zpUit4uD0Fwk9LI1PBvq2kq8zcVuSa4e0ydPvu8vortGJB9SfHgZ0pLZ0BVq7l4BhLiORw1gFsXLZwNqyWxrDsQSDlgVER-rQbiNefZsdQoPi9XGTI-ZsC8dGvrDNkmGxgX5Owiq8AOkVp3ftBigd99ZFyCMWw2AzZAYD-20_c3Xo/w400-h300/C99647D0-9DCB-416C-8A6B-790FC8F515FC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plants look pretty good all told, but they could be better.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>All in all, they were doing better than I imagined after getting a late start planting them. Peas love the cool, wet weather of early spring. A hot, dry week is not their thing. But something else was off.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH0DPp_sKKENK-tXO2GunOczfJH65YX6bUpfr188NVLklrxD8PpaZhoCZoes9Zuos-VK8RSGLVnJNWuA2wdZ7Ilr0dRBKfcDMJMScAM0wvnkqrZjkYH0HFtvyQvM4KhSck_K0wgSGfkx81wmVXXWeaAqYbnRmTGChmuOhvxDLExt-2ViwASQ-RG9x/s1079/0D1134F5-5699-4468-B2AA-5D881C3B3AB0.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1079" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH0DPp_sKKENK-tXO2GunOczfJH65YX6bUpfr188NVLklrxD8PpaZhoCZoes9Zuos-VK8RSGLVnJNWuA2wdZ7Ilr0dRBKfcDMJMScAM0wvnkqrZjkYH0HFtvyQvM4KhSck_K0wgSGfkx81wmVXXWeaAqYbnRmTGChmuOhvxDLExt-2ViwASQ-RG9x/w400-h400/0D1134F5-5699-4468-B2AA-5D881C3B3AB0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>After picking my first harvest of peas, I took a closer look. The mottled look of some of the green leaves told me leaf-sucking insects were around.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0haWAf_rvuePOrowqpp4JmaSXUTAIQgYlDF3rP9PKe0mLpk1FNd08q_Ybq0oLyF-YN5nEkldxeZmbaopTYWcJSllT3FcvMoAYa8sKqcKhVgFuvc9MicwWcimv0vZ-A1k9X9E76XMrt_wzLYq6RmMn5718dUVPThBkku69cDi6QUhIZAybzqBO180/s1080/705C02C6-D04D-4093-A860-76E2C8838767.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0haWAf_rvuePOrowqpp4JmaSXUTAIQgYlDF3rP9PKe0mLpk1FNd08q_Ybq0oLyF-YN5nEkldxeZmbaopTYWcJSllT3FcvMoAYa8sKqcKhVgFuvc9MicwWcimv0vZ-A1k9X9E76XMrt_wzLYq6RmMn5718dUVPThBkku69cDi6QUhIZAybzqBO180/w400-h400/705C02C6-D04D-4093-A860-76E2C8838767.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I flipped a few leaves over, and sure enough I had red spider mites. A quick Google told me that plants are more susceptible to damage from spider mites when they don’t get enough water, so in a sense I was right about the dry weather making them unhappy.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvLQxjrc4bpkXBwLbk0gBc-fgk16nA5tcXdCT8HjEYi8IHMgitrRRfdvcEGhRn7wRSoGXyc4hTXiyWjPGyqYJu-U-7XTscNybKk-whh0mQoLffjWDS8JQArNyyIFwyAswEYlmCi534o1KYEo0t6c4oOPLSs_DCQsyYiXg6scsPLZEUxe66QbgXLOx/s1079/34958514-2FE3-4533-9753-F995F742F755.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1079" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvLQxjrc4bpkXBwLbk0gBc-fgk16nA5tcXdCT8HjEYi8IHMgitrRRfdvcEGhRn7wRSoGXyc4hTXiyWjPGyqYJu-U-7XTscNybKk-whh0mQoLffjWDS8JQArNyyIFwyAswEYlmCi534o1KYEo0t6c4oOPLSs_DCQsyYiXg6scsPLZEUxe66QbgXLOx/w400-h400/34958514-2FE3-4533-9753-F995F742F755.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pea leaf with several spider mites--some of the yellowed leaves had twice that many!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Now some people reach for the insecticide at this point, but instead I went to the Internet to see what one of the cooperative extension service publications said about managing red spider mites. One of the first suggestions was washing the leaves, which is an old trick that I remember my grandfather used (he was a Master Gardener). It doesn’t kill them, but it temporarily removes them, makes it harder to stick around, and puts them where ground predators can reach them. At least it made me feel better.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepeoshUjpdNnoWQyBXbG6voEvxlBf-mS1gjFY-ybRjoWl1GYduUrMgDac9ohRTH6W2yOOPk1Fv0U67msyVFXyKnlrX7D-5Y7_sJTFT4X2-bINxbXtDqIWn6mcMYqwuXN6zgZ9vkZHLOFqGLXCykoJIhVnK-Dcd_23IbsVOeCJsG9n6144mUqh5xro/s836/15B65550-8F42-4E11-835F-8EA894D63E97.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="836" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepeoshUjpdNnoWQyBXbG6voEvxlBf-mS1gjFY-ybRjoWl1GYduUrMgDac9ohRTH6W2yOOPk1Fv0U67msyVFXyKnlrX7D-5Y7_sJTFT4X2-bINxbXtDqIWn6mcMYqwuXN6zgZ9vkZHLOFqGLXCykoJIhVnK-Dcd_23IbsVOeCJsG9n6144mUqh5xro/w400-h400/15B65550-8F42-4E11-835F-8EA894D63E97.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The same leaf after spraying the mites off with a hose.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Overall, though, my garden has been doing fairly well this week. The zinnias sprouted, my cucumbers are getting huge, my potatoes are looking healthy, and I have my first baby tomato.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMGKHWPX3tjiqggRLt2RyVxhLay_Qpc7C1zAIO95MuANlk1i9zMeyMiVeGGBzdpLl9UfU_D4heBY4fiD7Tux03xSKIQ6USOJ3AsN8dPRIi5XnotCcMOEy5coNu6mdkUEN0LbrndESW4bPWwRJ4Ib5qik0uPI8xX0-S8MbyYXDhcC7W_ghPChq4gae/s1102/6EF0CEEE-38C8-4FBB-8640-2B8A508D93EE.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1102" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMGKHWPX3tjiqggRLt2RyVxhLay_Qpc7C1zAIO95MuANlk1i9zMeyMiVeGGBzdpLl9UfU_D4heBY4fiD7Tux03xSKIQ6USOJ3AsN8dPRIi5XnotCcMOEy5coNu6mdkUEN0LbrndESW4bPWwRJ4Ib5qik0uPI8xX0-S8MbyYXDhcC7W_ghPChq4gae/w400-h303/6EF0CEEE-38C8-4FBB-8640-2B8A508D93EE.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zinnia seedlings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZGFKPAgsojApaiBNcZHVSSrtsNUCwHhnRzBcVMGvVRzIAAExPw5NC1KZ01_6lk7Py535VNBiRwIlhuVWC0_dJxTER5M28jHfSmrVEZXZjo0jqXnlEW4Ua9Vkhaw_cID8GzHFswDNtI9gmmokKXAiKz3TAwHnPXrKDmWVLOw1qkb5jsYh70ToOBhY/s981/621D5E0B-5410-4C4F-92E7-7386B24D94D5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="981" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZGFKPAgsojApaiBNcZHVSSrtsNUCwHhnRzBcVMGvVRzIAAExPw5NC1KZ01_6lk7Py535VNBiRwIlhuVWC0_dJxTER5M28jHfSmrVEZXZjo0jqXnlEW4Ua9Vkhaw_cID8GzHFswDNtI9gmmokKXAiKz3TAwHnPXrKDmWVLOw1qkb5jsYh70ToOBhY/w400-h308/621D5E0B-5410-4C4F-92E7-7386B24D94D5.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little baby cherry tomato</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCg5oYyKzfNEifFSRn0d4e7FTMnpCh7RB-GogZ8qMRY98EtYhCdxxvNS03AK82YoCA3mScXkCH9xPEuBk2hYtVjjQm6NDiAsK87GkNT6hEx-F6tLFahOAjuLx-RpzpuA9OE_dk1evOBV5ai8_43FgD4vvE7bchLvEpTZvaYkTiBxy-i60ioTBvDwG/s1616/E193EA61-4758-4832-B2AD-518463F9209E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1616" data-original-width="1077" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCg5oYyKzfNEifFSRn0d4e7FTMnpCh7RB-GogZ8qMRY98EtYhCdxxvNS03AK82YoCA3mScXkCH9xPEuBk2hYtVjjQm6NDiAsK87GkNT6hEx-F6tLFahOAjuLx-RpzpuA9OE_dk1evOBV5ai8_43FgD4vvE7bchLvEpTZvaYkTiBxy-i60ioTBvDwG/w426-h640/E193EA61-4758-4832-B2AD-518463F9209E.jpeg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think my cucumber vines doubled in height in the past week.</td></tr></tbody></table>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-12306814002715338212022-05-15T11:17:00.000-07:002022-05-15T11:17:24.921-07:00Signs of life<p> May and June are definitely the fun part of having a vegetable garden for me. The weather isn’t too hot yet, and every day I see new growth. In a few weeks I’ll start harvesting. At the moment I’m just enjoying how lovely my garden looks and getting excited about baby veggies. In addition to being tasty, the pea vines in particular have such pretty flowers.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZw74GUjKdTyt68rT8EDYFpLJuMfyomk5cuLpukATpFL5ryIvIH2FJo8Od-QiRCi7WNWFya7PrfaqA1jBdI8zP2CTqfd9ki-Lhntw8zwAjSbvA4pJM7ktudGGKigNBGrP6UPBuhSxCI7rPgjy463DuqTk63A8X-NjR4RkUAVULnPzC00jYew-46c6q/s1199/7E25FC48-3848-4BED-9DDA-2F026CA26B47.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1199" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZw74GUjKdTyt68rT8EDYFpLJuMfyomk5cuLpukATpFL5ryIvIH2FJo8Od-QiRCi7WNWFya7PrfaqA1jBdI8zP2CTqfd9ki-Lhntw8zwAjSbvA4pJM7ktudGGKigNBGrP6UPBuhSxCI7rPgjy463DuqTk63A8X-NjR4RkUAVULnPzC00jYew-46c6q/w400-h306/7E25FC48-3848-4BED-9DDA-2F026CA26B47.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Dwarf Grey Sugar Pea Pod' bloom</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMZSo8JjFK1NYmBwAnoCMyCC7NdVDRetK6KxT25fk0NYzRYFPxYjYn1-BAoZK16-76KuXaKi4LQSQmx98g37cWMdcGq4Yq0Uhz1VGEXQDsPpVZbwMuNumkzIu3K6TBm-DsT0rZnmsFDHmKCU7dC6Ehc7EHsg2A5vNN5bsxwIuzpa2tiaMKmzOOLgX/s1188/779256A6-E0D6-448B-AD98-52694E0B42C4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1188" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMZSo8JjFK1NYmBwAnoCMyCC7NdVDRetK6KxT25fk0NYzRYFPxYjYn1-BAoZK16-76KuXaKi4LQSQmx98g37cWMdcGq4Yq0Uhz1VGEXQDsPpVZbwMuNumkzIu3K6TBm-DsT0rZnmsFDHmKCU7dC6Ehc7EHsg2A5vNN5bsxwIuzpa2tiaMKmzOOLgX/w400-h314/779256A6-E0D6-448B-AD98-52694E0B42C4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby 'Burpless' cucumber with flower</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7To7gujCLx7QmI-hlmRIdpT0TREJmLxWbHRUQPlFmCtlvMlEaopSJf8jMFkYREQwtev00OHz2R_mP_1zmnkcFvG0oYhWsfpD9T9YU7r05cKzgBF5csH5ps0Yz20Pd7Bs29A1naGAoFgFoIQROkpJjxVD01jNXo0v9Ur-JRdLPCs76XYceEWgkt2F/s984/226AB25E-206D-47F0-87B6-DB6F8EFB9F8A.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="984" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7To7gujCLx7QmI-hlmRIdpT0TREJmLxWbHRUQPlFmCtlvMlEaopSJf8jMFkYREQwtev00OHz2R_mP_1zmnkcFvG0oYhWsfpD9T9YU7r05cKzgBF5csH5ps0Yz20Pd7Bs29A1naGAoFgFoIQROkpJjxVD01jNXo0v9Ur-JRdLPCs76XYceEWgkt2F/w400-h301/226AB25E-206D-47F0-87B6-DB6F8EFB9F8A.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chives have such pretty flowers, too.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I’m pretty much done planting, but it’s not so hot yet that I can’t plant more if I want to. Once a week or so I’ll find an empty pot or some room in the dirt and plant something. I used to map out my garden plan and planting schedule ahead of time, but in the last few years I've found joy in letting my vegetable garden develop more "organically," so to speak. There are always leftover seeds around my house, or plants calling my name at my favorite local garden centers. I don't know whether I'll end up being busy one weekend, so I plant whatever I think will grow in the time I have.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2MdyKpeRNWSfwfH2nxPh0cHuOZKmHFfSaiI97immnoxmUOOk1l7GF2eSjU5_BPlcIqT4fV5kdahMbgkEEEF5kwZl15dGd2CsFfDogX8hXJuAJgN1YlIdFkb0sk7A9CdzaKRKurj-iMpwhIrd_AB12j71YoIMofEbApzuzfiSL73WA4syp3JfjLOO/s4032/11B1ECA8-2237-4CBE-A060-795913850C1E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2MdyKpeRNWSfwfH2nxPh0cHuOZKmHFfSaiI97immnoxmUOOk1l7GF2eSjU5_BPlcIqT4fV5kdahMbgkEEEF5kwZl15dGd2CsFfDogX8hXJuAJgN1YlIdFkb0sk7A9CdzaKRKurj-iMpwhIrd_AB12j71YoIMofEbApzuzfiSL73WA4syp3JfjLOO/w400-h300/11B1ECA8-2237-4CBE-A060-795913850C1E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: Peas, carrots, strawberries, and cucumbers (plus a mystery plant, probably pumpkin, that volunteered itself in the middle of the cucumbers)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkfKtJy9xbTXLwjnNe8E8OHo0wNsU9mh91lNl4nO9a0dLOcMSfHEdnENEaLbhMRC2RZlCxsegIbbCZ7YIHc_jixkGF7bq48EvoCCaiORx_NkNJSSsz9A7wmjkLuKmdN6_YgYBBtcCMHyaQyJbcFev0fJ7eaeFwthwfggL6ylGNYmzPxneeXCd-XgK/s4032/49FC577B-46B9-4DD9-8405-0E30199C7B4E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkfKtJy9xbTXLwjnNe8E8OHo0wNsU9mh91lNl4nO9a0dLOcMSfHEdnENEaLbhMRC2RZlCxsegIbbCZ7YIHc_jixkGF7bq48EvoCCaiORx_NkNJSSsz9A7wmjkLuKmdN6_YgYBBtcCMHyaQyJbcFev0fJ7eaeFwthwfggL6ylGNYmzPxneeXCd-XgK/w400-h300/49FC577B-46B9-4DD9-8405-0E30199C7B4E.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: tomatoes (which you can barely see under the potatoes), potatoes, asparagus</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This past week I planted some old zinnia seeds between the cucumbers and the strawberries. The week before I planted more scarlet runner bean seeds to accompany the one that survived from last year. The beans are loving this heat, and the last one emerged yesterday. The jalapeño likes the heat as well—I planted seeds a month ago, and the one that germinated finally has true leaves. I should plant more in another pot.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1sWABO51Hgs8WNePfyqeKtX1Z9bxliKPwdFYw2dF333TtDJwHYq026d0KuFPvWkKkApJ1sI39C-bh4oGr7kRtBaV9P4uBJsyAahiAwydMM6qtmNTT39E6IQMiuhI8fWR3RRDDq4qJgLhjpaP1F-dVWaAsF6yl_4v3h7ivxDfZfAL3_hm0ijYsN9-/s3267/52094DA3-B1CA-4934-895F-7EE2468FEBF8.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2594" data-original-width="3267" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1sWABO51Hgs8WNePfyqeKtX1Z9bxliKPwdFYw2dF333TtDJwHYq026d0KuFPvWkKkApJ1sI39C-bh4oGr7kRtBaV9P4uBJsyAahiAwydMM6qtmNTT39E6IQMiuhI8fWR3RRDDq4qJgLhjpaP1F-dVWaAsF6yl_4v3h7ivxDfZfAL3_hm0ijYsN9-/w400-h318/52094DA3-B1CA-4934-895F-7EE2468FEBF8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'NuMex Lemon Spice' jalapeno seedling</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRqJAlKHb6B6P4_48HgXsJ-OOHs6IBCu0OgIOoMb6_2Slcd_Psyr9nAZrcRo2t9uWQyecp6B6hOREuXEqadp6dpo5AfCNm3n8cdWtKOeir_KWF692NIti4S1MDFkVKxXiKBeL1yixWW4KSLUpd3B00uA7QZD9MUr4D16Ft9-LiwzGNo2Ui8yED31A/s1440/D2DC8A20-968D-49F0-8A22-2A32B8B89A4F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRqJAlKHb6B6P4_48HgXsJ-OOHs6IBCu0OgIOoMb6_2Slcd_Psyr9nAZrcRo2t9uWQyecp6B6hOREuXEqadp6dpo5AfCNm3n8cdWtKOeir_KWF692NIti4S1MDFkVKxXiKBeL1yixWW4KSLUpd3B00uA7QZD9MUr4D16Ft9-LiwzGNo2Ui8yED31A/w400-h300/D2DC8A20-968D-49F0-8A22-2A32B8B89A4F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlet runner bean seedling</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p></div>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-38392151232890753632022-04-24T13:33:00.002-07:002022-04-24T13:34:09.651-07:00It's planting time!<p> The warm weather is finally here! It took right up until April 20 for temperatures to stay consistently over 55 (which many warm-season veggies prefer), but it happened. Highs are in the mid 80s now, and things are starting to grow like crazy! The irises and roses started blooming this week, the potatoes have grown a foot, the strawberries are covered in fruit, and even the carrots are starting to show signs of life.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkCVjKMaGWtqLDwOivNl5KvqSL0hYOdEWO--tHpAAVi9wFj38sx5sU0t0hwOU65eBi9Igghn7XZ0_ej-dW94cupdoe1gFrClIzv7a0UesEZ8-65Nmx37T6h_FknHfV3GnOhOxO4QkzWr5DzMYgfF5_AaWTcsmQheG5Da6SfQsa2y8CDzSCnV5iyWK/s1475/iris.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1475" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkCVjKMaGWtqLDwOivNl5KvqSL0hYOdEWO--tHpAAVi9wFj38sx5sU0t0hwOU65eBi9Igghn7XZ0_ej-dW94cupdoe1gFrClIzv7a0UesEZ8-65Nmx37T6h_FknHfV3GnOhOxO4QkzWr5DzMYgfF5_AaWTcsmQheG5Da6SfQsa2y8CDzSCnV5iyWK/w400-h293/iris.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Iris on Easter</div><p>All the potatoes had emerged by last weekend, and they have at least doubled in size since then. I'm experimenting with a slightly new growing technique this year. Potatoes prefer to be covered up with soil, a couple inches at a time, as they grow. You start when they're 6 inches tall, give or take, so you never cover more than half the stem at a time. With the potatoes in my grow bag, it's easy--I just add a little potting soil every week. With potatoes in the ground, it can be a little more complicated. The last couple of years I dug a trench and then just slowly filled the trench back in as the potatoes grew. The problem is all of that dirt has to go somewhere for a month (or more), so before I left it just beside the potatoes. It ends up taking a row all by itself, so then I couldn't plant anything there until I was done moving the dirt. It seemed like an inefficient use of space in my little 4' x 4' raised beds. This year I made a very shallow trench, so the leftover dirt got pushed into the trench last week after they all sprouted. From here on out, I plan on just mounding up compost from my compost bin. It has some nutrients, but it's not super high in nitrogen, and it drains well. It sounds like a good idea in theory!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5sKfjRdGX10txRhw4Hfo0Qd_23k_jahTL41TtCJFOgeda4ARIehDbgG8hZssMHoR3O6MHz0THpBVnHW1QP7KompMFih-9arIjeG4XoKlADh42paUZoT8BAWDxUeVkjIQ8jYyxJDBOZXFbKWU6Be0HxC16D7ev2U2DOv1dZ7W4OUE7A39D3y36cGj/s1800/299F3F1D-6BA6-4932-B408-94CDF8677922.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5sKfjRdGX10txRhw4Hfo0Qd_23k_jahTL41TtCJFOgeda4ARIehDbgG8hZssMHoR3O6MHz0THpBVnHW1QP7KompMFih-9arIjeG4XoKlADh42paUZoT8BAWDxUeVkjIQ8jYyxJDBOZXFbKWU6Be0HxC16D7ev2U2DOv1dZ7W4OUE7A39D3y36cGj/w320-h400/299F3F1D-6BA6-4932-B408-94CDF8677922.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I took this last weekend. The potatoes are at least twice as large now. Tomatoes on the left.</div><p>Last weekend I planted two tomato plants: a 'Celebrity' and a 'Husky Cherry.' The guy at the local hardware store recommended them. I have another two tomato plants a friend gave me, but they looked a little too small to stick in the ground just yet. This weekend I planted four 'Burpless' cucumber plants that I found at my favorite garden center. I had so much luck with cucumbers last year, I can't wait to grow them again. This is a slightly different variety, but I have high hopes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNR1RZk36Pee6LRlC5wdDtIUuQks81U1jYJHLcilz0wqcLt5_0DN9wKi8WegvZmhGijF_JSIC_5eKIkxyABJfcbFa0dMDmtMB86K89RWYHF8q4aOAhQZi9Ey2_MXjbQpSV8izAPBremp5Y73ANgZXadOlnkV0-xbhRlX5dn-iDd8OJskKakrHKmru/s4032/IMG_9086.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNR1RZk36Pee6LRlC5wdDtIUuQks81U1jYJHLcilz0wqcLt5_0DN9wKi8WegvZmhGijF_JSIC_5eKIkxyABJfcbFa0dMDmtMB86K89RWYHF8q4aOAhQZi9Ey2_MXjbQpSV8izAPBremp5Y73ANgZXadOlnkV0-xbhRlX5dn-iDd8OJskKakrHKmru/w300-h400/IMG_9086.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Left to right: peas, teeny tiny carrot seedlings, strawberries, cucumbers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The carrots are struggling, but the peas are thriving in spite of the four-legged invaders. You'll notice all my beds have <a href="https://www.gardeners.com/buy/critterguard-fence-panels/8612407.html" target="_blank">short fencing</a> around them this year. That's to keep my dog out. Last weekend one side had string trellis netting tied to a frame instead of fencing. Well, a cat decided to relieve himself in the row I planted my carrots, so he dug up at least 1 or 2 seedlings. THEN my dog decided he just HAD to go in there, too. He barged right through my trellis netting, walked all over my peas and carrots, and walked out completely tangled up in my netting. Pretty sure he ate my almost-perfect strawberry while he was in there, too. Now there is fencing on all four sides. It doesn't keep the cat out, but it discourages the dog. I think I have 4 carrot seedlings now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSs6P8z1soD7EeCA9mVO7a7VBhvx0WISF4TWYwMrsEZEkEDXr9YXra0PONRh-cIOD-IDDPnL72xNHSwVtzjkENYECvCFSC9s4UYSakB2Ix4mktkstMF9XdE5LKrGoEjkGm1_braKGeaosfkA3f4am4QAp_MZ7-O1rgn1qnfEdgB6PXeZnyExoWu_v/s4032/IMG_9083.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSs6P8z1soD7EeCA9mVO7a7VBhvx0WISF4TWYwMrsEZEkEDXr9YXra0PONRh-cIOD-IDDPnL72xNHSwVtzjkENYECvCFSC9s4UYSakB2Ix4mktkstMF9XdE5LKrGoEjkGm1_braKGeaosfkA3f4am4QAp_MZ7-O1rgn1qnfEdgB6PXeZnyExoWu_v/s320/IMG_9083.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Who me?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoKDzUSx_NhpnfBSOUNlq9t0l__b7YGoEDQO68lAmw8weFcJeUPbeDP1R5L1r7d9JZIPLoPvbM3qQ0KW_-hgWukK_vI3tl_nLO4H9Gl2Nvvtd4ZJIvvx9NW0LQuradb4-2pp1KVfr_O3hL40qj1dsV2LL8kgQ-PH1RwpLeBrgnaIs_MqJZ1dxyVJp/s1017/B486B06B-BC16-4DAE-ACE4-AB7D57D5D2AD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1017" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoKDzUSx_NhpnfBSOUNlq9t0l__b7YGoEDQO68lAmw8weFcJeUPbeDP1R5L1r7d9JZIPLoPvbM3qQ0KW_-hgWukK_vI3tl_nLO4H9Gl2Nvvtd4ZJIvvx9NW0LQuradb4-2pp1KVfr_O3hL40qj1dsV2LL8kgQ-PH1RwpLeBrgnaIs_MqJZ1dxyVJp/s320/B486B06B-BC16-4DAE-ACE4-AB7D57D5D2AD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">The strawberries look happy this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of last year's experiments has turned out better than I hoped. I planted scarlet runner bean seeds. Scarlet runner beans are actually a perennial, but they don't like the frost. One of the 5 I planted survived the neglect of late summer and fall, died back in the winter, but re-emerged this spring looking better than ever!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScwNJdpV1Vu27IyjwtCNSQxIE0nqgaEXfoanTCdW56j5fm0fa86wRY_cURqQ1Zs_wuSOiro8KZr3LKJ41BOprCzaFu_GPVA0sWGva4JnZyKhg081QptJasjfMuvMH7Gi9FWGef2K0t6L0Gi_bju637sthjs_fs8aNaDhHk7RNJDvCbvCnVLdiZhu-/s4032/IMG_9087.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiScwNJdpV1Vu27IyjwtCNSQxIE0nqgaEXfoanTCdW56j5fm0fa86wRY_cURqQ1Zs_wuSOiro8KZr3LKJ41BOprCzaFu_GPVA0sWGva4JnZyKhg081QptJasjfMuvMH7Gi9FWGef2K0t6L0Gi_bju637sthjs_fs8aNaDhHk7RNJDvCbvCnVLdiZhu-/w300-h400/IMG_9087.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of tropical plants, one of last year's planters got a little makeover. The pineapple sage from last year survived, so I bought a new COLD HARDY banana plant to go with it ('Busjoo')! I added a lime balm plant that's been living in a tiny pot since a friend gave it to me a couple of years ago, and a new spearmint plant. I feel like it's a whole tropical island or fruit salad in a pot.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydf81IEuEoY-AXyOCjoi1Cz1aThwWef6_0n5OCm1W-2wSLslthwiQL11DzgK6qTMsyifqa_HX81zk4TVdk0PHvhRZmKaYIzjHQEijpd3t_fqLwnm9fHau483ElpDOLqBVAsuLLCLkirdkR5xjAxZ1YwSGpvl6d1V1bvzUTFdlHBRMTx-6LGxBV_tg/s4032/IMG_9082.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydf81IEuEoY-AXyOCjoi1Cz1aThwWef6_0n5OCm1W-2wSLslthwiQL11DzgK6qTMsyifqa_HX81zk4TVdk0PHvhRZmKaYIzjHQEijpd3t_fqLwnm9fHau483ElpDOLqBVAsuLLCLkirdkR5xjAxZ1YwSGpvl6d1V1bvzUTFdlHBRMTx-6LGxBV_tg/w300-h400/IMG_9082.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, because I've gotten really into impulse purchases for my vegetable garden the past couple of years, I bought some new experimental jalapeno seeds called 'NuMex Lemon Spice.' They look cheerful, and I love anything citrus. I think they would be really good pickled. Since I didn't get any peppers started early this year, I just planted them in a pot outside. *Fingers crossed*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGER25ypq-NzlMGpP0Cw5q26Glm9vRR6LIn2Pncd9E_NLy4cCl0kJKvua8dptL0qwx1S42OSfuLm3RQmUj74lV5yy0gt1NxcIItqym_2GMjdOfsfzjqA1wlhVJ4F2IocwBy6Z1BbFe5JVcd6qL2Qyv64uRKwLIUbVvKqcdoKopGjf3JQTovNBEc4bj/s1800/4B95A6CA-CD4B-4354-8C65-8208283DA6AE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGER25ypq-NzlMGpP0Cw5q26Glm9vRR6LIn2Pncd9E_NLy4cCl0kJKvua8dptL0qwx1S42OSfuLm3RQmUj74lV5yy0gt1NxcIItqym_2GMjdOfsfzjqA1wlhVJ4F2IocwBy6Z1BbFe5JVcd6qL2Qyv64uRKwLIUbVvKqcdoKopGjf3JQTovNBEc4bj/w320-h400/4B95A6CA-CD4B-4354-8C65-8208283DA6AE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks for reading along this far! I'll have more pretty photos for you next time.</div>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-20315464904842614762022-04-10T06:49:00.002-07:002022-04-10T06:50:15.142-07:00Waiting for growth<p> Some years we’re planting tomatoes right now, but we got a cool snap this weekend with lows in the 30s and 40s. It didn’t get much above 60 yesterday! I don’t mind it, since my late-planted cool-season veggies need it to get established.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8Hz23ypk8HicHxmPQrm53ctTM3RalnH1E91AOb9Yvt7tJg-5k5zLJrysZcH8xG4fRhVaesZyryJQYCXtu1Qspxi9okVzAqNxghJ2S0qELxIE7Br9ooWUP-eylQfdTCqBj3zj9rHIFJYGKg3LPHL6BRnQ8Fmx5hWTEI1Vn5eTLcCuua4syhroXivs/s1099/2975BF67-B992-43C5-B422-E56EEF08D41F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1099" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8Hz23ypk8HicHxmPQrm53ctTM3RalnH1E91AOb9Yvt7tJg-5k5zLJrysZcH8xG4fRhVaesZyryJQYCXtu1Qspxi9okVzAqNxghJ2S0qELxIE7Br9ooWUP-eylQfdTCqBj3zj9rHIFJYGKg3LPHL6BRnQ8Fmx5hWTEI1Vn5eTLcCuua4syhroXivs/w400-h393/2975BF67-B992-43C5-B422-E56EEF08D41F.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peas two weeks after planting</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I planted everything about 2 weeks ago. The peas are off to a quick start and look quite happy. The carrots look like maybe 3 have germinated, but the seedlings are so tiny, it’s hard to tell if they’re carrots or just weeds. There are a could of odd impressions in the soil, perhaps the shape of a cat butt, right in my carrot row. I hope they don’t ruin the seeds I planted there. Carrots take forever to germinate (the seed packet says up to 25 days), so I’ll find out in another week or so whether my seeds are going to make it.</p><p>Out of the 21 chunks of potato I planted, 6 have sprouted so far. I hope to see the rest emerge this week. Before I plant my potatoes I always cut the chunks up and leave them sitting out a day or so. It’s supposed to reduce rotting by letting the cut sides form a callous before planting. Well, this time I didn’t get around to planting them right away, and they were sitting out around a week waiting to be planted. It's not ideal, but I think most of them should still make it.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZPgaAtzHD2vJS59TgW85OdjPu6pTrv2NouzMAplreHe5I7oWBW8AmEXFCHmXmnP-nUsJ-U56hBd-us6Ut1lEWC1caroE3bpXl-k7BmoWe3UDhBYB2BKyGNLysJo3cybLuUa6IgIPTVBF6w8bPh732vYu7lVnqJpkNEG5qRt0uAeJik5mbpQ-AwG8/s1254/D296903E-07A2-4B13-A95F-B159B57C7526.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1254" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZPgaAtzHD2vJS59TgW85OdjPu6pTrv2NouzMAplreHe5I7oWBW8AmEXFCHmXmnP-nUsJ-U56hBd-us6Ut1lEWC1caroE3bpXl-k7BmoWe3UDhBYB2BKyGNLysJo3cybLuUa6IgIPTVBF6w8bPh732vYu7lVnqJpkNEG5qRt0uAeJik5mbpQ-AwG8/w400-h345/D296903E-07A2-4B13-A95F-B159B57C7526.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato sprout</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>My asparagus started coming up a week ago! I cut enough for maybe one serving and gave it to my mother for her enjoyment while I was visiting. It's so cute when it starts emerging, I always aspire to take beautiful pictures of asparagus coming out of the dirt, but I can't ever seem to get a picture of it in focus. That's a photography skill I can work on. Last year it seemed like the asparagus only came up one or two two stalks at a time, never enough to eat. Hopefully I'll get plenty of asparagus this year--and plenty of practice photographing it. </p><p>Some books say you should actually wait until April 20 to plant heat-loving veggies like tomatoes and peppers in our area. The forecast right now shows another cool snap possibly coming through April 17, so I'll probably follow that advice this year. Besides, I'm happy to have a little extra spring to enjoy my garden before we jump into summer.</p>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-51803493842979130402022-03-26T16:24:00.003-07:002022-03-27T13:15:30.400-07:00Better late then never<p> After two stellar years of vegetable gardening, I’ve gotten off to a late start this year. Between work and family I barely thought about planting anything until last week. I got my husband to pick up seed potatoes while he was at the hardware store a couple of weeks ago, so at least they would be here if I found time. It’s a couple weeks later than I normally plant (and a few weeks later than I always mean to plant), but they should do okay. I cut up the potatoes around a week ago and planted some in the grow bag a few days ago. The rest went in the ground today with a little compost from my compost bin and some fertilizer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijijMKVz0XCTCV0dzex4q3SKwTga44vnjWm-CBl2IOVFrp0fo8Q2galhjcCzVweTDN15TH9mi6K6P77XhpN7g-fRnobkfyBaWfHSIaD-hs3BxQRvaOggHHzkBAtjhNzLM_RV6D9YZRqWTmlOy-dduKdMc4_aCd8zRlzKE0N01X6QoCKGmLh2rwKqM3/s3024/FF84F851-7AD0-4A41-8FC5-5F0525ED3E61.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijijMKVz0XCTCV0dzex4q3SKwTga44vnjWm-CBl2IOVFrp0fo8Q2galhjcCzVweTDN15TH9mi6K6P77XhpN7g-fRnobkfyBaWfHSIaD-hs3BxQRvaOggHHzkBAtjhNzLM_RV6D9YZRqWTmlOy-dduKdMc4_aCd8zRlzKE0N01X6QoCKGmLh2rwKqM3/s320/FF84F851-7AD0-4A41-8FC5-5F0525ED3E61.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I also planted some ‘Dwarf Grey Sugar Pea Pod’ peas and a row of 'Carnival Blend' carrots. It’s waay later than when I planted peas last year (mid-February), but they were one of my favorite things in my garden last year. I decided it was worth the risk. I think we’re at the tail end of when they can be planted here in Middle Georgia. The carrots, too, are pretty much at the end of when they can be planted in spring. I didn't have much luck with carrots when <a href="https://gardenonboulevard.blogspot.com/2013/12/vegetable-garden-december-update.html">I tried growing them</a> in the fall years ago, but my mother-in-law had some success last year, which gives me confidence to try again. The 'Carnival Blend' seeds were actually a serendipitous birthday gift from my godmother last summer, so I was eager to plant them. I was so afraid the tiny seeds would wash away, I watered them carefully with a tiny spray bottle instead of drowning them with the hose. According to my blog, my mistake last time was not watering them one week, so I think I'll work on hooking them up with some drip irrigation in a couple of weeks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWLscfolnuA_eX8NyL37KVCIiNxcs2_O616NtbozYltpXwCmxdFyJh0e8FNxGfgqIGBdf4cApOmwJ9xu27V_8AsBJN6qOGWjxKDKx-f9aW4ZDMZ4LKYQoZusqYrZWcdRR8GxzcIxH4pw_5-6cUcIp_tDCgL_QIUqr0c2t04KJU6XCe1SZrOJMFeuP/s3024/4A95B849-5816-4556-AC0D-F57CB7964874.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWLscfolnuA_eX8NyL37KVCIiNxcs2_O616NtbozYltpXwCmxdFyJh0e8FNxGfgqIGBdf4cApOmwJ9xu27V_8AsBJN6qOGWjxKDKx-f9aW4ZDMZ4LKYQoZusqYrZWcdRR8GxzcIxH4pw_5-6cUcIp_tDCgL_QIUqr0c2t04KJU6XCe1SZrOJMFeuP/s320/4A95B849-5816-4556-AC0D-F57CB7964874.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I have a new garden companion this year! His name is Buddy. We adopted him in August, so this is our first spring together. He’s still learning how to be a garden dog. I’m hoping he’ll make our yard less inviting to voles. He loves to “hunt,” but he’s not very good at it.</p>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-89129488075860528122021-04-17T08:59:00.002-07:002021-04-17T08:59:48.846-07:00Goodbye frost, hello veggies!If you look up when to when plant summer vegetables like beans, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, it will usually say something like "after all danger of frost has passed" or "2 weeks past your last frost date." Many gardeners eagerly start planting as soon as the plants start showing up at their local garden center, and are simply willing to cover them if temperatures dip below 40 again. Others point out that heat-loving plants like peppers and cucumbers do best when nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees, so it would be best to plant 2 weeks after your average last frost date. as a rule of thumb.<div><br /></div><div>I fall somewhere between those two camps.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here in Middle Georgia, heat can be as much of an enemy of plants as cold, even for tomatoes. Last weekend was our first weekend after our "last frost date," and the forecast said we would have a couple of mild rainy days before temperatures jumped into the 80s. (Also, I sort of had the itch to plant things.) So I went ahead and planted transplanted a few of my healthiest-looking seedlings.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdFo7nplKNfuBPRoC8P4PQ7OaL2911f6abGlni9Jh1cfF2MYrbAQ1sja7PKg9N2SBWAzY7gxkFSr6_sTnZySKo00VdLD8XTuoIyN0hLk2bLielpO1mjORiRfnbzNU7kGZrZ7XaeHgz5g/s2048/File_018.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdFo7nplKNfuBPRoC8P4PQ7OaL2911f6abGlni9Jh1cfF2MYrbAQ1sja7PKg9N2SBWAzY7gxkFSr6_sTnZySKo00VdLD8XTuoIyN0hLk2bLielpO1mjORiRfnbzNU7kGZrZ7XaeHgz5g/w400-h400/File_018.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>It turned out to be a mix. Some of the seedlings I pulled had enough roots for transplanting, but some didn't. I already pulled them out of the soil, though, so into the ground they went. At least I planted extras of everything, so if one dies, I'll just replace it. Ideally, though, you want your seedlings to have lots of roots, which usually comes after it's gotten a few leaves.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtP-hCawV7QTMkREezfOuscciqpoYXpkqguKfTMc9M1j9XjPgBnQ9TNkIRMdAQGapz5eYVoflkwfUq_uqFLc6ecKxvXwu7JQeCpkm8RcxaOgfrMuzKbit4wc-EqqLiuM6KhrhW2oZS58/s2048/File_010.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtP-hCawV7QTMkREezfOuscciqpoYXpkqguKfTMc9M1j9XjPgBnQ9TNkIRMdAQGapz5eYVoflkwfUq_uqFLc6ecKxvXwu7JQeCpkm8RcxaOgfrMuzKbit4wc-EqqLiuM6KhrhW2oZS58/w400-h400/File_010.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I planted tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. The tomatoes and peppers went into the brick bed I built last month. I had built it nice and tall, so I filled it in with a mixture of peat moss, vermiculite, and compost before planting the tomatoes and peppers. The compost will provide nutrients for my new plants for now. The cucumbers went into an older bed, so I mixed in some organic fertilizer before planting and mulched with a little Black Kow composted manure for good measure.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibqPiTRpcWca3FZBJRx_amQD1NYGvH7B9xUkxuEHV9DmbSnFVlZ-tLM_w3x-Yd_0nRbCLjEnVpD1UYUuS73SbozO9V6AGH8RWq_1_OsctseELzurBUsRaVdeLyprxvhRVf0MizL3Iw9Q/s2048/File_006+%25283%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and my one 5-year-old strawberry plant" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibqPiTRpcWca3FZBJRx_amQD1NYGvH7B9xUkxuEHV9DmbSnFVlZ-tLM_w3x-Yd_0nRbCLjEnVpD1UYUuS73SbozO9V6AGH8RWq_1_OsctseELzurBUsRaVdeLyprxvhRVf0MizL3Iw9Q/w400-h400/File_006+%25283%2529.jpeg" title="Potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and my one 5-year-old strawberry plant" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and my one 5-year-old strawberry plant</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuXjDrgk_oickytcUGF7StbI1RS5QpZKKxj8qdQgkB45efUqtfdHK41XpdLsPUWD962OsMDpzAlwEbsFlrYuHfFPOvkeb6r1WINnNLmhMiV3PLKbDEW2k7jqjjKRigxXiu5gr5ayyxQ8/s2048/File_007+%25283%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuXjDrgk_oickytcUGF7StbI1RS5QpZKKxj8qdQgkB45efUqtfdHK41XpdLsPUWD962OsMDpzAlwEbsFlrYuHfFPOvkeb6r1WINnNLmhMiV3PLKbDEW2k7jqjjKRigxXiu5gr5ayyxQ8/s320/File_007+%25283%2529.jpeg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tomato seedling</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8IbvcTVkmXg5eUsdvIGfkU-Pvf9m1f1jx0-2W3JIFpznD5DAaI_PkDQ7v6U3jz-u-HUKFTYZ2oeEb3YBnlDL6TPASzhCDQdDuwd8cS3rFDv8IR5GN2rp92NjTcKsYcqP6gw81B_cHX4/s2048/File_012.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8IbvcTVkmXg5eUsdvIGfkU-Pvf9m1f1jx0-2W3JIFpznD5DAaI_PkDQ7v6U3jz-u-HUKFTYZ2oeEb3YBnlDL6TPASzhCDQdDuwd8cS3rFDv8IR5GN2rp92NjTcKsYcqP6gw81B_cHX4/w400-h400/File_012.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cucumbers and fertilizer</div><br /><div>This is my first time trying to grow cucumbers, but from everything I read, it seemed like they're easiest to grow vertically. I spaced them a foot apart, and then tried to figure out what to use for a trellis. I looked at several different things online before I decided I would just use some extra trellises I had at home. I don't know if they're tall enough, but at least they're free. As an added bonus, my trellis would also help me contain my asparagus shoots that were flopping everywhere. Now I feel fancy!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenppzTLJGWufGNd3HiSigKkkcH9upZr9cEMfWH9OxOQ78Iye7q0g7xyk6EmW1lFKlJDaqktf8Inu89iiK-f-WALYkDkqY21KbzXdBLMER07Cz3wczrlhtD7iCAuniGkC20_cFzSewuJQ/s2048/File_015.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenppzTLJGWufGNd3HiSigKkkcH9upZr9cEMfWH9OxOQ78Iye7q0g7xyk6EmW1lFKlJDaqktf8Inu89iiK-f-WALYkDkqY21KbzXdBLMER07Cz3wczrlhtD7iCAuniGkC20_cFzSewuJQ/w400-h400/File_015.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Peas, cucumbers, and asparagus</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the excitement of trying to figure out what to use for a trellis, I think I forgot to water in my cucumber seedlings after planting. Even though the soil was damp from recent rain, and scattered showers were forecasted that day, it wasn't enough. By the next day, my cucumbers looked just about dead.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5RlM6tJ8tqKukKpcvOWs2jFAKH8AcvbMiGYp0CKSYucAi_F4v8Pn8w_lxvdLajeIrYZh23URZCRj1-542exotuoQx-XP1ak60g-ore6926EdG43Kwh5aY8XFw772xAk8fk2vDV1Pdz0/s2048/File_020.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5RlM6tJ8tqKukKpcvOWs2jFAKH8AcvbMiGYp0CKSYucAi_F4v8Pn8w_lxvdLajeIrYZh23URZCRj1-542exotuoQx-XP1ak60g-ore6926EdG43Kwh5aY8XFw772xAk8fk2vDV1Pdz0/w400-h400/File_020.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I gave them a good soaking, and then babied them with water twice a day when temperatures jumped into the high 80s a couple of days later. They don't look like the healthiest specimens, but they're still alive at least. I'm thinking once they get established they'll grow new leaves and look just fine.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I also planted zinnia seeds this past week! Last year I planted some zinnia seedlings a friend gave me outside my window, and I was pleasantly surprised to see hummingbirds feeding on them. I'm planting even more this year just for the hummingbirds.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR566E9lDsmJhO2gXrcK84utMQEso7XPVoOtUFEBXZ2eb9FiKCQAR5a3EXipCnKAY3dEDkeLrmXeuZqLwwjx51xoJZ_IL1d30hRPrCHmTKAdD9qSP7gWcBeuI_HN-OT8AV8z-vTtSK_4/s2048/File_017.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR566E9lDsmJhO2gXrcK84utMQEso7XPVoOtUFEBXZ2eb9FiKCQAR5a3EXipCnKAY3dEDkeLrmXeuZqLwwjx51xoJZ_IL1d30hRPrCHmTKAdD9qSP7gWcBeuI_HN-OT8AV8z-vTtSK_4/w400-h400/File_017.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, the only thing you can count on in Middle Georgia is that the weather will change... After a couple of hot days, the weather turned a little cooler again. The lows even threaten to jump down to 39 this week! At least my peas and potatoes are happy. I'll just bring my seedlings back inside for a couple of days if it turns out to get that cold.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Enjoy this weather while you can!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpEchJJeVNlUwXwUSkGvwF-in252b9Nui6ABwGiYfChHaUFmsiVlP8VfxVfsThWtSS1I7aIHrWndsu9RTespS3onhQvXWTiTIS5zl8vtxjdSkYYrKiXLE58HxXExYan-8qx3OJ9B2E34/s1195/File_000+%25288%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1195" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpEchJJeVNlUwXwUSkGvwF-in252b9Nui6ABwGiYfChHaUFmsiVlP8VfxVfsThWtSS1I7aIHrWndsu9RTespS3onhQvXWTiTIS5zl8vtxjdSkYYrKiXLE58HxXExYan-8qx3OJ9B2E34/w400-h325/File_000+%25288%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My roses certainly like this weather.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-67377419370512771432021-03-21T18:32:00.002-07:002021-03-22T08:57:20.959-07:00Building a New Raised Bed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4QzSMTR5PfsLSgLRyVCOmYIOzxV5Enl2jOdBbofXg_pMxmpnqME4bdCDQIWdoB0Ew9iLSbfGIHhy2m2S0yc7H-LwsQpCg4mkd8IOaI4wuL-QxpqlF0Ef1dPtWRFlBH13_6IdD0sRfT4/s2048/File_000+%25283%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4QzSMTR5PfsLSgLRyVCOmYIOzxV5Enl2jOdBbofXg_pMxmpnqME4bdCDQIWdoB0Ew9iLSbfGIHhy2m2S0yc7H-LwsQpCg4mkd8IOaI4wuL-QxpqlF0Ef1dPtWRFlBH13_6IdD0sRfT4/s320/File_000+%25283%2529.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator"> As I mentioned in <a href="http://gardenonboulevard.blogspot.com/2021/02/getting-ready-for-spring.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, a little over a month ago I came home from the hardware store with 112 bricks and good intentions. My original wood beds have long since decayed into a poor semblance of a border, and my husband really wanted to replace them with long-lasting brick beds instead of wood that rots in a few years.</div><p>My husband and I are not huge DIYers. After a little research on Pinterest, I decided a loose brick bed was a good compromise. Even if my husband wanted to learn how to lay mortar, loose brick was less permanent and easier to throw together without any experience. If I didn't love how it came out, we could always take it apart.</p><p>Also, what I got from Home Depot wasn't actually brick. Technically it's just cement blocks dyed a reddish color. It's what was easily available to experiment. If I decide we have a future as bricklayers, I can always hunt down real brick later and redo the beds.</p><p>As if building with brick for the first time wasn't hard enough, I decided to make it more complicated by trying to line my new brick bed with an underground fence to keep voles out. I really didn't want voles killing most of the plants in my new raised bed like they did last year. The internet says voles won't dig deeper than a foot, so I got hardware cloth and cut it to the appropriate width.</p><p>If you want to build a loose brick raised bed, there are definitely easier ways to do it than how I did it! Needless to say, even with consistently nice weather, it took a few weekends to complete. First we had to build a trench at least a foot deep around the existing bed. Since I had gone through the trouble of filling my bed with the perfect mix of sand, compost and top soil originally, I wanted to keep that intact as much as possible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_N-Zec53z7lJyre6kbq3sA64fP3ljGrrOKCZl6OzPvWAYqUJZ2b1lPfpgV0FDqDvXHHZPxXXQKaNWFY0fo3ISJXevMe00ZAZaO4i0EfkjaZ68v67Mnx-giDXe0bkmy1Nekl7klVmUDQ/s2048/File_003.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_N-Zec53z7lJyre6kbq3sA64fP3ljGrrOKCZl6OzPvWAYqUJZ2b1lPfpgV0FDqDvXHHZPxXXQKaNWFY0fo3ISJXevMe00ZAZaO4i0EfkjaZ68v67Mnx-giDXe0bkmy1Nekl7klVmUDQ/w400-h400/File_003.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19Bz3m_RmTChVoK3feyrUc9N6EaUP3oxHlB18CUq-kxNtDGpTh0SRBhE2UtOGBduylbQVewqiVnUeqTLnjFThdXFBRfpGPm_LaUPzX1rtQnTVncQqK5ND0moIOs8kYgg2_Vf_R08jnHM/s2048/File_005+%25285%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19Bz3m_RmTChVoK3feyrUc9N6EaUP3oxHlB18CUq-kxNtDGpTh0SRBhE2UtOGBduylbQVewqiVnUeqTLnjFThdXFBRfpGPm_LaUPzX1rtQnTVncQqK5ND0moIOs8kYgg2_Vf_R08jnHM/w400-h400/File_005+%25285%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div></div><p>Then, I had to try to snip pieces of hardware cloth with wire cutters into sides for my "fence," and attempt to flatten out wire that had lived its life rolled up in a circle. After flattening it more or less, I used the wire that wrapped up the roll originally, cut it into small pieces, and used the pieces to attach the sides securely together. That also took a while...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWr1R_4LGyJnFa0AE_mnqQ0iIElObGjdUx32uMvJSEqIXaNFCpSsAlTVFRZ3BdSebVkoRpZkYrh6EG8VnZwaqS15KTEP0kMHnc73pgR4XrJRU9yEYSYbwPKybCuF-q_js17SCM52TKKE/s2048/File_002+%25285%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWr1R_4LGyJnFa0AE_mnqQ0iIElObGjdUx32uMvJSEqIXaNFCpSsAlTVFRZ3BdSebVkoRpZkYrh6EG8VnZwaqS15KTEP0kMHnc73pgR4XrJRU9yEYSYbwPKybCuF-q_js17SCM52TKKE/w400-h400/File_002+%25285%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I tried to make calculations and take measurements and dig in the right spots, but let's just say that in the end I did not get a perfect square fence to go inside my brick walls. We made it fit, though.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyJz8agb3IQ5VhPJG4pcQOqye1bvhApd3dnwuatdbT_63yvQ8JQHKh0lvK-F-Zv_f-LJC0sgPM3nFDeTLvuLpjiNDknCI2995dsOdNsiHikdxJ9R7AHSuvGMw35uI1ASYi0tSvsQuZaw/s2048/File_007+%25281%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyJz8agb3IQ5VhPJG4pcQOqye1bvhApd3dnwuatdbT_63yvQ8JQHKh0lvK-F-Zv_f-LJC0sgPM3nFDeTLvuLpjiNDknCI2995dsOdNsiHikdxJ9R7AHSuvGMw35uI1ASYi0tSvsQuZaw/w400-h400/File_007+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I actually made my hardware cloth 15" in height, tried to get it evenly 12" deep all around, and then left a few inches above the trench that would go inside the brick walls of my new raised bed. I wanted to leave a little overlap so little voles couldn't, say, burrow between the hardware cloth and the brick. I didn't want it so high, though, that the hardware cloth would stick up and scratch me every time I pulled weeds.</p><p>After it was satisfactorily in place, we filled the trench in most of the way, while still leaving a trench 3" deep all around. Now it was time to actually start on creating a brick raised bed. We filled the shallow trench with builder's sand (it took about 3 50 lb bags). Then, I put the leftover rotted boards of the old border to use. I laid one down on top of the sand. I laid a level on the board to make sure my sand was more or less level (especially since we're building on a slight hill) and adjusted by hand as needed. Then, I used a small mallet to compact it down. I don't know if my system was perfect, but it was cheap.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKNevA3KSf0PWsc8vwfMdSn5K0m0_B8ubEIc3KhOJ8erVwGdcH8ncTDr60jFAy5xQfeS4pIlf8QDZ_rrwP197Xe2NB86gTrJypP6svvKU5eTVaobDiY9B3N_sW0XNGgzu16Lta5ZkPO8/s2048/File_008+%25281%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKNevA3KSf0PWsc8vwfMdSn5K0m0_B8ubEIc3KhOJ8erVwGdcH8ncTDr60jFAy5xQfeS4pIlf8QDZ_rrwP197Xe2NB86gTrJypP6svvKU5eTVaobDiY9B3N_sW0XNGgzu16Lta5ZkPO8/s320/File_008+%25281%2529.jpeg" /></a></div><p>Finally, we started laying the bricks out on the sand. This is where we learned our square wasn't perfect. On two sides the bricks had to be placed tightly against each other, and on the other two the bricks had to be spaced slightly, one more than the other. That was the only way the bricks would fit around the hardware cloth. This annoyed me at first, but in the end I decided it was probably close enough. At least we're not building a house here.</p><p>After putting down the first layer, I went around again with the board and the mallet, tamping the bricks into the sand. Finally, I stacked the rest of the bricks, staggering them as I went. This was the easiest part of the whole thing. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCORxwb0r-px3HdmcEWtBJ585xZ4ZcFm7U_XRFyjB_oSZAhE6dd1L0pNlxivBFJg_OnVGC8qJ8KJhINQi69_b6-JJbVsPBolUF_uxBPm57U5QrghR2TLJkGa07kJ_7jvcvEebR6Jd7GI/s2048/File_001+%25285%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCORxwb0r-px3HdmcEWtBJ585xZ4ZcFm7U_XRFyjB_oSZAhE6dd1L0pNlxivBFJg_OnVGC8qJ8KJhINQi69_b6-JJbVsPBolUF_uxBPm57U5QrghR2TLJkGa07kJ_7jvcvEebR6Jd7GI/s320/File_001+%25285%2529.jpeg" /></a></div><p>I did not pull the level back out after that, it would just make me crazy. I actually sat on my little brick wall to finish pulling the rest of the weeds out of my bed. The bricks shift a little, but it holds, which isn't bad for a cheap, easy project. I just have to fix the bricks periodically. If I had young children, I wouldn't want to leave the bricks loose, they would just get knocked around all the time. If I still like it next year, I might try taking it apart and putting it back together with construction adhesive like my friend suggested.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lEFiicusD_QVARmxGxEiwK0GIDLGIzpp2dL-Lx-_KOUXPKxvxun53zS5PtIoESkEJq2JnicfmWzwfipffSx5Vo8s2dQkvp7KcJVXz0XLEhmO8NWqngldm49OKw-44OiOrsOX2IKEt6g/s2048/File_005+%25286%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lEFiicusD_QVARmxGxEiwK0GIDLGIzpp2dL-Lx-_KOUXPKxvxun53zS5PtIoESkEJq2JnicfmWzwfipffSx5Vo8s2dQkvp7KcJVXz0XLEhmO8NWqngldm49OKw-44OiOrsOX2IKEt6g/w400-h400/File_005+%25286%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I also planted potatoes this weekend! They were such a success <a href="http://gardenonboulevard.blogspot.com/2020/03/return-of-garden-on-boulevard.html" target="_blank">last year</a>, I couldn't wait to plant them again this year. I cut up some pieces last weekend with the intent to plant them in the grow bag and ran out of time. I hope they're not too worse off by sitting out for a week. Half of them went in the grow bag. The other half I ended up planting in my newly vole-proofed raised bed. I added a bag of composted manure to my bed after I finished the wall and mixed it in. It was just the right depth to start the potatoes. As the potatoes sprout and grow, I'll finish filling the bed with more compost and soil mix. </p><p>It definitely looks like spring these days. (Yesterday was the first official day of spring, after all!) The seeds I planted indoors last month are looking really good. Well, except for the basil--I need to try again now that it's warmer. The spring flowers are emerging in my garden, too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7NrnG_VmPcGFfn5EidZlDFSUGihCvXtSrrF_8qhdXJexOU526AO24bwJnuGurQPNOIpv6IwoTgAtBMcw8pbFe5mITnHP0ZqtaCEsTgHu0WLU1wsXNQTO7MdFA8ymRO8niDI1OVOFLrU/s2048/File_000+%25281%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7NrnG_VmPcGFfn5EidZlDFSUGihCvXtSrrF_8qhdXJexOU526AO24bwJnuGurQPNOIpv6IwoTgAtBMcw8pbFe5mITnHP0ZqtaCEsTgHu0WLU1wsXNQTO7MdFA8ymRO8niDI1OVOFLrU/w400-h300/File_000+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YvMZCiMixqtHwLnQ85hBMWQ9XaaPZZZ__pLN2JCRFs8yw-1suoZ8AeIZvtv3JwJBx3q22vPrAuw22MiBzJE5HDWpKDzclmkVBmsR95SdD4uXqPPkDcmPYEgxMSOJVRCFsXfkXD3hF5M/s1353/File_001+%25286%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1353" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YvMZCiMixqtHwLnQ85hBMWQ9XaaPZZZ__pLN2JCRFs8yw-1suoZ8AeIZvtv3JwJBx3q22vPrAuw22MiBzJE5HDWpKDzclmkVBmsR95SdD4uXqPPkDcmPYEgxMSOJVRCFsXfkXD3hF5M/w400-h319/File_001+%25286%2529.jpeg" title="Phlox" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I planted this phlox several years ago so it would bloom pink during cherry blossom season.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMx0G2cwm_-WCLth3L9U6V_f3IaZPkHjq0b1ZAflEYNAHlpMNPb6as9I4du1eNGBNyS8ilHSWgVICbsT3IJZ99Ec33AiEXPALRDU9k4eYQ5t1blSCGVLMGVYMkYuOChFe5vkxwGdX975c/s1388/File_000+%25286%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="1388" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMx0G2cwm_-WCLth3L9U6V_f3IaZPkHjq0b1ZAflEYNAHlpMNPb6as9I4du1eNGBNyS8ilHSWgVICbsT3IJZ99Ec33AiEXPALRDU9k4eYQ5t1blSCGVLMGVYMkYuOChFe5vkxwGdX975c/w400-h330/File_000+%25286%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My blueberries are getting pollinated!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZFQBxKWWV-8f_82cooTFC-hW89pGsUeip2wt72NP9NpxSI9aBuE7JJgFWfZMIZkSXe27L07sAZnWCB4Z9RfmTnkDmAKcrjsTS65OZGAgFT9arD74zgufzSReB4OYKAoM5CviCEvOyZ0/s1382/File_002+%25287%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1382" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZFQBxKWWV-8f_82cooTFC-hW89pGsUeip2wt72NP9NpxSI9aBuE7JJgFWfZMIZkSXe27L07sAZnWCB4Z9RfmTnkDmAKcrjsTS65OZGAgFT9arD74zgufzSReB4OYKAoM5CviCEvOyZ0/w400-h313/File_002+%25287%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cherry blossom tree bloomed right on time this year.</td></tr></tbody></table>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-85949595799850059362021-02-14T14:31:00.004-08:002021-02-14T14:37:16.167-08:00Getting Ready for SpringIt's been a particularly cold winter, with very few of those pleasant warm days that are usually sprinkled throughout the season here in Middle Georgia. The last few days, in particular, have seen rain seemingly nonstop. Today the temperature won't even get above 45. For someone who grew up in South Florida, that's unbelievably cold!<div><br /></div><div>In the years I've lived here in Georgia, I've learned that as much as I dislike the cold, it's the grey skies that are the worst. Just give me one sunny day in February, and I'll start acting like it's a perfect spring day in April, no matter how cold it is. That was the case last Sunday.</div><div><br /></div><div>My husband laid down for his usual Sunday afternoon nap, and I started getting the itch to plant things. It was the perfect time of year to plant spinach and peas from seed, after all. Of course then I remembered that the wood around my raised bed was in need of repairs, so off I went to the hardware store for supplies. To make a long story short, I ended up coming home with 112 bricks, all because the sun came out.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EDQIqGg3LZ0qB7kwNAjJQreCox9cwyirhJeXx08QiI2NUnVbhmt8T5g89VgxhwUsKi1Mli7ClZKSEMzgmb04PPjBQf7o3rJX6pMYz5QiUaTw32I34b_Zh9gGaoFIe-UMQzRnBPblsb0/s2048/File_001.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EDQIqGg3LZ0qB7kwNAjJQreCox9cwyirhJeXx08QiI2NUnVbhmt8T5g89VgxhwUsKi1Mli7ClZKSEMzgmb04PPjBQf7o3rJX6pMYz5QiUaTw32I34b_Zh9gGaoFIe-UMQzRnBPblsb0/w400-h400/File_001.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>By the time I finished loading and unloading all those bricks, it was too late in the day to work on anything else, so they're still sitting there waiting for another nice day. I've never tried building a raised bed out of bricks, but it doesn't sound like a quick project from the research I've done. I decided not to let a cold, wet weekend stop me from working on other garden projects today, though. I got most of my vegetable and basil seeds started for transplanting outside in April.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuhyphenhyphenfs-bhOvtN6qaJd2n8eAcfGuXAKxWykDebk__5mKdqN7F_CDlDraoE7YEj_0ukQ_P-mV-O0nS4p6vVemS5zKlBnxQa5Jybi7dU5-R6RwfnzL-TkHxlRSskgauqYKRDPRElaZr8o-c/s2048/File_003.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuhyphenhyphenfs-bhOvtN6qaJd2n8eAcfGuXAKxWykDebk__5mKdqN7F_CDlDraoE7YEj_0ukQ_P-mV-O0nS4p6vVemS5zKlBnxQa5Jybi7dU5-R6RwfnzL-TkHxlRSskgauqYKRDPRElaZr8o-c/w400-h300/File_003.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>This year I'm growing 'Muncher' cucumber plants, 'Bonny Best' tomatoes, 'Burrell's Special' tomatoes, 'Granadero' tomatoes, 'Jedi' jalapenos, 'Mellow Star' Shishito peppers, Sweet Chocolate peppers, 'Nufar' Italian basil, and 'Red Rubin' purple basil. Plus, for a friend I'm starting Lime Basil and 'Orange Hat' tomatoes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last year I felt like my seedlings took forever to get big enough to transplant--way past when I normally get my summer vegetables in the ground. But I'm planting seeds a couple of weeks earlier this year. I think last year I was unplugging my heat mat at night, which probably wasn't a good idea. I'll leave the heat mat plugged in 24 hours a day until they germinate at least, and hopefully that will speed things up. I actually bought a little indoor thermometer before I started my seeds to satisfy my curiosity. Even though our house is 68 degrees during the day, that spot by the window where I start my seeds doesn't get above 64 degrees when it's this cold out. I commandeered a spare meat thermometer, which confirmed that the soil for my seeds is a nice 74 degrees with the heat mat on. Since the heat mats say they will raise the soil temperature 10 degrees, that's right where it should be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6AQftSeSLViGCiBTFh5WJ-0iaLyFHYSI7Xyi9BZT90pYJYesqCNMEONoXt2szEIfGrEwxxFoUzIbhxrS-0ZS56WZnoy48O0THyCHKiIQyOz_g_iPY7SNiD2d-y7_A7vwc7SY0tdmquM/s2048/File_004.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6AQftSeSLViGCiBTFh5WJ-0iaLyFHYSI7Xyi9BZT90pYJYesqCNMEONoXt2szEIfGrEwxxFoUzIbhxrS-0ZS56WZnoy48O0THyCHKiIQyOz_g_iPY7SNiD2d-y7_A7vwc7SY0tdmquM/w400-h400/File_004.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I decided to grow some extra plants this year with plans to give them away later. I don't necessarily have anyone in particular in mind for most of them (which is unusual for me, since I usually have a plan). But the popularity of sharing seedlings last year inspired me for this year. This way at least I'll be prepared if an opportunity presents itself.</div><div><br /></div><div>I took advantage of a break in the rain today to plant some spinach seeds. I'm not sure how long it's going to be until my raised bed is ready for planting at this rate, but I imagine spinach will do pretty well in a container since the plants don't get huge. The seeds were just leftover from years ago, so even if they don't thrive, it's fine.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9vWmknUbGy8nTWckbybYg_crO0zATFEHJh1v4A8GzbEDi6RxNQ07qwHdTuBvrhtiwXmEdF2Q2GPWywTa5fGTYxO1nxDfJRZsXqwvLZ2DkpfJsnEILoVx8g3HmpwkfJ5bRUyBs1EnbyM/s2048/File_002.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9vWmknUbGy8nTWckbybYg_crO0zATFEHJh1v4A8GzbEDi6RxNQ07qwHdTuBvrhtiwXmEdF2Q2GPWywTa5fGTYxO1nxDfJRZsXqwvLZ2DkpfJsnEILoVx8g3HmpwkfJ5bRUyBs1EnbyM/w400-h400/File_002.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I ended up having to make another hardware store run this weekend when I ran out of plant labels for my seedlings. Apparently even on a cloudy day that's dangerous for me this time of year. I couldn't say "no" this adorable little houseplant sized banana plant. Even if I'm not in the Sunshine State, at least I can enjoy a little bit of the subtropics indoors until the weather warms up.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIfxPa4d7elAn5w9I4EihwKklVrnUxOOLVUZ2UD8uSCjKHgIFVlbRg_arWLBL5JTW2h-VhSeSmLlb35DDbEEkwJeApHzh0Dexd4XAl-aLlBL1X2_W5OkKhfh1ij9WdLMwjYpeJcJFmDU/s932/File_000.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="932" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuIfxPa4d7elAn5w9I4EihwKklVrnUxOOLVUZ2UD8uSCjKHgIFVlbRg_arWLBL5JTW2h-VhSeSmLlb35DDbEEkwJeApHzh0Dexd4XAl-aLlBL1X2_W5OkKhfh1ij9WdLMwjYpeJcJFmDU/w400-h400/File_000.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>At least the camellias are blooming right now, even if everything else is waiting for warmer temperatures.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwPgoGEl8vayEbK5ZdRDoBCf3zzsQ_2D4mjo5d0LaWPwrMq7FmAWJ-4XRYmDNYDHhvN6SwAyqv5nR37GFFWsavoagtkG68cmCO_eh11reEVx1uYpWJbvd15AhZFwxue6Nj4SflrysgNo/s965/red+camellia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="965" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwPgoGEl8vayEbK5ZdRDoBCf3zzsQ_2D4mjo5d0LaWPwrMq7FmAWJ-4XRYmDNYDHhvN6SwAyqv5nR37GFFWsavoagtkG68cmCO_eh11reEVx1uYpWJbvd15AhZFwxue6Nj4SflrysgNo/w400-h344/red+camellia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-49921692086377491592020-06-28T12:23:00.001-07:002020-06-28T12:23:46.201-07:00Fruits of My LaborI'm not a gardener who likes to spend hours in the yard every day. Maybe that will be me one day, but for now I try to plan for the level of work I know I am willing to put in. Summers in Georgia are HOT. So I have a system. I work hard in April when the weather is perfect. I spend hours preparing the soil for my vegetable beds, pulling weeds, fertilizing, and planting. In May, I pull weeds, watering plants, and maybe some planting or fertilizing I didn't get to in April. In June, I keep watering things, pull the occasional weed, and expect to spend most of my time harvesting. Because when July hits, my plants will be lucky if I water them. It's just too hot.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_8UNqThFM0RekUfOsB5yYC_4xG6a4qNcYX7thTyBTmNEnVXEDxHbPRRASlarPAhiXN08-Vf3IgAKLw6aV_pbHilMuS2VCDuh5jQQZLHlnUgaIavdf22KEVpQQwLp-Q8YzURWx9UGMWk/s1439/DSC_0752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1439" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_8UNqThFM0RekUfOsB5yYC_4xG6a4qNcYX7thTyBTmNEnVXEDxHbPRRASlarPAhiXN08-Vf3IgAKLw6aV_pbHilMuS2VCDuh5jQQZLHlnUgaIavdf22KEVpQQwLp-Q8YzURWx9UGMWk/w400-h300/DSC_0752.jpg" title="My harvest last weekend" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My harvest last weekend: mint, blueberries, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and beans<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>It's been a pretty good year so far, in spite of the critters. Voles killed a third of my bean plants by eating the roots. Deer ate all the leaves off the remaining bean plants last month. But the bean plants bounced back somewhat and still gave me a few beans. It's really only enough for one person for one dinner, but hey, at least they look pretty. (I grew purple beans and yellow beans this year.)</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAw1-31C9-t_LHnPb4hEJ6p1fYDLGCPQMYjDpRkmGJD5Yp0BhQfUR9K7Y-LoFqRis-UE58lF75St-C_MgF7hOon_12-wJX1GyOyBoEG2nbH5ey4FZpqf2K6MDnWVc61DJFJ_NqukwARQ/s3024/IMG_7813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyAw1-31C9-t_LHnPb4hEJ6p1fYDLGCPQMYjDpRkmGJD5Yp0BhQfUR9K7Y-LoFqRis-UE58lF75St-C_MgF7hOon_12-wJX1GyOyBoEG2nbH5ey4FZpqf2K6MDnWVc61DJFJ_NqukwARQ/w400-h400/IMG_7813.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My harvest this weekend: beans, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, and a Shishito pepper<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Our fence is only five feet tall, so the deer could jump over it if they really wanted to. Our deer are too lazy for that, though. After I made sure the gate stayed closed, they didn't touch the beans again. They did, however, strip the leaves off of the jalapeno plants in a pot right behind the house. Originally I started planting a couple of peppers near the house (where it's a little shadier) in case the deer got the peppers up by the vegetable garden. The deer generally don't get that close to our house. Since we got the fence, though, I guess I should just keep all of them behind the fence.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEhyafO7Y3tUVuNJO_Sp7_HAn7gTvSg7RF5ROdOIvVKgf5izheakFi2aJyqBDMkebwN31JJMbnSSCrmTtYdPt9PDk89NdNPF-yHJo57G5zqmd_Z22EFm9hnvU-DjW3gRMmohQaixYdX8/s2036/8A89EA04-13AA-4B3B-806D-F0757D57F1D0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2026" data-original-width="2036" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEhyafO7Y3tUVuNJO_Sp7_HAn7gTvSg7RF5ROdOIvVKgf5izheakFi2aJyqBDMkebwN31JJMbnSSCrmTtYdPt9PDk89NdNPF-yHJo57G5zqmd_Z22EFm9hnvU-DjW3gRMmohQaixYdX8/w400-h398/8A89EA04-13AA-4B3B-806D-F0757D57F1D0.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cardinal eating blueberries on my patio<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I also have to share my harvest with the winged critters. This one cardinal, in particular, thinks he owns everything around my patio. One day I was sitting in my living room and noticed him looking at the me from an evergreen branch outside our window. I saw him jump down, so I walked to the window to get a closer look at what he was doing. Sure enough, he had flown over to one of my small blueberry bushes. He paused and stared at me. I banged on the window to try to scare him off. He just stared back brazenly as he took his blueberry, and then left. I even saw him sharing a bush with his girlfriend one day.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tWngmOSVv9c6CVAqHVlnwFl6jV4IBoOwUgOuJX9y3xjt_EinK4Rldg8vXKT2P0c-sR_xf38EsXUAwX9ULwrwzMWAYUzbz-6XM73HSkDrYA0HRzkjXZrzGe-ulGrqEOA1YKfYFk4tPF8/s3024/IMG_7752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tWngmOSVv9c6CVAqHVlnwFl6jV4IBoOwUgOuJX9y3xjt_EinK4Rldg8vXKT2P0c-sR_xf38EsXUAwX9ULwrwzMWAYUzbz-6XM73HSkDrYA0HRzkjXZrzGe-ulGrqEOA1YKfYFk4tPF8/w400-h400/IMG_7752.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I've started going out every couple of days to pick the ripe blueberries, and it turns out there's still plenty of berries left for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>While blueberries and beans are at their peak right now, a couple of other vegetables are just becoming ready to pick for the first time.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje7GTWgmHVtEY7CwPW2at7yG5hiSoYjxjhnBEdnmN2tSPt6wRCyd2ZM55IHjZxiHPZnscc8OCs0VNl8glBw7TEx0tys97utQ7WF0i_wU_SD_2sqaH6mxP4mdJNVnhqdS3F_6RGkW2KXM/s3024/IMG_7816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhje7GTWgmHVtEY7CwPW2at7yG5hiSoYjxjhnBEdnmN2tSPt6wRCyd2ZM55IHjZxiHPZnscc8OCs0VNl8glBw7TEx0tys97utQ7WF0i_wU_SD_2sqaH6mxP4mdJNVnhqdS3F_6RGkW2KXM/s320/IMG_7816.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div>I picked the most perfect looking 'Cherokee Purple' tomato today. I love the flavor of this heirloom tomato. It's not particularly sweet, but the flavor is rich and deep, so unlike a grocery store tomato. I picked it just a tad underripe--with a little bit of that reddish/purplish color coming in. If I let it go until it's fully ripe, it usually starts getting rot or bugs digging into it. I'll leave it on a windowsill to ripen, and it should be perfect in a day or two.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmVasaF6pb8o-1p-t2JjC8S7Ij6X7jOhweQ0MyS_C5ZUA_JWI-SSIzG28_HTUXiKoj_NC1qmHkxyAfyUjySQTSVUTzdNbQzdi4YNM5ztQQvK_9av9oQoRmckkIo0eAKofsG1354SX5NM/s3024/IMG_7705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmVasaF6pb8o-1p-t2JjC8S7Ij6X7jOhweQ0MyS_C5ZUA_JWI-SSIzG28_HTUXiKoj_NC1qmHkxyAfyUjySQTSVUTzdNbQzdi4YNM5ztQQvK_9av9oQoRmckkIo0eAKofsG1354SX5NM/s320/IMG_7705.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I also have a new variety I'm growing this year. I planted Shishito peppers from seed early in the year, and now they are big, lush plants. I picked the first one this weekend, but there are a couple more that should be large enough to pick in a few days--and several babies coming behind them! I am quite pleased with how they've turned out. Shishito peppers are delicious sauteed or roasted, but still not common in grocery stores. We've only been able to find them when we are visiting Whole Foods in larger cities. I was afraid they would be hard to grow or whither under our heat. Instead, they seem as easy to grow as jalapenos. I think they will end up being a staple in my garden every year!</div><div><br /></div><div>You know what I haven't mentioned yet? Zucchini. I'm just not sure I wake up early enough to grow zucchini. I've had a few female flowers from my one plant, but they always just end up withering on the vine. It's a pretty sure indication that they aren't getting fertilized, but by the time I wake up and wander outside, the flowers are all closed up. Also, I'm pretty sure the voles are tunneling in my zucchini roots--the plant went from thriving to wilting every afternoon, with a tell-tale hole right beside it. The odds are not in my favor for harvesting zucchini this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Vegetables aren't the only things I planted this year! Here's a shot of the coneflower I added to my flower beds this spring. It's finally getting established.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsOW7s9j9XzAulKaAoxo5JKcRx1fyoePtdgS9QP4GZdWMvJKh-ELRPOXlPuHWG2QgVg1roH4fEMV70cdFr3TTZ-DcJ7GDTAVKGuBKIu9uR5tHyNJKMSq_Q05ZZszuYlcBrTBf7IhWiaU/s2048/DSC_0762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="2048" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsOW7s9j9XzAulKaAoxo5JKcRx1fyoePtdgS9QP4GZdWMvJKh-ELRPOXlPuHWG2QgVg1roH4fEMV70cdFr3TTZ-DcJ7GDTAVKGuBKIu9uR5tHyNJKMSq_Q05ZZszuYlcBrTBf7IhWiaU/w400-h309/DSC_0762.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'PowWow Wild Berry' coneflower with roses<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-42580478376085354692020-06-14T12:43:00.000-07:002020-06-14T12:43:34.579-07:00Harvesting Potatoes, Part 2Last weekend I harvested potatoes from my grow bag, but this week I dug into the potatoes planted in the ground.<br />
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I planted them a week later than the ones in the bag, so I figured they would need another week to mature. I didn't wait quite a week--I ended up digging into them when I got home from work Friday evening.<br />
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Like the first ones I planted, the plants in the ground had started to yellow a few weeks ago. By the time I dug them up, some of the stalks were completely dead.<br />
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I figured out several weeks ago that I had a vole problem. I had seen a few tunnels and holes in my yard for many years, but I never bothered to figure out what they were because they didn't seem to bother my plants. Until now. Back in April, I saw a hole emerge where I had planted my beans, followed by some seeds not sprouting at all, and others being eaten from underground after they got a few inches tall. I've never seen the voles, but with enough Googling, all signs pointed to voles.<br />
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So what does this have to do with my potatoes? While I was researching voles, I learned that voles ALSO love to eat root crops like potatoes and carrots. Since then, I have been so nervous about my potatoes in the ground. Would they survive the voles?<br />
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Well, the good news is, more than half of my potatoes were untouched by the voles! (What can I say, I'm a glass-half-full kinda girl.)<br />
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I carefully dug into my potato trench with a gloved hand and began feeling around for potatoes. With my other hand, I used a dull plastic trowel to gently shovel excess dirt into a bucket. Fortunately, these weren't planted quite as deep as the ones in the grow bag.<br />
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In the end, I harvested about the same amount of potatoes from the ground as I did from the grow bag, which, I admit, was a little disappointing. I planted three times as many potatoes in the ground as I did in that grow bag, and prepping that trench was a lot more work than just pouring potting soil in a bag. On the other hand, planting them in the ground was probably a lot cheaper.<br />
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If I plant them in the ground again, though, I'm going to have to find a way to either discourage the voles, or keep them out all together by building an underground fence.<br />
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Here are the potatoes that the voles got into. Apparently they really like the large ones, and they only eat about half of the potato and just leave the other half to rot underground.<br />
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After I pulled the potatoes, I had a bare spot in my veggie bed begging to be filled, and some spare plants needing a more permanent home.<br />
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I planted 'Galapagos' tomato seedlings that were a gift from a friend. It's probably not quite enough space there for another tomato plant, but I really didn't have another space to put them. The internet tells me they are more heat tolerant than most tomatoes, so I was really excited to try them. My tomato plants usually fizzle out in July--I would love a tomato that can still bear fruit in July and August.<br />
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I also planted some extra basil seedlings that I didn't know what to do with. After all, what goes better together than tomatoes and basil?<br />
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Unlike my potatoes, my lemon verbena is thriving at the moment! It just came into bloom this week. The tiny blossoms aren't very showy, but I think they're pretty. They're edible and smell sweet and lemony, like the leaves.<br />
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I planted it about two years ago, and it's getting huge. Everything I read says it can grow into a six-foot-tall shrub. It was hard to imagine when I brought the cute little six-inch-tall plant home from the garden center two years ago. It's about three feet tall now!</div>
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The<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-new-southern-living-garden-book-southern-living/1130062615" target="_blank"> Southern Living Garden Book</a> has a wonderful description of lemon verbena: "it's the herb that grew like a gangling shrub in grandmother's garden. When you read of the 'scent of verbena' in novels of the antebellum South, this is the plant being described." Not being from the South myself, Southern culture always fascinates me, and I'm happy to have a little piece of the "South" in my Georgia garden.<br />
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I read you can use lemon verbena in place of lemon zest in recipes, but I haven't tried it. If you're reading this and have any experience cooking with lemon verbena, please share your tips with me!<br />
<br />Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-60944196014619022342020-06-06T14:42:00.003-07:002020-06-06T14:48:57.340-07:00Harvesting PotatoesI was so excited to harvest my first potatoes this morning!<div><br /></div><div>The successful treasure hunt was a much-needed mini adventure during a year with a little less traveling than normal.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had never grown potatoes before, but I had always wanted to. When everyone was freaking out at the groceries stores back in March, it seemed like a good a time as any to cross it off my gardening bucket list. The <a href="https://gardenonboulevard.blogspot.com/2020/03/return-of-garden-on-boulevard.html">first ones</a> went into a grow bag a friend had given me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone thinks gardening requires some magical trait called a "green thumb," but I've found a green thumb is earned, not given. I read as much as I could about growing potatoes before planting them, but without any actual previous experience, I wasn't sure what to expect. My plants started off growing fast and getting huge. Then some storms came through, and the lush stalks flopped over--at least the ones in the grow bag.</div><div><br /></div><div>The thing about potatoes is, not only were they completely new to me, but they were also covered in eighteen inches of soil. I could see what the tops were doing, but the important part was far out of sight. I just had to have faith that they were making potatoes down there. The suspense was killing me!</div><div><br /></div><div>Then the leaves--and even some of the stalks--started to turn yellow and brown and die. I started Googling, but with no good answers. Yellowing leaves can either mean they are almost ready to harvest...or that they have a fungal disease that kills the entire plant. Everything said they would flower before they were ready to harvest, but I hadn't seen even a hint of blooms. I tried sticking my hand down in the soil to feel for potatoes, but all I could find was dirt and stalks.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZAw6g0HUnKN81bEXiMl8AXyn1EQZaTcvd2k8JlxjHFefbupKkbYNHjYU9IS1N9Ja2Us3GJZlbLCz-nCmOqW0AIxaXldWYeWN_AS5JBTsdmDhTX6ysuuW5EeB1rERaVsjcc3bToEBuGY/s4032/IMG_7414.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZAw6g0HUnKN81bEXiMl8AXyn1EQZaTcvd2k8JlxjHFefbupKkbYNHjYU9IS1N9Ja2Us3GJZlbLCz-nCmOqW0AIxaXldWYeWN_AS5JBTsdmDhTX6ysuuW5EeB1rERaVsjcc3bToEBuGY/w300-h400/IMG_7414.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>By this morning, a couple of the stalks had rotted completely. I was afraid somewhere underground, my potatoes would start rotting too. I decided it was time to take the leap and starting digging everything up.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I dug down to the bottom of the bag, the mysteries of potatoes were finally revealed to me. I struck gold! 'Yukon Gold,' that is.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nYQPl98rqmwiuHd4dfkXdO_CsspWlNDncvdQiFVgTzqYXJFGc1yRjXnWWbzgSaaI_FhWJUH4RXHIJAe1l7WreJxjBA6j80vA1iCqbNNmvpYsM9oZCl2MDwUYTQ1hLBEUC1WC1f5DyrA/s3024/IMG_7418.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nYQPl98rqmwiuHd4dfkXdO_CsspWlNDncvdQiFVgTzqYXJFGc1yRjXnWWbzgSaaI_FhWJUH4RXHIJAe1l7WreJxjBA6j80vA1iCqbNNmvpYsM9oZCl2MDwUYTQ1hLBEUC1WC1f5DyrA/w400-h400/IMG_7418.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFIsCTvYN8_FRBGrLBPqcVyKHviUA9vDz1Q9d_5lL6co7OdUdzSah85R2yGGSvGQZP23sz1jY3EiWGi7RlNZISfYeca5xG_0-cR6mcJQQjU8bEUpTtyNVK07isuVQ-_lAXqgL27QGSSE/s3024/IMG_7415.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFIsCTvYN8_FRBGrLBPqcVyKHviUA9vDz1Q9d_5lL6co7OdUdzSah85R2yGGSvGQZP23sz1jY3EiWGi7RlNZISfYeca5xG_0-cR6mcJQQjU8bEUpTtyNVK07isuVQ-_lAXqgL27QGSSE/w400-h400/IMG_7415.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Having confirmed that there were, indeed, potatoes hiding at the very bottom of the bag, I decided to dump the whole thing out to get a better look. Of course I wanted an easier time finding the potatoes, but I also wanted to answer my burning questions: how DO potatoes grow? What is happening underground?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji73d_tZjl2eDNJ8H8LAhdqPXE_PICsETOrj_AvrbdXlozS4SiWJIATKwRnMcPLhr8tVqgq3BinVE4yuzTUGi5AB63KfsCLqmU9H21AYRHJQ_AyyPL_MfczTMM2bwhYh6Qzffa8OKXz74/s3024/IMG_7416.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji73d_tZjl2eDNJ8H8LAhdqPXE_PICsETOrj_AvrbdXlozS4SiWJIATKwRnMcPLhr8tVqgq3BinVE4yuzTUGi5AB63KfsCLqmU9H21AYRHJQ_AyyPL_MfczTMM2bwhYh6Qzffa8OKXz74/w400-h400/IMG_7416.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHvEj6aOd_BVEYcj_6o1hwcM7iMQcyw44F_g_3PnrHZ-xaDnQ4i6s0dgeJ3XOBX2AmWIfe_z1y5c-aE8ozlNz6Nvt9QLePVCvjxT7NL9ThatmhHh-J2VnzCp8hFWUr7InrLAEKGVSilM/s3024/IMG_7423.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHvEj6aOd_BVEYcj_6o1hwcM7iMQcyw44F_g_3PnrHZ-xaDnQ4i6s0dgeJ3XOBX2AmWIfe_z1y5c-aE8ozlNz6Nvt9QLePVCvjxT7NL9ThatmhHh-J2VnzCp8hFWUr7InrLAEKGVSilM/w400-h400/IMG_7423.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>When I planted the potatoes, I planted cut up chunks of potato with an eye or two that some growth coming out of it. Well, just about every eye--even the ones that didn't look like much--ended up having a stalk and some fibrous roots growing out of it. Some of the stalks were stronger than others, depending on the size of the eye. As the stalk and the roots grew, they basically fed off the original potato chunk--it just turned to liquidy mush with a skin left behind. A little bit above that, new potatoes formed along the base of the stem. The large potatoes readily tumbled here and there in the dirt, but there were a few tiny baby potatoes still stuck to the stalks. It just took a little twist to free them.</div><div><br /></div><div>The larger potatoes took a little more effort to find. You have to be gentle with the potatoes to avoid accidentally cutting or piercing them. I carefully sifted through the dirt with gloves to try to find the remaining potatoes like buried treasure. I read somewhere that you'll get three to five potatoes for every potato piece you plant. Considering it was my first try, I was pleased with the eighteen I found in my bag of soil from only five pieces.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrM4vFSwOViPDk6r8Zik94oMksPsYCLMTZoQYmwIg0wW1_IlbDOze7HtYeiemyXAf_S47e_rwAYTSpM2DxEFmV23oLUaoaWlkrfDe5B7hnut6zoLS7BZlbGV89P3rPgWa8hkM5re3xI2g/s3024/IMG_7422.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Potato harvest" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrM4vFSwOViPDk6r8Zik94oMksPsYCLMTZoQYmwIg0wW1_IlbDOze7HtYeiemyXAf_S47e_rwAYTSpM2DxEFmV23oLUaoaWlkrfDe5B7hnut6zoLS7BZlbGV89P3rPgWa8hkM5re3xI2g/w400-h400/IMG_7422.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIP0OLax6wrJhH3VwWKNqqs-C00rmwwWhjwzmEWDycwLAeoS-kWna-Xmc9N_eDGl7tYPHHYnX6mYCIiFXNdBIDcNpGK4XoyVuObqvSXSmXTka5vipfbMeVZACIYgFfAIZmXzQzRk8_-I/s1620/DSC_0658.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIP0OLax6wrJhH3VwWKNqqs-C00rmwwWhjwzmEWDycwLAeoS-kWna-Xmc9N_eDGl7tYPHHYnX6mYCIiFXNdBIDcNpGK4XoyVuObqvSXSmXTka5vipfbMeVZACIYgFfAIZmXzQzRk8_-I/w400-h266/DSC_0658.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Next weekend I will dig up the potatoes I planted in the ground and see what I find!</div>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-13371334993473397462020-05-27T19:41:00.000-07:002020-05-27T19:41:26.715-07:00Peppers, Potatoes, and Cherry TomatoesMy vegetable garden has changed a lot in the past month!<div><br /></div><div>A couple of weeks ago I planted the pepper seedlings I had started from seed. They were a little slow going this year. I started them around the 1st of March, but even by late April I wasn't sure they were ready to transplant yet. Then I realized I didn't have enough pots or potting soil, so I had to make a supplies run (and figure out curbside shopping). But they're finally planted.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLUbfa8snaFGNUSc8BTHAhzF8sTZxJAO1ZbUs84J3ASoUbqOmBZASFtnU9QL66ShXqvarR4sNHuHHm3qtmwjt48abaDzSsfim5uWJvOw2ipFB5vCuFONExjLdd4AEMBgQbvQiEMDwwHg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="2048" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLUbfa8snaFGNUSc8BTHAhzF8sTZxJAO1ZbUs84J3ASoUbqOmBZASFtnU9QL66ShXqvarR4sNHuHHm3qtmwjt48abaDzSsfim5uWJvOw2ipFB5vCuFONExjLdd4AEMBgQbvQiEMDwwHg/w400-h279/DSC_0490.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFeFcB2Dyw5fLSV9PNvxTs-XUGAHe79U9Nhonu-tR7FxoacrlEdqfbMZpsuSPFmHQnqNk0KreGk5APO22CIYpYucaDjBYpDq0xPg75pgtUOdr6jrm0twb9ICDu5wrDrlhpxMNtQWEyYs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="2048" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFeFcB2Dyw5fLSV9PNvxTs-XUGAHe79U9Nhonu-tR7FxoacrlEdqfbMZpsuSPFmHQnqNk0KreGk5APO22CIYpYucaDjBYpDq0xPg75pgtUOdr6jrm0twb9ICDu5wrDrlhpxMNtQWEyYs/w400-h296/DSC_0491+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>My husband loves peppers and experimenting with different ways of using them. In addition to cooking with them, he has also pickled them and made his own hot sauce. Most winters I hand him the seed catalog and let him pick out what varieties of peppers he wants me to grow that year. Usually it's jalapeno peppers and then something weird. This year's seeds ended up being 'Mellow Star' Shishito peppers and a jalapeno variety called 'Jedi'. (He's a Star Wars fan. I had to.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPDrEn7p2dXzLKSPQRbVAPB7ZMcCLbAYbw8I2YwWX-Dr6u-y2_0xYyuvq40M8fFu-loBvuSQYcc4rVOs3SL8clTGEwELPjJi_eJhBbuqK7vgaq8MHeH1yQlfacNE9qFMYz3KN_FJHFkc/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPDrEn7p2dXzLKSPQRbVAPB7ZMcCLbAYbw8I2YwWX-Dr6u-y2_0xYyuvq40M8fFu-loBvuSQYcc4rVOs3SL8clTGEwELPjJi_eJhBbuqK7vgaq8MHeH1yQlfacNE9qFMYz3KN_FJHFkc/w400-h266/DSC_0493.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcR3BcTZtNB8g68OT6UuqDA1T0d5bo_V77AVGiqYT66btMppXng6kVto8DU3t9UG8XT-xQ37SPe2AFcTwtzJPNQ9fsiXYSHSqIo2nNRSagmcl7WG58Ey1maoYJUcur69jeO2KxHY6zW4/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1479" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcR3BcTZtNB8g68OT6UuqDA1T0d5bo_V77AVGiqYT66btMppXng6kVto8DU3t9UG8XT-xQ37SPe2AFcTwtzJPNQ9fsiXYSHSqIo2nNRSagmcl7WG58Ey1maoYJUcur69jeO2KxHY6zW4/w400-h291/DSC_0495.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>We've found from experience that hot peppers really thrive in large pots. Jalapenos, especially, love heat and sunshine. We've also learned that deer love pepper plants. So I started planting a large pot of each pepper variety and putting them out near the vegetable beds where they get lots of sun (but are more vulnerable to deer). The I plant a pot of each close to the house where they don't get as much sun (but where the deer will definitely leave them alone). That way, I'm guaranteed some measure of success.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmdUmqnZqpwaqaeuM6HvlQyi2FcZ1KP6ZW30khwobFd9l8niTZ0teDaRFImyWdZN0Rff1dUaG9QKeCKzQz5Wk5CjmBMtRVk5Kx57OXwe4QEKv5cwhLvTAwTxXW1spVUjKKp7CcsUEgAs/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1436" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmdUmqnZqpwaqaeuM6HvlQyi2FcZ1KP6ZW30khwobFd9l8niTZ0teDaRFImyWdZN0Rff1dUaG9QKeCKzQz5Wk5CjmBMtRVk5Kx57OXwe4QEKv5cwhLvTAwTxXW1spVUjKKp7CcsUEgAs/w400-h300/DSC_0497.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>What little I could find on growing Shishito peppers suggested that they are used to cooler climates. I fear they won't tolerate our long, hot summers like jalapenos do. My vegetable and herb beds were pretty much full, but I found one space near the chives where I could make room for a Shishito pepper plant. Since the soil would be cooler in the ground, I am curious to see if that plant does any better than the ones in the pots. What can I say--the scientist in me is always collecting data.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to peppers, I also started basil from seed this year. I had a ton of old basil seeds of various varieties from previous years--some as much as 5 years old. The germination rate goes down the longer they sit around, so I wasn't sure how many plants I would actually get. But I decided to clean out my seeds and just plant ALL of the basil seeds and see what happened. I ended up with a few more plants than I knew what to do with. I finally cleared a spot near the chives to plant a few, and just potted up the rest in small nursery pots I had, to either keep or give away.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzDAwZNX-pJaiTdgpE-H8hKEsn-15ESYgsGZ2KhUOno1RKaLB8HTslUOq9dKuUxdkT2KbCCJiDERZ6jQ_mpQG-rKAnakXo_h0bJBQdtkhakXrrS8TAIn8d34f5QyIB541vQdQ4Kg0Og4/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzDAwZNX-pJaiTdgpE-H8hKEsn-15ESYgsGZ2KhUOno1RKaLB8HTslUOq9dKuUxdkT2KbCCJiDERZ6jQ_mpQG-rKAnakXo_h0bJBQdtkhakXrrS8TAIn8d34f5QyIB541vQdQ4Kg0Og4/w400-h300/IMG_7286.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile...boy have the other vegetables grown! The potatoes, especially, have kind of taken over.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAf_sDo3yf9GK3macK0Mbv2lBzcfSJPdzWntXSeQSfD1t_Xy0-BsUgKrX3n-SbBH0yNvgl89x3PtfHcJXpcV4ZBA4E7ARqtR58qAmdihZj83mVObdXfZg1JI9PCwBMQ9CFLHPp7KjKso/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1601" data-original-width="2048" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAf_sDo3yf9GK3macK0Mbv2lBzcfSJPdzWntXSeQSfD1t_Xy0-BsUgKrX3n-SbBH0yNvgl89x3PtfHcJXpcV4ZBA4E7ARqtR58qAmdihZj83mVObdXfZg1JI9PCwBMQ9CFLHPp7KjKso/w400-h313/DSC_0498.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers (somewhere under the potatoes), asparagus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX6ienT9_2r7f_8WcTV2f478Fd5LDNORuZIMTC5afTOPxr-cC31rz7mE-NOOcy_GIUKnDXm52Qb7D0umj3KcrVSym8u7kYhNyROZjjMbfLiIL-Df8xFbZ7ySG5ZsgsNr5ccbxWn4HQSM/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1669" data-original-width="2048" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX6ienT9_2r7f_8WcTV2f478Fd5LDNORuZIMTC5afTOPxr-cC31rz7mE-NOOcy_GIUKnDXm52Qb7D0umj3KcrVSym8u7kYhNyROZjjMbfLiIL-Df8xFbZ7ySG5ZsgsNr5ccbxWn4HQSM/w400-h326/DSC_0500.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The asparagus continues to send up new shoots every few weeks!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtHtkI6YuGjFywW8wlL6m1VpcKrUiXqAKDHLt4htBKYDVpnD5E7szjbbTyXjH1CBToDRA4Kz694-blNa02xaEqw0dT0darNyo2-td3SjTNb7emyJrZnqAWjxasP6BTiJFbxH1DC5wdls/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtHtkI6YuGjFywW8wlL6m1VpcKrUiXqAKDHLt4htBKYDVpnD5E7szjbbTyXjH1CBToDRA4Kz694-blNa02xaEqw0dT0darNyo2-td3SjTNb7emyJrZnqAWjxasP6BTiJFbxH1DC5wdls/w400-h266/DSC_0501.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tomatoes are still managing to grow while competing for space with the potatoes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmyiSh5_qTQqKvrn8DrMwJPzcocSeai4UR05Tkh0qlqiHbWLGlaAktw3tiCTuavbb-yW3twSinplvDYrl7nz5yGG-BX_xlsCuoZ8ilLu2xgRLHQflqMX5jGuWO9S7mOnVFAeV5YdKmSw/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmyiSh5_qTQqKvrn8DrMwJPzcocSeai4UR05Tkh0qlqiHbWLGlaAktw3tiCTuavbb-yW3twSinplvDYrl7nz5yGG-BX_xlsCuoZ8ilLu2xgRLHQflqMX5jGuWO9S7mOnVFAeV5YdKmSw/w400-h300/IMG_7299.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I even have baby cherry tomatoes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOMH7vniWc6b0I7eCLfnbTEKCqMZtLy7zfPlD1jCQPb2zJjwClmzJ0Zw71SzHxzhPp5mt-IZhO_NvGK1AhrW6W7XokhZo-nz1KR02ZqMh-msVnAi-U1SD3F7PitCUgy6S3gPEJx2hXNc/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOMH7vniWc6b0I7eCLfnbTEKCqMZtLy7zfPlD1jCQPb2zJjwClmzJ0Zw71SzHxzhPp5mt-IZhO_NvGK1AhrW6W7XokhZo-nz1KR02ZqMh-msVnAi-U1SD3F7PitCUgy6S3gPEJx2hXNc/w400-h300/IMG_7287.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a baby zucchini! Look closely under the giant yellow flower.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Not all of my veggies have thrived this year though. I got a few tiny radishes, but maybe only half of them got large enough to even think about eating. Most of them were on the skinny side. The ones I did pick took about 5 weeks or so to mature. I picked the last of them over the weekend since the heat was setting in.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidnGVrm_ZggUquhZT4eEnbps4KItEWSW1kD8W7UfKAfmRQHt3HYfy-6oHaWvyxkao4beIYIHdnzLOBd7SZN5bHBUl3YQ2D8TxwsjFksGys6OzHkjLWeJpA4hkjF3B0kCXUCvoIRScdWc/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidnGVrm_ZggUquhZT4eEnbps4KItEWSW1kD8W7UfKAfmRQHt3HYfy-6oHaWvyxkao4beIYIHdnzLOBd7SZN5bHBUl3YQ2D8TxwsjFksGys6OzHkjLWeJpA4hkjF3B0kCXUCvoIRScdWc/w400-h320/IMG_7145.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This radish was the roundest of all them--and the pinkest.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>My bush beans have also been a struggle this year. About a third of the plants were eaten from the roots up and killed entirely by something tunneling. The internet tells me I have all the signs of voles, though I haven't seen them in person. The deer found the rest of the plants, and I discovered this scene one morning a couple of weeks ago:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdTVMg6KEkj1mrddbPdI79VytxBZah4dNlr-zxPldtpAfmwKWXsopxvlnvPojsP1cu8advCqKod9VuX97ki3__ktz0h2YyNNsNh12n9B06cmhxQ1cMkCeRPxdJK2FTGOtThJx-xwgQII/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdTVMg6KEkj1mrddbPdI79VytxBZah4dNlr-zxPldtpAfmwKWXsopxvlnvPojsP1cu8advCqKod9VuX97ki3__ktz0h2YyNNsNh12n9B06cmhxQ1cMkCeRPxdJK2FTGOtThJx-xwgQII/w400-h300/IMG_7154.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't think the fence would actually make a difference, or that deer would bother to walk through an open gate. (Our fence is not that tall. Larger deer can jump over if they really want to.) The fact that the bean plants got eaten after I left the gate open one night probably isn't a coincidence, though. I didn't give up on my beans entirely. I kept watering the leafless stalks to see what they would do, and over time they grew some leaves. They're stunted and will never be the same, but I did find a few small beans today!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48xxK6-iNOJE7mCUb7N79UrgAU1acVLPP3aeon97Yqkylb7rA3BfQ-oOIji7oScIVLMLvdGkcyxl2DsV3Z37vqSubrj3tXki3e3H93ihDwOFJSgqggYqYF8Md4B20C6JsS73K5Ixc59Y/" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48xxK6-iNOJE7mCUb7N79UrgAU1acVLPP3aeon97Yqkylb7rA3BfQ-oOIji7oScIVLMLvdGkcyxl2DsV3Z37vqSubrj3tXki3e3H93ihDwOFJSgqggYqYF8Md4B20C6JsS73K5Ixc59Y/w300-h400/IMG_7303.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>All I can say is, I am thankful I am not actually dependent on my garden to feed my family. The world hasn't ended yet, and I can still find food at the grocery store. Anything I can harvest this summer will just be icing on the cake.</div>Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-57014958792334138152020-05-07T19:39:00.001-07:002020-05-28T07:11:42.588-07:00Back to the Cottage GardenWhile I've spent a lot of time on my vegetables this spring, the thing that really got me into gardening was the ornamental part of gardening. I love the beauty of gardens--from the flowers to the shrubs.<br />
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If you read some of my old posts, you'll see I spent a lot of time planting shrubs and perennials during those first couple of years in our house. I wanted a cottage garden look fitting of our English-style cottage. Since they come back year after year, they don't need quite as much attention as the vegetables, but they still need upkeep from time to time.<br />
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I spent much of my last two weekends working on some of the flower beds. I started on the rose bed in the very front. I planted two lavender plants there <a href="https://gardenonboulevard.blogspot.com/2013/05/curb-appeal.html" target="_blank">back in 2013</a>. One of them died last year (or so I thought), so I bought another one. When I started cleaning out that bed though, I found that the lavender plant had started growing back from the nub that was left. I planted he new one in there anyways, hoping to fill out the bed a little more in between the two.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJgRWA0kbR5wU20JVsPDq3gqHwExI8OJmpCzjQvfvOLI9SvyzrXK_RjXJTxHQ6UEBiu7avx3goe2kIIKpDEEmDeZuKFDXeP_TIkarxaXjdDS8Iofs1pRVhjXFfy_c-f1G3HS5ueP3hrI/s1600/IMG_7099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJgRWA0kbR5wU20JVsPDq3gqHwExI8OJmpCzjQvfvOLI9SvyzrXK_RjXJTxHQ6UEBiu7avx3goe2kIIKpDEEmDeZuKFDXeP_TIkarxaXjdDS8Iofs1pRVhjXFfy_c-f1G3HS5ueP3hrI/s400/IMG_7099.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought this lavender plant was dead, and cut it back to a nub. It rewarded me with new growth this spring. Now I just need to keep the oregano from taking over.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLutcQZrAoT7HhsHtYu5a89c0By0aY6bYv9oQ3P1zz5LcfIo6z1HxP16_lS5_1kmYTyCYMQ2-_9-H0xb86tSD2z6nZ1x5KxPNrjYXT3A657LAKcZFf3_FmVps_awkPUvbbBLo-tqT4S0/s1600/IMG_7100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLutcQZrAoT7HhsHtYu5a89c0By0aY6bYv9oQ3P1zz5LcfIo6z1HxP16_lS5_1kmYTyCYMQ2-_9-H0xb86tSD2z6nZ1x5KxPNrjYXT3A657LAKcZFf3_FmVps_awkPUvbbBLo-tqT4S0/s400/IMG_7100.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tucked the lavender plant I just bought back between the two old lavenders.</td></tr>
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A side note about lavender. French lavender is notoriously hard to grow in most of the Southeast. It doesn't like our heat and humidity. If anyone wants to grow lavender here in Georgia, I recommend Spanish lavender--it tolerates the humidity much better. But I liked the look of French lavender better, and somehow, seven years later, it's still alive. I swear I found the right variety and the right location. I bought 'Munstead,' a dwarf lavender variety, from my favorite local nursery. I planted it against a retaining wall along the sidewalk, so it gets plenty of sunshine, good air circulation, and good drainage. The other secret: I water it as little as possible. Most of what it gets is rainfall and whatever runs down the hill. During the hot summer months, I'll water on particularly dry weeks. Somehow that formula has worked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLp7jjkIkQvRTRXZw8jPFd5wNN5KqIVJWtjDOtUcnnV_hMfhEhF6HCTf4g4WMUTo06-J5hJh08YInChKWUB2PEzny9Acseef-i-L6v2F1BZiKRGiwqGgW5E1C0nvOapaH1ZAwdWiiJuU/s1600/DSC_0324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1112" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLp7jjkIkQvRTRXZw8jPFd5wNN5KqIVJWtjDOtUcnnV_hMfhEhF6HCTf4g4WMUTo06-J5hJh08YInChKWUB2PEzny9Acseef-i-L6v2F1BZiKRGiwqGgW5E1C0nvOapaH1ZAwdWiiJuU/s400/DSC_0324.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lavender with the roses</td></tr>
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In my garden I mostly tend to stick to perennials and shrubs, since they're a gift that keeps on giving. However I have a couple of spots in the front where I'll rotate through annual flowers to get an extra splash of color, and I'll usually plant a few in pots, as well. For this summer, I decided on lime green coleus, white fan flower, and this <i>Calibrachoa</i> whose color I just couldn't resist.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9fLZqJFce3NhNzJkfw4kMt8Oo-byymVkZyR0-Gi3GMCqYoaHQ0mYCOxmYzqY5Z0xvAHqnHItqZtoUmcOAQ-RQrqDAVa-gBMeeN1h-ZgQY05O8E8jj8A4cxA2E_DmpQeBy9Y5B8WtSZg/s1600/IMG_7019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9fLZqJFce3NhNzJkfw4kMt8Oo-byymVkZyR0-Gi3GMCqYoaHQ0mYCOxmYzqY5Z0xvAHqnHItqZtoUmcOAQ-RQrqDAVa-gBMeeN1h-ZgQY05O8E8jj8A4cxA2E_DmpQeBy9Y5B8WtSZg/s400/IMG_7019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyFvnzeUdB33YwGilVl5cbkbbhQLaE0t7QkxDTPUXj-_o7bjS9_O41ThRScMOXX4XFQG4m3GyVfFM6tudCUGP7755YKGunueoq7BM8Nsqp9zKKDlBckVPEnZ2gHBrZ2QwMHIsMfbZj34/s1600/DSC_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyFvnzeUdB33YwGilVl5cbkbbhQLaE0t7QkxDTPUXj-_o7bjS9_O41ThRScMOXX4XFQG4m3GyVfFM6tudCUGP7755YKGunueoq7BM8Nsqp9zKKDlBckVPEnZ2gHBrZ2QwMHIsMfbZj34/s400/DSC_0318.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Colorblaze Lime Time' Coleus</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCesmZ5xZaVn4nN5HtLMJpO33aTVU7pyFbnikurFKTPiRFY8IySzJsQwD0bTlfvcH3mEFgQj5kLUrbZNsLtiZ4nOeGDdNeaeW4Ed5HgAVywTOqnkMixL5Eq9AYwptuRet_evZ-zZ2cdQ/s1600/DSC_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCesmZ5xZaVn4nN5HtLMJpO33aTVU7pyFbnikurFKTPiRFY8IySzJsQwD0bTlfvcH3mEFgQj5kLUrbZNsLtiZ4nOeGDdNeaeW4Ed5HgAVywTOqnkMixL5Eq9AYwptuRet_evZ-zZ2cdQ/s400/DSC_0317.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Whirlwind White' <i>Scaevola</i> - also known as fan flower. I liked the upright growth habit of this hybrid.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYowqRzIJLwbYo7wIVhyphenhyphenlPqVkfs12tTFxwchUJX-LNYZB-62_5ROolNHfPo3HqbVcAEAywv0X94r-azeyruPVDz3Y2NCzlSGSz35FKurO4S_FedkWo46XxaDOH2IUdn7ZSV7pmHqqFZc/s1600/DSC_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYowqRzIJLwbYo7wIVhyphenhyphenlPqVkfs12tTFxwchUJX-LNYZB-62_5ROolNHfPo3HqbVcAEAywv0X94r-azeyruPVDz3Y2NCzlSGSz35FKurO4S_FedkWo46XxaDOH2IUdn7ZSV7pmHqqFZc/s400/DSC_0316.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Superbells Holy Moly!' <i>Calibrachoa</i></td></tr>
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I find it hard to find flowers that will stay beautiful through our scorching summers, but I had good experience with coleus and fan flower in the past. Both manage to still look healthy in July and August. The calibrachoa was more of a toss up. Fingers crossed that it makes it. I also changed out one of my planters with a coleus and fan flower, plus this fuschia ivy leaf geranium I loved. Maybe it's because I spent so much time in Florida's Palm Beaches, but I think lime green and hot pink is a great summer color combination.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM81SsGz7yGS6ZS2jQjjj1gYBiGQIciYD0tHUVoeRPbz5mWYceblRdRJ_VskO1r88xY64DfEYoNeUSX89MKHDvbowyem3l2mXrDRGNhsmgLScqBI7NeTNC030SCZ4kQJP4YoM_i9Uucg/s1600/IMG_7034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM81SsGz7yGS6ZS2jQjjj1gYBiGQIciYD0tHUVoeRPbz5mWYceblRdRJ_VskO1r88xY64DfEYoNeUSX89MKHDvbowyem3l2mXrDRGNhsmgLScqBI7NeTNC030SCZ4kQJP4YoM_i9Uucg/s400/IMG_7034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's going to be good year for my roses. I never got around to giving them their annual pruning or fertilizer, but they look as happy as can be at the moment. I think it was because of all the rain we got this winter/spring. They just soaked it up and gave them a nice healthy start to the year. Even when plants look dormant, they're still "growing," it just looks different.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ndYt8RvBy8lVwqa7BE3j8MpL7vhXIEl99Nmdd3hx6lo0fEXrN2-Swv7yViJq77VhfFKDcMDHZUx4NoJZVSEZnF7IIjVmBotLloM_At-ybed7P0e_c2sPhCk4yqY4vDEb_zDHNw0woZc/s1600/DSC_0331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ndYt8RvBy8lVwqa7BE3j8MpL7vhXIEl99Nmdd3hx6lo0fEXrN2-Swv7yViJq77VhfFKDcMDHZUx4NoJZVSEZnF7IIjVmBotLloM_At-ybed7P0e_c2sPhCk4yqY4vDEb_zDHNw0woZc/s320/DSC_0331.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Soaring Spirits' is looking particularly healthy this year.</td></tr>
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Well, my work on the flower beds is far from over, so more on that soon!Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-12718536924265010522020-04-22T08:56:00.002-07:002020-05-28T07:07:43.094-07:00Fighting entropyGardens are a lot of work. And mine, in particular, is continually attempting to return itself to something like a forest. A weedy forest. Cute wooden structures break down over time, and tree seedlings quickly threaten to take their place.<br />
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The compost bin my husband and I built in 2012 is still standing, amazingly. It leans a little bit, and the wooden posts are turning into compost, but the chicken wire cylinder is still upright and full of compost. I add all of our fruit and vegetable scraps to it regularly, as well as leaves from our yard when I start to clean up the garden every spring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LfGjnyLAo-FDbZQAnKcF0wKa9ah83uurqgftC2jTTA2MMa5KDjpQsXwehYu9H0uJgmRz-g1GGgAkKWODVIB_5N7YZxPJS5RriJUtmGbWQ-88-FHCb7to9wrXm14U7PDqpEyj0BmDR68/s1600/blogger-image--805991386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LfGjnyLAo-FDbZQAnKcF0wKa9ah83uurqgftC2jTTA2MMa5KDjpQsXwehYu9H0uJgmRz-g1GGgAkKWODVIB_5N7YZxPJS5RriJUtmGbWQ-88-FHCb7to9wrXm14U7PDqpEyj0BmDR68/s320/blogger-image--805991386.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The compost bin in 2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXWXPcbJWLt9NmzIdFOtJCzB2jNemaNTMuUsn0w6sdKxPZh8lDDsJ7ZiRwfLcGf-PF3KrxwG5aR3hSpCe1aRlcUq5dYllUhWq2lzy-4sO_SxwmXaW1dR1qHvZCuO3iSe_0zCPHjzIZqk/s1600/IMG_6702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXWXPcbJWLt9NmzIdFOtJCzB2jNemaNTMuUsn0w6sdKxPZh8lDDsJ7ZiRwfLcGf-PF3KrxwG5aR3hSpCe1aRlcUq5dYllUhWq2lzy-4sO_SxwmXaW1dR1qHvZCuO3iSe_0zCPHjzIZqk/s320/IMG_6702.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The compost bin in 2020.</td></tr>
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Besides that, though, it's been a little neglected. Sure, if you're a dedicated composter, you'll turn your compost pile regularly with a shovel or pitchfork. But I'm lazy, and not really in a hurry. And, as I said, nature still will break things down over time, whether or not you turn your pile. It just takes a little longer. Since I did so little gardening last year, I didn't have much need for compost. Even when I am gardening, I probably produce more compost than I have use for.<br />
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So over time, all that rich, mature compost just sat at the bottom of the pile. I needed more soil to pile up over my potatoes, so I decided to substitute my compost in pinch. It's something in between soil and mulch, so I hoped it would serve the purpose well. When I tried to pull some out from the compost bin, though, I found something like tree roots had made themselves at home there. It was clear my compost was overdue for some attention. So I lifted up the chicken wire and went to town pulling out thick roots of all kinds. After that I took a shovel to the top and tried to break up and stir up the leaves and twigs I had added. It should be much happier now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OtCzgvxr3kIe2yDt8QDjEo0oKCumGQvriY8fOGSYxdpJukb1WMqWrCB8oHUM9ZB0lb15wjG0XgYHwsf4yIP8tpyKvwTKH0voSxrfcU2XY9_TiYOqyI4EhtYYgnBXBeewt08SY5oDDjY/s1600/IMG_6700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OtCzgvxr3kIe2yDt8QDjEo0oKCumGQvriY8fOGSYxdpJukb1WMqWrCB8oHUM9ZB0lb15wjG0XgYHwsf4yIP8tpyKvwTKH0voSxrfcU2XY9_TiYOqyI4EhtYYgnBXBeewt08SY5oDDjY/s320/IMG_6700.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looked like a tree was trying to grow UNDER the compost?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhst2ep4EhLBRjyoE5jCYhfVQMMRASclGJbHHh24YUsx1F5ukb6lsgD03sV1baSAy1mrFqYpSy3boA9_9tOnygNRMPFpbas8JlMEBZzZQ5w-3wRO30c_E4abQ19ySxNevkEu5woYWdS9Ts/s1600/IMG_6701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhst2ep4EhLBRjyoE5jCYhfVQMMRASclGJbHHh24YUsx1F5ukb6lsgD03sV1baSAy1mrFqYpSy3boA9_9tOnygNRMPFpbas8JlMEBZzZQ5w-3wRO30c_E4abQ19ySxNevkEu5woYWdS9Ts/s320/IMG_6701.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And more roots in the compost pile....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4m2focplOIGGbNuz8xfjdLRorwuidFlGB5OH4DrSOWZo-C2J1H47MtxK3BB4S5lcNmiWPRiZhBjkvjbpuBHGYH75jPNM9EUeh20M3Tnz29tobUWg3_mn9x8B-AAWDUGvKNEF91ZpoMS4/s1600/IMG_6706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4m2focplOIGGbNuz8xfjdLRorwuidFlGB5OH4DrSOWZo-C2J1H47MtxK3BB4S5lcNmiWPRiZhBjkvjbpuBHGYH75jPNM9EUeh20M3Tnz29tobUWg3_mn9x8B-AAWDUGvKNEF91ZpoMS4/s320/IMG_6706.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much better!</td></tr>
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Roots aside, I was still able to get two buckets of compost out of my pile, and covered up my potatoes as best as I could.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqXDk7D4VjAATiPlfPYmaRnr0YVKYhY2ZSTyKRpda9cTbiJnSiownEJVTdN3Zv_V2pSaa7Aco4C3NwYwbWbW0G2BydcDqu_Ttl5co1fwoV888nBXPLGVqNG-59aG_WYS0SZqoYvWi0Y8/s1600/IMG_6696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqXDk7D4VjAATiPlfPYmaRnr0YVKYhY2ZSTyKRpda9cTbiJnSiownEJVTdN3Zv_V2pSaa7Aco4C3NwYwbWbW0G2BydcDqu_Ttl5co1fwoV888nBXPLGVqNG-59aG_WYS0SZqoYvWi0Y8/s400/IMG_6696.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My compost is somewhere in between soil and mulch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Iib0XPOHSkpOE1oX_MxuhJbYqdXCeP5BZATUX-8xXt0cIi_aZKSDI50qC9fb1qtU55J9UA0FUkAtthjqPIZb5j9Njx1KGKCKOpC6abVe1vjSg-gfB4_UySCo3jwoUOnUsMlwLisxzjc/s1600/IMG_6704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Iib0XPOHSkpOE1oX_MxuhJbYqdXCeP5BZATUX-8xXt0cIi_aZKSDI50qC9fb1qtU55J9UA0FUkAtthjqPIZb5j9Njx1KGKCKOpC6abVe1vjSg-gfB4_UySCo3jwoUOnUsMlwLisxzjc/s400/IMG_6704.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little potato hill after adding compost to my potatoes</td></tr>
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My next project was the mint bed. I wish I had gotten a before photo, but frequently I just notice things and start working on them and then only think about getting a photo when I'm halfway through. Basically, it didn't look like a mint bed anymore. It was mostly oak seedlings, oxalis, and other weeds. I was amazed to discover there was actually still mint growing in there when I looked closely.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUGeJZjXWH2aKF5uJbjOiZnF5EJUfTcXpNlhpdy6wc__Ej1t3eg00zbaieICCSLpgGteFhCrgNHQMhncwJD13NUM-pCcQRc-Vvxr_GIMyHqN498mj8-gWWc4GTqnH8QsPL7ZVgjnj7Ls/s1600/IMG_6707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUGeJZjXWH2aKF5uJbjOiZnF5EJUfTcXpNlhpdy6wc__Ej1t3eg00zbaieICCSLpgGteFhCrgNHQMhncwJD13NUM-pCcQRc-Vvxr_GIMyHqN498mj8-gWWc4GTqnH8QsPL7ZVgjnj7Ls/s400/IMG_6707.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This once was a raised bed full of spearmint...halfway done removing the weeds.</td></tr>
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I thought I would just mow the whole thing down, but I was afraid the tree seedlings would find a way to grow back. (Also, there's a large ant pile living in there.) Since there actually was some mint in there, too, I decided to take a more surgical approach. I pulled up the oxalis by hand and used a shovel to dig up every tree seedling. With the mint roots being much more shallow than the oak roots, I thought it might survive the process. (And if not, oh well--I was ready to give up on all of it anyways.) When I finished, I gave the mint a good watering to help it through the trauma.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6q42-NGnogGl9YHkhSPRFf6fDC6tpgypeMizUUUkjE5wuaDwam215JB2JJ7oTND0z2kCvbIjiCCoMuUnXqW9iRHeq-otOXEojAb59CmLFDkFviFTdf-R5nWE_ZUfC1e5bTaxbdhe5yU/s1600/IMG_6767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6q42-NGnogGl9YHkhSPRFf6fDC6tpgypeMizUUUkjE5wuaDwam215JB2JJ7oTND0z2kCvbIjiCCoMuUnXqW9iRHeq-otOXEojAb59CmLFDkFviFTdf-R5nWE_ZUfC1e5bTaxbdhe5yU/s400/IMG_6767.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not pretty, but weeds are gone! Don't let that mint fool you--it could fill that entire bed by the end of the summer.</td></tr>
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Weeds aren't the only thing flourishing in my garden, though! Can you believe how much my potatoes have grown since my last post? And my potatoes in the grow bag have grown into a small shrub! Even the chives are flowering this week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLc80TXHCJzfET86XP2eg1GAhpvtKauZhkX-CxtXbWcH2JaH6kXMOo1hDQrvl07UXCd5A2-Amc2_AOZcpPJIZ-mzgq-Mo2XtS0DH1W1jHSFbFJGxizpNmXwtwJ_I7zufxLxSpGJyPLlk/s1600/IMG_6711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLc80TXHCJzfET86XP2eg1GAhpvtKauZhkX-CxtXbWcH2JaH6kXMOo1hDQrvl07UXCd5A2-Amc2_AOZcpPJIZ-mzgq-Mo2XtS0DH1W1jHSFbFJGxizpNmXwtwJ_I7zufxLxSpGJyPLlk/s400/IMG_6711.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, asaparagus</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieR0v5I7lqgAl0gNJsn95tv1fadOEun7YzRMWCJr3RPFdlJ2CspYicLdqkCssX4ahQCjP5Vskd4uuX45c39KUoBO_Zsxz19hBsZZINNh-WGOHgFP4U0orypmSHzA1bFGNb_A9TvNRdfZo/s1600/IMG_6708+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieR0v5I7lqgAl0gNJsn95tv1fadOEun7YzRMWCJr3RPFdlJ2CspYicLdqkCssX4ahQCjP5Vskd4uuX45c39KUoBO_Zsxz19hBsZZINNh-WGOHgFP4U0orypmSHzA1bFGNb_A9TvNRdfZo/s320/IMG_6708+%25281%2529.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato bush</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykl_CI04HGt0vL2AOfDNPN3B_691h3RaF75Nybb41q1oMK7JZ0DEdp5cTwvdS4ss6WNZ6eQdAQDGCjPNMSP4yKgVHgMB9lFJLLZL25g1edZ2l38bN4y_UHE8sJOMw_FO8riuADPnTPDM/s1600/DSC_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1326" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykl_CI04HGt0vL2AOfDNPN3B_691h3RaF75Nybb41q1oMK7JZ0DEdp5cTwvdS4ss6WNZ6eQdAQDGCjPNMSP4yKgVHgMB9lFJLLZL25g1edZ2l38bN4y_UHE8sJOMw_FO8riuADPnTPDM/s400/DSC_0205.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chives in bloom</td></tr>
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<br />Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-12092622829462190342020-04-13T07:31:00.002-07:002020-05-28T07:06:49.198-07:00Planting complete...for nowIn spite of the pollen trying to kill me, I finally finished planting my vegetable beds over the past two weekends.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, asparagus</td></tr>
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The first weekend, all I had the energy for was to plant one lone zucchini plant (it's there next to the strawberry plant in front of the beans). I fortified my defenses against the allergies and planted the bell pepper plants a few days later. This past weekend I planted the tomatoes and two more rows of beans.<br />
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By the way, I know the wood around our raised beds is kind of falling apart, please don't judge. We had grand plans to redo them and make them sturdier this year, but that was before we had to limit our shopping trips and stay home due to a pandemic. So this year's motto is reuse and make do. The plants don't mind and still grow just fine.<br />
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The potatoes I planted in the ground finally got tall enough for me to cover them up--which meant I could move the pile of dirt back into the potato row, making room to plant the tomatoes.<br />
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The potatoes had gotten quite weedy--I must have established my beds at the perfect time for all that weed grass seed to sprout--but it was okay since I was going to be piling six inches of soil on top of the weeds. Potatoes live, weeds die. Problem solved!<br />
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I planted two varieties of tomatoes. I kind of lost my mind when I went plant shopping this year. I planted two of a cherry tomato variety called 'Sweet Million' that I've pretty sure I've grown in the past. The upside of cherry tomatoes is that they're very prolific and seem to get very few diseases or pests. The downside is that the plants get HUGE. If you had something tall enough for them to climb, they would get nine feet tall. I planted them on the ends of the row so they would have more room to spread out, and planted two 'Cherokee Purple' tomatoes in between. The upside of Cherokee Purple tomatoes (an heirloom variety) is that they are DELICIOUS. I love all fresh tomatoes, but Cherokee Purple is probably my current favorite for flavor. The downside is that they tend to get diseases and insects in my garden, so I don't get to harvest very many. Hopefully the two varieties will balance each other out.<br />
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My beans sprouted this past week! They like all the rain we've been getting. It's easy to tell the two varieties apart--the purple bush beans, 'Royal Burgundy', have purple stems, while the yellow bush bean plants are completely green.<br />
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The radishes are getting bigger! They've graduated from little tiny seedlings to have real leaves. So far, so good.<br />
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I picked my first strawberry of spring. It was tiny but full of flavor!<br />
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One flower coming into bloom this week: my 'Sunset Cutie' gaillardia that I planted last spring. This perennial seems to bloom all the way from April to December here in Georgia. It's drought tolerant and attracts butterflies, so it's a winner in my garden.Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-91389743306725661342020-04-01T15:19:00.002-07:002020-05-28T07:09:46.028-07:00When Change is GoodSometimes people are surprised to learn that I don't like change. Change is hard. And there have been a lot of changes to my life that are out of my control these past couple of weeks.<br />
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My garden, though, is a wonderful reminder that change doesn't have to be bad. During this time of year, my garden is changing constantly! I take daily walks to see what has sprouted, grown, or bloomed.<br />
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Like these potatoes. On the one hand, the potatoes in the ground still look like a pile of dirt. Fortunately, though, I planted some in a grow bag a week earlier, and they're giving me a run for my money. You would not believe how fast the plants are growing! I already need to cover them up with more soil.<br />
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Aaaaand, my asparagus crowns started sprouting! Isn't baby asparagus amazing and adorable?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJobxxzRsZcjyN8W1xNRFqvWMk_6U9_u198Lz_GGZNou9cEiQUswZv7hplZYqZXOGlObAzXrfa5rOxTt7msnZPIWhddZZtU_TQIDTOJeU40R3IgOhAHjALWrIUB3iqeBy8duGTWitU3d0/s1600/DSC_0920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1081" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJobxxzRsZcjyN8W1xNRFqvWMk_6U9_u198Lz_GGZNou9cEiQUswZv7hplZYqZXOGlObAzXrfa5rOxTt7msnZPIWhddZZtU_TQIDTOJeU40R3IgOhAHjALWrIUB3iqeBy8duGTWitU3d0/s400/DSC_0920.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First asparagus sprout</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asparagus sprout a few days later. That's what happens to asparagus if you don't pick it and eat it.</td></tr>
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The radish seeds I planted last Monday emerged within a few days. They're looking quite healthy. If you like radishes and instant gratification, I highly recommend growing them. But if you live in Georgia plant them today. They don't like the heat. And be prepared to water them constantly. I didn't have a spot in my garden planned for them, but they don't take up much space. I just pulled up a small patch of weeds next to my lemon verbena and planted them there. In theory I should have radishes by the end of April.<br />
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Some of my flowers also came back into bloom this week.<br />
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Over the weekend I prepped my second veggie bed and planted bush beans. I chose a purple variety ('Royal Burgundy') and a yellow variety ('Goldilocks') because those have generally been more prolific for me than regular green bush beans. And they're prettier. A couple of years ago I had grand plans for a strawberry bed there, but most of the plants died (I learned a lot about growing strawberries in the process, though.) So that's why there's one lone strawberry plant in the middle of the bed. I didn't want to disturb it.<br />
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Fortunately it's not freezing this week, but we are getting one last cold snap before the warm weather is here to stay. After we start getting more consistent warm weather, then I'll plant my other heat-loving veggies like tomatoes and peppers.Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-73134160873686501482020-03-24T18:44:00.001-07:002020-05-28T06:47:30.615-07:00Return of the Garden on BoulevardI can't believe it's been almost 6 years since I last updated my blog! Like many people this spring, I decided to plant a big vegetable garden. I plant veggies every year, but I planted hardly any last year. Current events, however, gave me the motivation I needed to plant lots of veggies and try new things. I may regret all of it when the heat of summer hits, we'll see...<br />
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With the new gardening enthusiasm, I wanted to return to my blog for the same reasons I started it:<br />
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<li>to keep a journal of what I did and what worked (and what didn't) that I can refer to later</li>
<li>to assist other gardeners looking for examples or advice.</li>
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So, back to the garden. I've always wanted to grow potatoes, and I decided this was the year to finally try it. The local hardware store had seed potatoes, and one of my favorite kinds at that: 'Yukon Gold.' Asparagus was also on my gardening bucket list, so while I was there I bought a bag of asparagus crowns purely on impulse. You only live once.</div>
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My research told me I needed a little over 3 lbs of seed potatoes to feed my husband and I, so a 5 lb bag seemed perfect. I cut up a couple into large pieces, making sure each piece had at least one healthy looking eye--these eyes already had nice little green buds coming out of them. I told a friend of my plans, and she gave me her <a href="https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/potato-grow-bag-instructions/7099.html" target="_blank">potato grow bag from Gardeners Supply</a> that she wasn't using. I read the directions online, and the first 5 pieces went into the grow bag with whatever leftover potting soil I had around and a handful of fertilizer (potatoes like a lot of fertilizer). I planted the potatoes shallow, but as they sprout I'll cover them up with a little more soil bit by bit until the bag is full.</div>
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The rest of the potatoes were going in the ground with the asparagus--a much bigger ordeal.</div>
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I mostly use the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Square-Foot-Gardening-Revolutionary/dp/1591865484/" target="_blank">Square Foot Gardening</a> method developed by Mel Bartholomew. I've been fond of it since I got my grandfather's copy of the original book from the 1980s. But over the years I've learned to adapt it to my own preferences and to our Georgia climate. I had a 4' x 4' bed that I put in a few years back with "Mel's mix," but it was covered in weeds and one giant ant hill from a winter of neglect. After clearing out the uninvited guests, I enriched it with a couple of bucket fulls of compost from my compost pile and a bag of composted cow manure. It took a couple of hours to prepare the bed, but good soil preparation is always worth it.</div>
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After that, I started with the easy part first--planting the asparagus crowns. I bought 2-year crowns, and it takes 3 years for asparagus to mature before you can harvest it. That means I can harvest my first asparagus...some time NEXT spring. Gardening isn't always about instant gratification.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGiA4DWuIGTGgVWKjmU_aLY3mxiG6stbJL5z3kD1Qrq_j-4Phf2yG4chmk7wc3WbWZCzU4KS3E8iWpZDN0aNawv8fqwLmZ_ozqgJ4s3o8ZVX8TNrITO5tqfM_NbcJ3Vo0RdwEsA5MPCg/s1600/IMG_6178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGiA4DWuIGTGgVWKjmU_aLY3mxiG6stbJL5z3kD1Qrq_j-4Phf2yG4chmk7wc3WbWZCzU4KS3E8iWpZDN0aNawv8fqwLmZ_ozqgJ4s3o8ZVX8TNrITO5tqfM_NbcJ3Vo0RdwEsA5MPCg/s400/IMG_6178.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute little baby asparagus!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spreading the roots out before I cover them up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQ5mHC-Z_kwoA-gskBEz91y25oW_uoP-k4Qv518zsd6UdSyMr_8KRV3HohqV-APNvDxzbHSTUEakraV9hfbLWc7UHVCSMp748oEoJ9gQRbrDQGGBAjfpjAnzIzT5pzy7QUhfU2ay11j0/s1600/Asparagus+planted-cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="1600" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQ5mHC-Z_kwoA-gskBEz91y25oW_uoP-k4Qv518zsd6UdSyMr_8KRV3HohqV-APNvDxzbHSTUEakraV9hfbLWc7UHVCSMp748oEoJ9gQRbrDQGGBAjfpjAnzIzT5pzy7QUhfU2ay11j0/s400/Asparagus+planted-cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After planting. There are asparagus plants in there, I promise.</td></tr>
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Then for the potatoes. I cut them into pieces like before, and let them rest a day before planting to heel over (a recommendation I read online).<br />
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Potatoes like to be planted deep with lots of loose soil for them to form nice fat potatoes in. My raised bed was more shallow with heavy clay soil underneath. You can also compensate with some mounding later, but I didn't want to have to do too much of that, either. So I found the middle ground. I dug a nice deep trench 12" wide and maybe 9" deep. As I moved the soil aside, some of the clay at the bottom of the trench got mixed in with the enriched soil from the top of the bed. Then I pushed some of the loosened dirt back into the trench to make a resting place for my potatoes, and spaced the pieces out as needed.<br />
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After that, I took some more of the loosened soil and just covered the potatoes, followed by some organic fertilizer. The rain did me a favor and watered it in for me that evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtrfCix1PIuwxu3ao8nglDYbTSY6fmMY-FOAV8wji6zkLtzmbUkQPvrOXQ9iFSmgDNVTmdNB2kg6VtRbJKJCFbbIHNvbQ-C6DcGnuiVE6ms3f_BR8yBjqjDe5OA5UaR65KoEHGnBMpJg/s1600/Potatoes+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtrfCix1PIuwxu3ao8nglDYbTSY6fmMY-FOAV8wji6zkLtzmbUkQPvrOXQ9iFSmgDNVTmdNB2kg6VtRbJKJCFbbIHNvbQ-C6DcGnuiVE6ms3f_BR8yBjqjDe5OA5UaR65KoEHGnBMpJg/s400/Potatoes+final.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are potatoes in there, I promise.</td></tr>
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Since the trench wasn't filled in all the way, I'll do the same thing I did with the grow bag, fill in the trench more after the potatoes sprout, and maybe end up mounding some soil if needed.<br />
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I finished planting those a couple of days ago. We've had frequent rain and mild temperatures since then, so the asparagus and potatoes should be off to a good start. I'll post some progress photos later.<br />
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Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-69873319020073629692014-05-29T14:45:00.001-07:002014-05-29T14:46:57.029-07:00The Vegetable Bed Becomes the Kitchen GardenLast spring I eagerly built a 4' x 4' raised bed for vegetables, convinced I would get a bountiful harvest. I know a lot about gardening, but I lacked experience with vegetables. I carefully followed the instructions in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Square-Foot-Gardening-Second-Edition-ebook/dp/B00BL62GU4" target="_blank">All New Square Foot Gardening</a> book, and <a href="http://gardenonboulevard.blogspot.com/2013/04/so-much-to-do-so-little-time.html" target="_blank">my garden</a> looked beautiful and organized most of the summer. I learned a lot, but I can't say I produced a lot of vegetables. I think my biggest mistake was underestimating how much sun I got in the spot where I located my bed. I also had a few watering issues--forgetting to water on a couple of hot days and, later on, getting too much rain for the tomatoes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZq8A6FMS9nXi6yEhkAQCBwzgSKUY8Yv0fEitHMdimFCyAEAw23X4j1_JcCcKoCYVQM3G88ZQ5-eX7IMpZ5TNNPQ10jvpf26f7xeNBfs8FtHVS6Cr5GWB7eF5W86Y8JFrOxZXVWRQTzA/s1600/Kitchen+garden+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZq8A6FMS9nXi6yEhkAQCBwzgSKUY8Yv0fEitHMdimFCyAEAw23X4j1_JcCcKoCYVQM3G88ZQ5-eX7IMpZ5TNNPQ10jvpf26f7xeNBfs8FtHVS6Cr5GWB7eF5W86Y8JFrOxZXVWRQTzA/s1600/Kitchen+garden+3.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Last year's vegetable bed, as you can see, is covered in<br />shade in the middle of the afternoon. The mint and parsley<br />don't seem to mind, though.</i></td></tr>
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This year, I've expanded quite a bit. The biggest change came when I decided to start a fresh cut herb business. My single small raised bed has now become seven raised beds that cover a total of 144 square feet. They contain a mix of mostly herbs, some vegetables, and a few flowers. Why flowers? Well, in addition to being great for cutting, they also will attract beneficial insects to my little organic garden.<br />
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My planting plan is loosely based on square foot gardening in order to make the most out of my space. With some of the perennial herbs, though, I had to give them a little extra space (especially mint and oregano), so they don't fit neatly in little squares. You'll see some gaps in my garden right now, mostly because plants are expensive! I'll take cuttings of some of my perennial herbs and fill in most of the holes this fall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX6_xexDQ5JgxTNbeN7nlvehuWflKg0zpWPUxSq6uhYOmCgV_YVUA-mK0JkrNsSm0b3Z2WtwhFTXJ5ZnIoEwC3pfLOGOEMOlyJRH0foZYnzuz05PnCIHPMxxURmtN928os9htnIBYYDU/s1600/Kitchen+garden+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX6_xexDQ5JgxTNbeN7nlvehuWflKg0zpWPUxSq6uhYOmCgV_YVUA-mK0JkrNsSm0b3Z2WtwhFTXJ5ZnIoEwC3pfLOGOEMOlyJRH0foZYnzuz05PnCIHPMxxURmtN928os9htnIBYYDU/s1600/Kitchen+garden+1.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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To save some money, I learned a lot about starting plants from seed this year. Starting from seed also allows me to experiment with varieties that are more disease resistant or tolerant of our Southern heat. I had success with growing tomatoes, peppers, parsley, and basil from seed indoors. (The chives were a flop.) I also planted squash, bean, sunflower, zinnia, and cilantro seeds directly into the garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOJ5spOaMzmviTFYMDm4RpH32gtJ_pFarq4Qrfx4kHalVK7DCPLJDyKW0ZiRlQxdQTdLwLRYuEh1n2Fmy2mRLx_5ED6OVjLYiwq9pLDVHK3SuNgP5xUAsF4x5U08ZFwfowD5-LPjmnD0/s1600/Kitchen+garden+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOJ5spOaMzmviTFYMDm4RpH32gtJ_pFarq4Qrfx4kHalVK7DCPLJDyKW0ZiRlQxdQTdLwLRYuEh1n2Fmy2mRLx_5ED6OVjLYiwq9pLDVHK3SuNgP5xUAsF4x5U08ZFwfowD5-LPjmnD0/s1600/Kitchen+garden+4.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>If you look closely, you can see my little tiny tomato seedlings<br />in the upper left hand corner.</i></td></tr>
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My focus on vegetables was on things I wanted to eat and weren't too hard to grow. Roma tomatoes are so versatile and perfect for salads, salsa, and homemade spaghetti sauce. Pole beans just seem like a staple of summer. We found this unusual white patty pan squash with some friends at a farmers market last summer, so I hunted down some seeds and planted it this year. My husband likes to grow and cook with some unusual peppers, so I planted <a href="http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8863-capperino-f1.aspx" target="_blank">these</a> just for him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMQE9gAeSrYH5m8nJK2xOXyLIpy4Y5syzonIRLbeaAbSQkuly0OhXM_Dlgwnvu3t4BKGXC60ItHG-wRe3-FR3DxKDEDZD39EgVlYjc27UyKjWY4agDYmnRSJq24m-QTPZEqnbMAVmKQw/s1600/Kitchen+garden+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMQE9gAeSrYH5m8nJK2xOXyLIpy4Y5syzonIRLbeaAbSQkuly0OhXM_Dlgwnvu3t4BKGXC60ItHG-wRe3-FR3DxKDEDZD39EgVlYjc27UyKjWY4agDYmnRSJq24m-QTPZEqnbMAVmKQw/s1600/Kitchen+garden+2.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That squash plant will fill up that bed and<br />then some by the end of the summer. I<br />don't think the beans will mind.</i></td></tr>
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Everything else is herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme. The tall grassy thing in the pictures is garlic--not really an herb, but an important culinary seasoning. I chose the herbs I thought people most commonly cooked with to start out with. So far they've produced enough to satisfy the demand at my local farmers market and then some. If you live in Macon, you can find me and my herbs at the Mulberry Street Market on Wednesday afternoons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjed9RQsfDsgnkbjmDgw_sSy2h2rjNacOIDPK_u3L78IVHuJzGkceftYyPWJO61hS7XHIa4PR9hvQNMyoVfokwfS9sx5_yulhyphenhyphen6wdO_EDmcaKaNyNVHEszRdNcagR5Eh9rR-daMrRwhC1A/s1600/Basil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjed9RQsfDsgnkbjmDgw_sSy2h2rjNacOIDPK_u3L78IVHuJzGkceftYyPWJO61hS7XHIa4PR9hvQNMyoVfokwfS9sx5_yulhyphenhyphen6wdO_EDmcaKaNyNVHEszRdNcagR5Eh9rR-daMrRwhC1A/s1600/Basil.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My little basil plants got a slow start this year.</i></td></tr>
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If you're curious, here's my complete planting list:<br />
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<b>Vegetables</b><br />
Tomato 'Granadero (F1)'<br />
Pepper 'Capperino (F1)'<br />
Squash 'White Bush Scallop'<br />
Pole beans 'Garden of Eden'<br />
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<b>Herbs</b><br />
Onion chives<br />
Spearmint<br />
Greek oregano<br />
Common sage<br />
French thyme<br />
Rosemary 'Tuscan blue'<br />
Basil 'Aroma 2 (F1)'<br />
Basil 'Nufar (F1)'<br />
Cilantro 'Slow Bolt'<br />
Italian parsley<br />
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<b>Flowers</b><br />
Sunflower 'Summer Cutting Mix'<br />
Zinnia 'All Summer Cutting Mix'<br />
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What are you growing in your kitchen garden?Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-42488917758182899082014-05-16T10:15:00.002-07:002014-05-16T10:17:43.388-07:00The Cottage Garden, Year 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the very first projects I worked on in my garden was ripping out the bushes in front of my house and creating cottage-garden-style beds. Last year I mainly worked on the bed to the east side of my front door, which you can read all about <a href="http://gardenonboulevard.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-cottage-garden-begins.html" target="_blank">here</a>. That bed looked beautiful in the spring, but I discovered in the summer that the late afternoon sun was settling on my 'Twist-N-Shout' hydrangea and burning it to a crisp. I also discovered that I had poorly planned for winter, and that bed looked positively naked in January. My solution was to move the hydrangea to a shadier spot and replace it with a rosemary I've grown from a cutting. That spot might be too wet for rosemary (the surrounding plants need a lot of water), but since the plant is free I don't mind experimenting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTizw6fbGC6_EQG5PBB5RBVHreZkY6LZps-S62qZItyldvNrEVG96dhoJoWJg_fpWs4j0OxY-gRP2oMtNBur-jQxtM54Gd-31H2uuwt8qxKDAmGrvErZgDajr8P66WY-mAKV30FHttEE/s1600/Bed+1+year+1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTizw6fbGC6_EQG5PBB5RBVHreZkY6LZps-S62qZItyldvNrEVG96dhoJoWJg_fpWs4j0OxY-gRP2oMtNBur-jQxtM54Gd-31H2uuwt8qxKDAmGrvErZgDajr8P66WY-mAKV30FHttEE/s1600/Bed+1+year+1-2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The first cottage garden bed from year 1 (above) to year 2<br />(below).</i></td></tr>
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Everything else in that bed has pretty much doubled in size. The irises are currently covered in blooms and flopping all over the place. The climbing hydrangea has almost covered the trellis, and the lemon balm and bugleweed are competing for space.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfw-wZ4qNip36FuoawNCHw7pPxkboJi0-fQrs13AZP40dLOoQZ0NRvgZP5jVRtZWKdNdXMwXhQW2k1t8Hn4sn9LyJmWkVhYKTxLUIqrAHR85SLalaJ2MraTlqGgw2YVCpKyeiA5kM_GE/s1600/Old+Cottage+Bed+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfw-wZ4qNip36FuoawNCHw7pPxkboJi0-fQrs13AZP40dLOoQZ0NRvgZP5jVRtZWKdNdXMwXhQW2k1t8Hn4sn9LyJmWkVhYKTxLUIqrAHR85SLalaJ2MraTlqGgw2YVCpKyeiA5kM_GE/s1600/Old+Cottage+Bed+Collage.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Clockwise from top left: foxglove with iris, lemon balm with<br />bugleweed, hydrangea, and rosemary.</i></td></tr>
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This spring I finished filling the bed on the other side of the front door with plants. Much less planning went into this one than the last one. I just couldn't make up my mind, so I kept sticking plants I liked in there until I was done. It's a mix of plants from the first bed, other freebies, and a few impulse purchases. I played a lot with textures in this bed. I'll probably rearrange it next year after I see how all the plants do this year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3Ece_KJVZgSQBJ6pR2abDPIy4kV3sJL3uOsCDfqJvNj1QuTYaKzYkWI1iitXBJuED_8cdHmk6C-omfzAkiSx1gW-eXGvjCmL98ATxGw9fuIujTXrasuUtj-gKVwRu-Z1oJEv3Jhyi0I/s1600/New+cottage+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3Ece_KJVZgSQBJ6pR2abDPIy4kV3sJL3uOsCDfqJvNj1QuTYaKzYkWI1iitXBJuED_8cdHmk6C-omfzAkiSx1gW-eXGvjCmL98ATxGw9fuIujTXrasuUtj-gKVwRu-Z1oJEv3Jhyi0I/s1600/New+cottage+bed.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The new cottage garden bed </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kmFOhB8A3MUZxYNnQiFUXlIgnEGyS3oiOXE9sQv0dxgcgTVscLg0GSIPrphiYQllUWTCKlOTfZqMZBOx84Aw6VjEz4LvKlUt_oGiRaRKpOgAo3rQhQ0hGCAByWyFZ8E0H2-lAXWa8Uk/s1600/New+cottage+bed+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kmFOhB8A3MUZxYNnQiFUXlIgnEGyS3oiOXE9sQv0dxgcgTVscLg0GSIPrphiYQllUWTCKlOTfZqMZBOx84Aw6VjEz4LvKlUt_oGiRaRKpOgAo3rQhQ0hGCAByWyFZ8E0H2-lAXWa8Uk/s1600/New+cottage+bed+collage.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Clockwise from top left: pink 'Flower Carpet' rose, <br />'Barbecue' rosemary with 'Silver Mound' artemisia,<br />hydrangea, iris with lemon balm.</i></td></tr>
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In addition to the plants pictured above, I added some summer-blooming perennials which I'll add pictures of when they bloom later: 'Robert Poore' summer phlox and 'Summer Berries' yarrow. I like the appeal of different plants coming into bloom at different times, so those should give me something to look forward to during the heat of summer.<br />
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Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions!<br />
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<br />Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-12739871734835355312014-05-09T06:32:00.000-07:002014-05-09T11:14:36.345-07:00April Showers Bring May Flowers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I can't believe it's been over a month since I've blogged...April just flew by. In addition to the usual spring garden projects, I just started an herb business called Itty-Bitty Herb Farm. This was my first week selling herbs at the farmers market, so I feel like I can finally take a breath after the whirlwind of preparations.</div>
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When I stepped out into my garden this morning, I was delighted to discover several of my plants came into bloom this past week. You know what they say: April showers bring May flowers. One of my favorite things about gardening is how my garden is constantly changing, and in the springtime there's always something new to enjoy. A flower coming into bloom is like receiving an unexpected gift. I thought I'd share what's blooming in my garden right now. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhgZ2NF_iqVoCt4vqAJ3vIUxs0B2G5YtDRyGEY77tqU-bfrTXffPrBx8iv1n_gJio_YYw-4XhmCEUuaTNBFkBaGEg6I9svrfsxPOqT56fMl_zKdXIcxFodrX9WUIKAKFG5ZXu9MKtph8/s1600/May+flower+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhgZ2NF_iqVoCt4vqAJ3vIUxs0B2G5YtDRyGEY77tqU-bfrTXffPrBx8iv1n_gJio_YYw-4XhmCEUuaTNBFkBaGEg6I9svrfsxPOqT56fMl_zKdXIcxFodrX9WUIKAKFG5ZXu9MKtph8/s1600/May+flower+1.jpg" height="320" width="238"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Some friends dug these irises out of their yard<br>for me a couple of years ago, and they've<br>settled in quite nicely. I think it's Iris virginica<br>(blue flag iris).</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVW3boGXwdFuAjmXJYx8pLrZk7CIwAlIgle3cJUsT_2CinRV5Y1afGScKjAfRFsA2YpMYM1NLEP_ki2-n1atQA-PAUeK_KcA3HuannsqHxUl5XWqWIyEgK_SdMZMnWuOGJxrNbhF4yIUI/s1600/May+flower+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVW3boGXwdFuAjmXJYx8pLrZk7CIwAlIgle3cJUsT_2CinRV5Y1afGScKjAfRFsA2YpMYM1NLEP_ki2-n1atQA-PAUeK_KcA3HuannsqHxUl5XWqWIyEgK_SdMZMnWuOGJxrNbhF4yIUI/s1600/May+flower+2.jpg" height="296" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pink 'Flower Carpet' rose</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo6tccJTQgePDpzsPKfeoCt_jIdmsNz8c2B5EiTD_qkmp1hqopPJH-4OEp3mfNfYOmyu9rkDWjj6_Jt4Pc-tyfcigbzDNBbRdyM19mP_a8yDh6ecn8Lfdvhtu6F6lhR3opdzjMF76rYU/s1600/May+flower+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbo6tccJTQgePDpzsPKfeoCt_jIdmsNz8c2B5EiTD_qkmp1hqopPJH-4OEp3mfNfYOmyu9rkDWjj6_Jt4Pc-tyfcigbzDNBbRdyM19mP_a8yDh6ecn8Lfdvhtu6F6lhR3opdzjMF76rYU/s1600/May+flower+3.jpg" height="320" width="238"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea) are biennial,<br>so I wasn't sure if they would come this year.<br>Looks like they had some babies last year who<br>bloomed this year. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqTxeZgisM9FrlytG07zap942Y_OaUR6mrVobbMLUZ5ut7am31hsEf58inL3axxSFFTUecZLu4DLbofiqu85h_-h_bfx3Eo-zkCVuA8ptU4pIJ4yMWYClHlPcY1kMedUUSFLKmrMo5T0/s1600/May+flower+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqTxeZgisM9FrlytG07zap942Y_OaUR6mrVobbMLUZ5ut7am31hsEf58inL3axxSFFTUecZLu4DLbofiqu85h_-h_bfx3Eo-zkCVuA8ptU4pIJ4yMWYClHlPcY1kMedUUSFLKmrMo5T0/s1600/May+flower+4.jpg" height="287" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My 'Munstead' lavender isn't quite in full bloom, but I<br>think the delicate buds are lovely.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8snI7pYIcVLWODcuofr4M3cRyUMJE6GeTROLyCSDIPneMnLTgUWPrtpSB5Y3h6Cvg0cJ4gsJ0nHxw3pEdYxUrkG8ilXE8YIoR8R5mPsu5GF2XfepwH-1RymdHpwotxlE4OveJe-ZFKIE/s1600/May+flower+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8snI7pYIcVLWODcuofr4M3cRyUMJE6GeTROLyCSDIPneMnLTgUWPrtpSB5Y3h6Cvg0cJ4gsJ0nHxw3pEdYxUrkG8ilXE8YIoR8R5mPsu5GF2XfepwH-1RymdHpwotxlE4OveJe-ZFKIE/s1600/May+flower+5.jpg" height="287" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My 'Red Drift' rose just exploded in blooms! I've had it since<br>I lived in an apartment, and it's clearly settled into its new<br>home since I planted it in my landscape last year.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHFiAYqBNfOZTx2yyJw6hWHhP35B6wn1HaYeEWJSZkdcFPntkWPQtWyTiwySfItI4wPqHmf8t1VFK0SD1Mm_KHvP4mS_tcCVxQnKfdq7ivhtuqk_uXxXi6JQAlBwgnby2eO6I2m0fCTw/s1600/2014-04-29+11.25.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHFiAYqBNfOZTx2yyJw6hWHhP35B6wn1HaYeEWJSZkdcFPntkWPQtWyTiwySfItI4wPqHmf8t1VFK0SD1Mm_KHvP4mS_tcCVxQnKfdq7ivhtuqk_uXxXi6JQAlBwgnby2eO6I2m0fCTw/s1600/2014-04-29+11.25.04.jpg" height="320" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I inherited this mystery rose when we bought our house,<br>and this is the best it's looked since we moved in.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QmtAk3Afoo4JQjyfv5ec7bqGq9ksRWFmMmysO6gs6V36Ljr96uqnzkrghmV7wrkR0lVjj7JZC_eQQyCJcH5tE1rFp-e0_qC1cQIrPNffBPoNODa55l9xy95gaJoOg4OC4GBxPHNzHI8/s1600/May+flower+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QmtAk3Afoo4JQjyfv5ec7bqGq9ksRWFmMmysO6gs6V36Ljr96uqnzkrghmV7wrkR0lVjj7JZC_eQQyCJcH5tE1rFp-e0_qC1cQIrPNffBPoNODa55l9xy95gaJoOg4OC4GBxPHNzHI8/s1600/May+flower+6.jpg" height="287" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I had an itch for some white flowers, so I planted this little<br>container with some white petunias and white fan flower<br>(Scaevola aemula).</i></td></tr>
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If you have any questions about these plants, feel free to leave a comment below! I'm happy to answer any questions you have.</div>
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Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-56647839679454454822014-04-03T11:24:00.000-07:002014-04-03T12:41:54.347-07:00My Spring Garden TourThis is just one of those weeks in my garden that I want to capture forever, a rare day when everything seems to be blooming all at once. The plants that bloom in early spring are still in bloom, and the ones that bloom in mid to late spring are just coming into bloom. The camellias are still hanging on, while the bulbs are popping up, and leaves are emerging everywhere. I took some time today to take pictures, in the hopes of preserving the memory, and I thought I'd share them with you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCEXvcDb-4RCuLdv3G7SprGOln9QiDkPvY6ccSaOZRJrFdYLewfx0WXLBgXBa25LLAw9OiBp5Qp8ekCOPruF1Q1Lc95F4qA-eD4GROXhIUI1hfc5DoG0Ah-I2jNpX5rJrtKpzI003eqk/s1600/Cherry+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCEXvcDb-4RCuLdv3G7SprGOln9QiDkPvY6ccSaOZRJrFdYLewfx0WXLBgXBa25LLAw9OiBp5Qp8ekCOPruF1Q1Lc95F4qA-eD4GROXhIUI1hfc5DoG0Ah-I2jNpX5rJrtKpzI003eqk/s1600/Cherry+tree.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Flowering cherry tree</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxHDHY9JMo-Rmq5aInABtek9s3D0P5rfU84F8RUeHNcr2zNcD5mvENgz3NFQSMVF1xxxkHW6bMmQFOIxm0TADSddhP9YGB8qJHoatcSORNYno1OGw72DS-_ZQh4Uyc5rrBgm1_7-faIg/s1600/cherry+blossoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxHDHY9JMo-Rmq5aInABtek9s3D0P5rfU84F8RUeHNcr2zNcD5mvENgz3NFQSMVF1xxxkHW6bMmQFOIxm0TADSddhP9YGB8qJHoatcSORNYno1OGw72DS-_ZQh4Uyc5rrBgm1_7-faIg/s1600/cherry+blossoms.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Flowering cherry tree</i></td></tr>
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My cherry tree has been in bloom for a couple of weeks now, and I swear it's even more beautiful this year than it was last year. The first picture is actually from last week, when it was at its peak of blooming in all its white glory. The second photo is from today, when the leaves have started emerging, the blooms have turned from white to pink, and the petals have begun to fall like pink snow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNeJE4cUrm_BjTIF1PIWCTA-qH55oObn_QPKGXhiAeAT7KinzvpuvlinaF5vkT09bVclVvR0G02avgyIk55AHVx38iFP_UQ4ny7_DLR857ZGXo8nmRE72FIRFlY3D6fxAovzbburU9d8/s1600/hyacinths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNeJE4cUrm_BjTIF1PIWCTA-qH55oObn_QPKGXhiAeAT7KinzvpuvlinaF5vkT09bVclVvR0G02avgyIk55AHVx38iFP_UQ4ny7_DLR857ZGXo8nmRE72FIRFlY3D6fxAovzbburU9d8/s1600/hyacinths.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Muscari armeniacum (grape hyacinth) &<br />Hyacinthus 'Delft Blue'</i></td></tr>
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I picked up a mixed bag of hyacinths at the hardware store in December (you can usually find bulbs on sale around that time). The little ones emerged first, and the bigger ones are just starting to pop out. And yes, I am a little behind on my weeding in my flower beds. I'll get to that eventually...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT4dIl0nK5-5lQVvXt-5BVou0_MyjpgGhQG8PmIFpXzWl9n583ZADI63ru49KqzGngaSy7DhOWSzQ1iLbQxBREDFx6PkFLHS0ZGAJJEV4LH7_ajrTlHoKMWBjGajZJw-f8eR0zobWe44/s1600/striped+tulip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKT4dIl0nK5-5lQVvXt-5BVou0_MyjpgGhQG8PmIFpXzWl9n583ZADI63ru49KqzGngaSy7DhOWSzQ1iLbQxBREDFx6PkFLHS0ZGAJJEV4LH7_ajrTlHoKMWBjGajZJw-f8eR0zobWe44/s1600/striped+tulip.jpg" height="320" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tulipa 'Happy Generation'</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YJPuJVE-WifDsC4VSXKw1wLZJiarH9cILolJDWL-TSEI-6q4QjV9bZ7_UsD5WWa-4mkBGHkZ92Ojz7zx0aBujY3athro3wmP4l9Ua5MS9JkWN1f6aipFbmxmUlNTqepaUUKbHWuVn2E/s1600/red+tulip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YJPuJVE-WifDsC4VSXKw1wLZJiarH9cILolJDWL-TSEI-6q4QjV9bZ7_UsD5WWa-4mkBGHkZ92Ojz7zx0aBujY3athro3wmP4l9Ua5MS9JkWN1f6aipFbmxmUlNTqepaUUKbHWuVn2E/s1600/red+tulip.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tulipa 'Bastogne'</i></td></tr>
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The striped tulip ('Happy Generation') is left over from a container planting I did last year. I didn't think they'd do so well two years in a row, since I didn't make any special effort to store them properly. I actually left one of them lying on the patio all summer; I only stuck it in the ground in the fall because shoots were coming out of it. Apparently they're more tolerant of abuse than I realized! I picked up a bag of red tulips in December, and this is the first one that's bloomed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOJ0K9SdQ_uCw-pcZ6jz9KQbN-nCLwmNeMCGfSGaIfAj0iGsx6MxaP4dipsuS2aPHd1pFKJixWkvcTs4ezMjkB0umbHXRHNHkxR6r1ZcRw9OUOgtZNLQwYHF1xlOVvIcWN-9lMde5d7E/s1600/verbena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOJ0K9SdQ_uCw-pcZ6jz9KQbN-nCLwmNeMCGfSGaIfAj0iGsx6MxaP4dipsuS2aPHd1pFKJixWkvcTs4ezMjkB0umbHXRHNHkxR6r1ZcRw9OUOgtZNLQwYHF1xlOVvIcWN-9lMde5d7E/s1600/verbena.jpg" height="287" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Verbena 'Homestead Purple' flower among rose leaves</i></td></tr>
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I found a stray purple verbena bloom popping out from among the roses.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyPSAVlZCtcEfqRhm_EDoktywS4lVMP6gRQGr8Mso_nJ37UP4jH_dynBQgA25YeEx35v0QdRIyzGH2rHeaBQ9YcQvhYGXm96KoHPW4wh5xUDJ8oxda6cfOJRwcU9i1JwSp6xwhTviNR0/s1600/carolina+jessamine+plus+vinca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVyPSAVlZCtcEfqRhm_EDoktywS4lVMP6gRQGr8Mso_nJ37UP4jH_dynBQgA25YeEx35v0QdRIyzGH2rHeaBQ9YcQvhYGXm96KoHPW4wh5xUDJ8oxda6cfOJRwcU9i1JwSp6xwhTviNR0/s1600/carolina+jessamine+plus+vinca.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gelsemium sempervirens (left) and Vinca major (right)</i></td></tr>
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Carolina jessamine (<i>Gelsemium sempervirens</i>) grows in large planters on either side of my front door. It doesn't have as many blooms since I moved it to the shadier location, but it still has a couple this year. Periwinkle (<i>Vinca major</i>) grows entangled in a bed of ivy and honeysuckle alongside my patio. It makes a lovely groundcover, especially for shady areas, but it can become invasive in wooded areas in the South. <i>Vinca minor</i> is its smaller, less aggressive cousin, which is usually a better choice for the garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK2QK2PbHV4Gl_uvlGPXHekgFooUp-i-YjGR4OkJbYPv3Vd0FKSAItRG9veehffuo96wxlPGVo7nPHlJchGfVYksCk6JGg9Sc3BcwpXpbw7FXAvI_g7UeFLbO6MiHY0hHdSnBTkBXw3Y/s1600/hostas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK2QK2PbHV4Gl_uvlGPXHekgFooUp-i-YjGR4OkJbYPv3Vd0FKSAItRG9veehffuo96wxlPGVo7nPHlJchGfVYksCk6JGg9Sc3BcwpXpbw7FXAvI_g7UeFLbO6MiHY0hHdSnBTkBXw3Y/s1600/hostas.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hosta hybrid</i></td></tr>
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It's so nice to see my hostas returning from their winter sleep next to my patio.<br />
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I haven't planted any vegetables yet this year, but I still have some lettuce hanging on from last fall. I'll get to work planting my summer veggie garden here in a couple of weeks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj90EySCEMTS-kJpFpoagLEICd626vVUDz3x9FSiyKI9FbSEQvSs8-v0hzFngNjbr3d8v50uZSwt4gP7eYuvy2hqXCue215-RXwToerAt5CuzZLlpVlKdl3hi9xr5PlJc1aIO6qczwwZw/s1600/Dogwood+blossoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj90EySCEMTS-kJpFpoagLEICd626vVUDz3x9FSiyKI9FbSEQvSs8-v0hzFngNjbr3d8v50uZSwt4gP7eYuvy2hqXCue215-RXwToerAt5CuzZLlpVlKdl3hi9xr5PlJc1aIO6qczwwZw/s1600/Dogwood+blossoms.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cornus florida (dogwood)</i></td></tr>
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I actually climbed up into my dogwood tree in order to get a better view of the blossoms. They really are one of my favorite spring flowers. In addition, the trees grow to a nice, small-to-medium size and get some lovely color in the fall. In my opinion, no Southern garden is complete without a dogwood tree.<br />
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From the dogwood tree, I had a birds-eye view of my kitchen garden. As you can see, I've added quite a few raised beds recently. I'll update you soon on all the new developments in my kitchen garden.Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-31911369899179068812014-03-24T12:32:00.001-07:002014-03-24T12:36:59.096-07:00A Pink Container Garden for the Pinkest Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnifxV716e8Qxhhxr21CDSOSzXmCcdlmGLM6UojRPM3T-fPvUwUSuDUdnKBfcjxTSA55KZYkRf4TyHrb86WKsT7w08_kRkWQ90T_zGdZ5JjAfwqu7-RYH4SZLcG1PijlYRAdSWXpzquA/s1600/Pink1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnifxV716e8Qxhhxr21CDSOSzXmCcdlmGLM6UojRPM3T-fPvUwUSuDUdnKBfcjxTSA55KZYkRf4TyHrb86WKsT7w08_kRkWQ90T_zGdZ5JjAfwqu7-RYH4SZLcG1PijlYRAdSWXpzquA/s1600/Pink1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here in Macon, GA, we're in the middle of the Cherry Blossom Festival. For those of you who don't know Macon, the Cherry Blossom Festival is a big deal. Their slogan is, "The Pinkest Party on Earth," and that might be accurate. Not only is the 10-day festival full of events such as concerts and parades, but you'll see almost everyone wearing pink. People even dye their dogs pink for the festival!<br />
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The cherry trees came through in full force this year, in perfect timing for the festival. The cherry tree in my backyard is looking its finest, as well. I decided in honor of the festival, and to celebrate the arrival of spring, I wanted a pink container garden for my patio. It didn't take long to run to Lowe's and put one together this weekend.<br />
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I picked three plants that I thought would give me the most bang for my buck: armeria, phlox, and petunias.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjZfBosYyThTDw-IDH5sGeu7rDQ3H2_JHpw5fdK-U0Pysl0ohG7Rm3coQM-flvENoOTpnLXL4fY6iWnzdhyphenhyphen3qU4F2ORzunalu33GBTw85njYYfvxd1ih9wno06fhY-O9uKOjmwtwsKQk/s1600/Armeria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjZfBosYyThTDw-IDH5sGeu7rDQ3H2_JHpw5fdK-U0Pysl0ohG7Rm3coQM-flvENoOTpnLXL4fY6iWnzdhyphenhyphen3qU4F2ORzunalu33GBTw85njYYfvxd1ih9wno06fhY-O9uKOjmwtwsKQk/s1600/Armeria.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Armeria</i></td></tr>
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Armeria is also known as thrift or sea pink. This perennial blooms spring and early summer, and can also be found in white or red. If you didn't guess from the name, it's native to coastal areas. It likes full sun and well-drained soil and is fairly drought tolerant. Even when it stops blooming, I think its grass-like foliage will be lovely in this container.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWpy8AQLNIqX4VAhHUEu6wpwwUYq8zoIFonbh3nO-gmF6InolkOEhhge86qz3a6e6kwSNBcuW_qQfPzHT7eBu4NGmXUl0hfpioytBW2qplB4BLDhPgvxP9YEBOpdZyjkQFmVQs3vFQyw/s1600/Phlox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWpy8AQLNIqX4VAhHUEu6wpwwUYq8zoIFonbh3nO-gmF6InolkOEhhge86qz3a6e6kwSNBcuW_qQfPzHT7eBu4NGmXUl0hfpioytBW2qplB4BLDhPgvxP9YEBOpdZyjkQFmVQs3vFQyw/s1600/Phlox.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Phlox</i></td></tr>
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There are several different species of phlox, but I loved the large blooms on this one. It's also a perennial, like armeria. It only blooms in spring, but I can plant it in my garden when it's done blooming. It likes full sun and regular water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Petunia</i></td></tr>
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When the phlox stops blooming, the petunias will fill in. These annuals are easy to grow, grow fast, and bloom all summer. They do best with regular water, but they'll survive a little neglect. I expect to see them spilling over the sides of my container in June. They don't tolerate frost, but I don't mind dragging the pot inside if we get a couple more frosty nights.<br />
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Happy gardening!Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-83200463714273209182014-03-20T08:54:00.000-07:002014-03-20T17:19:18.494-07:00Pruning 101When you have a nice Saturday afternoon, you may, like me, have the itch to get out and plant flowers, vegetables, and more. Unfortunately, it's still too early to plant tomatoes, petunias, and those other heat-loving plants we all love, but it's the perfect time to get out and prune.<br />
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There is a right way and a wrong way to prune. I see so many beautiful trees and shrubs ruined by bad pruning--even pruning done by well-meaning "landscape" companies! Good pruning makes your trees and shrubs both more beautiful and more healthy in the long term. It may take a little longer, but it doesn't have to be complicated. The reward is worth it. I'll show you how!<br />
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<b>First: The Tools</b><br />
I have three tools I use for all my pruning. I could probably use a couple more, but these three serve me just fine 95% of the time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My favorite pruning tools, from left to right: bypass hand <br />pruners, loppers, and folding saw</i></td></tr>
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Most of the time, I use hand pruners (<a href="http://www.felcostore.com/item/f2" target="_blank">Felco 2</a>, to be exact) to cut small branches. For larger branches, or branches slightly out of reach, I use loppers. Because I have some older trees and shrubs in my yard, I use my folding saw from time to time to cut large limbs (and small trunks) that are dead or diseased.<br />
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Now I admit, I don't really like the formal look in my garden. If that's what you want, your main tool will be hedge shears.<br />
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Whatever you're using, you'll want to make sure they're sharp and in good condition. Not only do dull tools make your job more difficult, but good, clean cuts are important for the health of your plant. When you get tears or ragged cuts, those invite disease and infection to your plant. Clean cuts will heal faster and keep disease out. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzwslJP4uPw" target="_blank">Here's a handy video</a> about sharpening your pruners if they've gotten dull.<br />
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<b>Where to Cut</b><br />
If you like the formal look, it's fairly simple: shear your shrub to the shape you want. You just want to make sure the final shape is slightly wider at the bottom. If it's not, the lower branches can get shaded out by the upper branches and die off. If your shrub does get a dead branch, you'll use hand pruners or loppers to remove it.<br />
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If you want the more natural look, you'll use a combination of "thinning" cuts and "heading" cuts.<br />
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Thinning cuts involve removing a whole branch back to its origin. Thinning cuts are good for the health of your shrub because they let more light into the canopy. Thinning cuts are especially good for removing crossing branches. Not only are crossing branches less aesthetically pleasing, but they can rub against each other and cause wounds which make way for disease.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A thinning cut: removing a whole branch</i></td></tr>
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Heading cuts have two purposes: 1) they make branches shorter and 2) they make plants branch out more and become bushier (get it? "<i>bush</i>ier?"). To make a heading cut, you cut the tip of a branch back to right above a node. A "node" is where a leaf grows out of a branch. When you cut the branch back, it's also where a new branch will grow out. Most of the time, a new branch will grow in whichever direction that node/leaf is facing. If possible, you'll want to cut back to a node that is facing outward, not inward, for a healthier, more attractive plant.<br />
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The best branches to make heading cuts on are branches that are too long (sticking out) or where there's a hole in your shrub. A heading cut will cause a plant to branch out, filling in the hole in the overall shape. Of course, if your plant already has a mostly even shape, you can still use heading cuts evenly spaced around the shrub to get a denser look (or, for flowering shrubs, to get more flowers).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwJESeE4NfqFT3jIhR76TqfZA1NApNVHtGti7xcK84GLE48ptGNb1R3RTAC0A42du0oJu_eS_smR1nZTGPKHe6f0b_v2qxf9Y45Fxpo7Vai7RcSFGarVVwrYZtSSKIIcqld7oS7rcAiw/s1600/Heading+cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwJESeE4NfqFT3jIhR76TqfZA1NApNVHtGti7xcK84GLE48ptGNb1R3RTAC0A42du0oJu_eS_smR1nZTGPKHe6f0b_v2qxf9Y45Fxpo7Vai7RcSFGarVVwrYZtSSKIIcqld7oS7rcAiw/s1600/Heading+cut.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A heading cut: making a branch shorter </i></td></tr>
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<b>When to Prune</b><br />
As I mentioned, March is a great time to prune, but it's not the only time you can prune. For your regular, green, non-flowering trees and shrubs, you can pretty much prune from January through August. Fall is a bad time for pruning because pruning can cause a sudden flush of new growth, which is easily damaged by an early frost.<br />
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For your spring-flowering trees and shrubs, such as azaleas, camellias, dogwood, forsythia, and cherry trees, now is actually a terrible time to prune. You should wait until May or June (after they flower) to do any significant pruning. If not, you'll be pruning off the flower buds, and it will take them another year to grow more buds.<br />
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For your summer-flowering trees and shrubs, such as hydrangeas, gardenias, crape myrtles, and magnolias, it's fine to prune in the springtime.<br />
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As for roses...whole books could be written on the subject of pruning roses. (Someone actually wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/National-Societys-Handbook-Pruning-Gardening/dp/1429014253/" target="_blank">one</a>, as a matter of fact.) Typically roses are given a good hard pruning in February, leaving 3 to 5 main canes (branches) that are cut back to 2 feet tall. All the smaller branches are removed. Then, as roses bloom, the dead blooms are cut off to encourage the plant to keep blooming. For the ubiquitous 'Knockout' roses, this isn't really necessary--they'll keep blooming anyway--but I think they look nicer if you remove all the old dead flower parts from time to time.<br />
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Have fun pruning, and feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions about pruning your shrub.Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-907620926575221495.post-57088580065540726342014-02-25T10:31:00.002-08:002014-02-26T10:02:56.209-08:00Plant of the month: CamelliaOne of the underrated gems of the Southern garden is the camellia. Camellias are like roses that bloom in winter. The flowers come in every shade from red to white, and in every size from a ping-pong ball to a softball.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Just a few of the camellias currently blooming in and<br />around my garden</i></td></tr>
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There are so many different varieties that a whole organization, the American Camellia Society, is devoted to them. Their headquarters at Massee Lane Gardens are located not far from here, in Fort Valley, GA. If you visit Massee Lane, you can see over a thousand different varieties of camellias on display.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Historic marker in Third Street Park in downtown Macon,<br />where the first public camellia show was held</i></td></tr>
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Even though the headquarters are in Fort Valley, the American Camellia Society was actually founded here in Macon. We live just a few blocks from where Dr. William G. Lee, one of the founders of the ACS, once lived. His estate, now a public park, is another hidden gem with lovely trails among the old camellias. If you're in Macon and want to visit, just head to the north end of Glenridge Drive. It's a short street, so it's not hard to find.<br />
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In our side yard between our property and our neighbor's, there are 8 different varieties of camellias. Since our own home was built in the 1920s, I wonder how old the camellias are. Perhaps they were purchased at an ACS camellia show in the 1930s, or maybe they were even gifts from Dr. Lee! It's just as possible that they were planted in the 1980s, but it's fun to dream.<br />
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Depending on the species and variety, camellias will bloom anytime from October through April. They are evergreen, so their dark green, glossy leaves look beautiful all year. There are two main species of camellias grown in the landscape: <i>Camellia japonica</i> and <i>Camellia sasanqua.</i> As a general rule, <i>Camellia japonica</i> varieties have larger leaves and blooms, compared with <i>Camellia sasanqua </i>(sometimes called "sasanquas" for short). Sasanquas usually bloom earlier, in fall and winter, while <i>Camellia japonica</i> varieties bloom more in winter and spring.<br />
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Whichever species and variety you decide on, here are some facts to help you care for your camellias:<br />
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<b>Sun: </b>Camellias thrive in light shade and look their best when protected from hot afternoon sun. Sasanquas will tolerate more sun.<br />
<b>Soil: </b>They prefer a well-drained spot, rich in organic matter, with slightly acid soil.<br />
<b>Water: </b>Give camellias regular water for several months after they're planted. Once established, they rarely need to be watered, except perhaps during a summer drought.<br />
<b>Pruning: </b>If you'd like to prune to improve the shape of your camellia, do so immediately after they bloom.<br />
<b>Fertilizer: </b>They don't like to be heavily fertilized, but if they're looking like they could use a boost, pick up an azalea fertilizer--it contains the acid that camellias like.<br />
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<b>Other: </b>A layer of mulch will keep your camellia roots cool and happy. If your flowers are turning brown and falling off, be sure to clean them up. It's a sign of a fungal disease that will continue to spread if you leave the diseased blooms on the ground. Some bud drop (when buds fall off before they bloom) is normal for camellias, so don't panic if you notice it in your camellias.Melissa Mackerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03850551035447280194noreply@blogger.com0